But as you know, the film is based on a real story, which I would like to talk about in more detail.

Hugh Glass is a famous American pioneer, trapper and explorer, who forever went down in history thanks to his miraculous rescue from the very heart of the American taiga and subsequent adventures.

Here's what we know about him...

Before the advent of the hydrocarbon era, when oil and coal became the most valuable resources in the world, the fur of fur-bearing animals played such a role. It is with the extraction of fur that, for example, the development of all of Siberia and the Far East of Russia is connected. In the 16th-17th centuries in Russia, deposits of silver and gold were practically unknown, but it was necessary to trade with other countries - this is what pushed the Russian people further and further east in search of liquid currency: valuable skins of sable, silver fox and ermine. These valuable skins were called “soft junk” at the time.

The same process occurred in the USA. From the very beginning of the development of the North American continent, European colonists began to buy skins from the Indians and mine them themselves - this wealth was exported in whole ships to the Old World. The French became involved in the fur trade in the 16th century; the British, who established trading posts near Hudson Bay in what is now Canada, and the Dutch in the 17th century. By the 19th century, when the rapid development of industry began, an extensive network of trading companies engaged in the extraction and sale of fur had already formed in North America.

For a long time, the fur trade was one of the pillars of the American economy - long before the gold rush in California and Alaska, thousands of professional hunters flocked to the endless forests of the northwest for furry gold. They were called mountain men or trappers. Not only did they disappear in the forest for years, setting snares and hunting animals with firearms for their own benefit, but they also performed another important role.

These were the first white people in completely wild and unexplored places.

Expedition Recruitment Advertisement, Missouri Gazette & Public Advertiser, 1823

It was they who, along their journey, filled out diaries, maps, made sketches and notes about the rivers they sailed along and the people they met. Subsequently, many of them began to serve as guides for scientific expeditions, accompanying the first caravans of settlers along the Oregon Trail; others established trading posts along the settler routes or were recruited as scouts for the U.S. Army.

During the heyday of the fur trade in the 1820s-1840s, about 3,000 people could call themselves mountain men. One of them was Hugh Glass, who became a true American legend.

Glass was born in 1780 into a family of Irish settlers living in Pennsylvania. From his youth, he felt a craving for adventure, and distant, unexplored lands attracted the young man better than any magnet. And it becomes clear why: the era of the famous conquest of the western lands of North America began in the USA, when every day new groups of pioneers and explorers went further and further to the west. Many of them did not return - Indian arrows, diseases, predators and natural elements took their toll, but the wealth and mystery of distant lands did not stop more and more frontiersmen.

The name frontierman comes from the English word frontier. The frontier in the 19th century was the name given to the area between the wild, undeveloped western lands and the already annexed eastern lands. The people who lived in this zone were called frontiermen. They worked as hunters, guides, builders, explorers and contactors with various Indian tribes. It was dangerous and hard work, interesting, but full of hardships. As the wild lands were developed, the frontier shifted east - to the East Coast itself, until it finally ceased to exist.

Glass probably left home at a young age and went to the frontier in search of adventure and work. Most information about his early life is missing, but we do know that from 1816 to 1818 he was part of the crew of a pirate ship that attacked merchant ships along the rivers and along the sea coast. It is unknown whether Glass voluntarily joined the pirate squad, or whether he was captured and left with no other choice. Be that as it may, 2 years later, during another pirate raid, Glass decided to escape from the ship: he jumped from the ship into the water and swam 4 kilometers to the Gulf Coast. Without any equipment, he walked north day after day, and was eventually captured by the Pawnee Indians. Glass was lucky that the tribal leader allowed him to stay in the tribe and provided him with everything he needed. The American lived with the Indians for 3 years, acquiring the skills of surviving in the wild and hunting animals, learned the Pawnee language and even took one of the Pawnee girls as his wife. Three years later, as an ambassador from the Pawnees, he went to meet the American delegation, and after negotiations decided not to return to the Indians.

