Several French versions explicitly comment on Jean de l'ours being covered with body hair on his entire body. One Gascon version, Jan l'Oursét adds that he had "a large head just like a bear's, except for its shape". See more

Origins of the hero
Jean de l'Ours in most cases is the child of a mother and a bear. However, in some versions his origins are less clearly defined, i.e. his … See more

The tale type AT 301B is said to be one of the most widespread tales (plus repándu) in the Occitaine. Indeed, French scholarship points … See more

"John the Bear" is categorized as Type 301 or "Three Stolen Princesses" type. Type 301 is also sometimes termed the "Bear' son" type, … See more

Soldiers' version
A key example of type 301 B noted by French scholars such as Paul Delarue or Daniel Fabre [ See more

Versions of the tale found in the Pyrenees region, across languages. These include for example "Joan de l'Ors" in Occitan, from the See more

The corresponding character is denoted Juan Artz [xwan arts̻], Hachko, or Xan Artz [ʃan arts̻] in Basque country.
One Basque version of the tale is Juan Artz, edited by Resurrección María de Azkue accompanied by Spanish translation. The … See more