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In 1823 the American fur trapper Hugh Glass survived a grizzly bear attack in what is now South Dakota and was left behind by two companions who believed he would die. He then made his way to Fort Kiowa, about 200 miles (320 km) away, a journey said to have taken some six weeks.

Hugh Glass

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The story behind the card

Glass was travelling with a fur-trading expedition organised by William Ashley when the bear attacked. Two men were left to stay with him until he died: John S. Fitzgerald and a young trapper usually identified as Jim Bridger, though some historians doubt that. They took his rifle and knife and reported him dead. Glass left no written account; the story first reached print in 1825 through other writers, and later retellings, including the 2015 film The Revenant, added details that cannot be checked. The attack, the abandonment and the long journey are well supported, while the self-set broken leg and some revenge scenes belong to the legend. Glass later tracked down both men but did not kill either, and he died in 1833 in a clash with Arikara warriors.

Türkçe oku
1823'te Amerikalı kürk avcısı Hugh Glass, bugünkü Güney Dakota'da bir boz ayının saldırısından sağ kurtuldu; öleceğini düşünen iki yol arkadaşı onu orada bırakıp gitti. Glass ardından yaklaşık 320 kilometre ötedeki Fort Kiowa'ya ulaştı; anlatılara göre bu yolculuk altı hafta kadar sürdü.

Ayı saldırdığında Glass, William Ashley'nin düzenlediği bir kürk ticareti seferine katılmıştı. Ölene kadar başında beklemeleri için iki adam geride bırakıldı: John S. Fitzgerald ve genellikle Jim Bridger olduğu söylenen genç bir avcı; ancak bazı tarihçiler bu kimliği kuşkuyla karşılar. İkisi Glass'ın tüfeğini ve bıçağını alıp onu öldü diye bildirdi. Glass olayı kendisi yazmadı; hikâye ilk kez 1825'te başkalarının kaleminden yayımlandı. 2015 yapımı Diriliş (The Revenant) filmi de dahil olmak üzere sonraki anlatımlar, doğrulanamayan ayrıntılar ekledi. Saldırı, terk edilmesi ve uzun yolculuk sağlam kaynaklara dayanıyor; kırık bacağını kendi yerine oturtması ve bazı intikam sahneleri ise efsaneye ait. Glass daha sonra iki adamı da buldu ama hiçbirini öldürmedi. 1833'te Arikara savaşçılarıyla girdiği bir çatışmada öldü.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Hugh Glass
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