Bruin | Folklore, Bear, Mythology | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Also known as: Brun

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Bruin, a character in French folklore and in the Roman de Renart, a medieval collection of beast tales that satirized human society by bestowing human characteristics upon animals. In the Roman de Renart, Bruin is a bear who is wedged into a honey-filled log by the hero, Reynard the Fox. The name of the character, ultimately from Middle Dutch bruun (“brown”), has come to be an appellation for any bear.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.