Dreaming of a bear in Chinese dream interpretation: meaning
In the Book of Songs, one of the oldest Chinese texts, a dream about bears is interpreted as a sign of the birth of a son. The expression meng xiong, dreaming of a bear, thus became a polite way of announcing a pregnancy or the birth of a boy. In folk interpretation the bear is therefore a favourable sign.
Within this tradition
The Shijing, the Book of Songs, is a collection of poems that according to tradition was compiled by Confucius. In one of the songs the king asks his dream interpreter about his dreams, and he answers that bears are a sign of sons, and snakes of daughters. That line carried on for centuries. People still sometimes wish a pregnant woman or a young family that they dream of bears.
In the folk interpretation around the dream book of Zhou Gong a bear is therefore often read favourably: strength, prosperity, a son or a new family member. A bear entering your house is read as blessing for the family. A bear chasing you, as a challenge you can overcome with courage, and defeating a bear as success after effort.
In Chinese culture the bear also stands for strength and courage; the word xiong sounds like the word for hero or male strength. That is why a powerful bear in a dream is sometimes read as recognition of your own strength or leadership. The giant panda, xiongmao, literally bear-cat, is a national symbol of peace and friendship.
Old dream books are folk interpretation, not fixed rules, and are often used with a smile. The reading of bears as sons is an old image, not a prediction.
Common variations
A bear in your dream when wishing for a child
Classically: a sign of a son, as in the Book of Songs.
A bear entering your house
Blessing for the family.
Defeating a bear
Success after effort; courage rewarded.
A powerful bear
Recognition of your own strength or leadership.
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Write your dream in the appFrequently asked questions
What does meng xiong mean?
Dreaming of a bear: an old, polite expression for a pregnancy or the birth of a son.
Where does the reading of bears as sons come from?
From the Shijing, the Book of Songs, in which a dream interpreter explains bears as a sign of sons.
Is the dream book of Zhou Gong really by Zhou Gong?
No, it is a collection of folk interpretation attributed to him, centuries after his life.