In 1822, Glass decided to join the expedition of the famous entrepreneur William Ashley, who planned to explore the tributaries of the Missouri River for hunting grounds for a new fur company, organized by William Ashley himself and his business partner Andrew Henry. Many famous frontiermen and trappers joined the expedition; Hugh Glass also decided to try his luck. The experience gained and excellent physical data seemed sufficient to William Ashley, and at the beginning of 1823, Glass and his detachment set out on a campaign.

A few weeks later, explorers traveling up the Missouri River were ambushed by hostile Arikara Indians. 14 of the squad were killed and 11, including Glass, were wounded. William and Andrew suggested moving on and passing the dangerous section of the river as quickly as possible, but most of the detachment believed that large forces of Indians would be waiting for them ahead, and continuing along the intended route would be tantamount to suicide.

Having sent a boat with wounded comrades down the river to the nearest fort, the Americans began to wait for reinforcements. Finally, in early August, additional forces arrived and attacked the Arikara and drove them back to their settlements. Peace was made with the Indians, and they agreed not to interfere with the group of explorers in the future. After this, the volunteers who came to help went back.
Since the confrontation with the Redskins resulted in significant delays, William Ashley decided to split his men into two groups and send them along two different routes to catch up and explore the area faster. Moreover, although a non-aggression pact was concluded with the Arikara, none of the Americans thought of trusting the Indians, preferring to leave the intended route along the Missouri River. Glass ended up in the second squad, led by Andrew Henry. They had to leave the Missouri River and continue along one of its tributaries, the Grand River. Another detachment rafted down the river and began establishing trade relations with the Crow Indians in order to somehow compensate for the losses from the unsuccessful start of the campaign. Both detachments were supposed to meet at Fort Henry, located upstream (see map).
Some time after the division of the detachment, Andrew Henry's detachment began to be disturbed by the Indian wars of the Mandan tribe: throughout the journey they ambushed the Americans, keeping them in constant tension. The frontiermen managed to avoid deaths, but they were exhausted and wanted to quickly get out of the inhospitable Indian lands.

Missouri on an early 19th century map

In early September 1823, Glass and his party were exploring the Grand River. Hugh, who was acting as a hunter, was tracking a deer near a temporary camp when he suddenly came across a mother bear and two cubs. The enraged animal rushed at the man, inflicting many terrible wounds, and only his comrades who arrived in time to the screams were able to kill the grizzly, but Glass had already lost consciousness by that time.
After examining the wounded man, everyone came to the conclusion that Glass would hardly last a few days. As luck would have it, it was on these days that the Mandan Indians most annoyed the Americans and literally followed on their heels. Any delay in progress was tantamount to death, and a bleeding Glass would greatly slow down the squad's progress. At the general meeting, a difficult decision was made: Hugh was left in place along with two volunteers, who would bury him with all honors, and then catch up with the detachment.
John Fitzgerald (23 years old) and Jim Bridger (19 years old) volunteered to carry out the mission. A few hours later, the main detachment left the camp and continued on its way, leaving two volunteers with the wounded Grasse. They were sure that Hugh would die the next morning, but the next day, and two and three days later, he was still alive. Briefly regaining consciousness, Glass fell asleep again, and this continued for several days in a row.

The two volunteers' anxiety about being discovered by the Indians grew, and on the fifth day it turned into a state of panic. Finally, Fitzgerald managed to convince Bridger that the wounded man would not survive in any case, and the Mandan Indians could discover them at any moment, and a bloody massacre could not be avoided. They left on the morning of the sixth day, leaving the dying man nothing but a fur cape, and taking his personal belongings... Later they would catch up with their squad and tell Andrew Henry that they had buried Glass after he had given up the ghost.

Glass woke up the next day, lying under a fur cape from a killed bear. Not seeing two guardians nearby and discovering the loss of personal belongings, he immediately realized what had happened. He had a broken leg, many muscles were torn, the wounds on his back were festering, and every breath was filled with sharp pain. Driven by the desire to live and take revenge on the two fugitives, he decided to get out of the wilderness at any cost. The closest settlement of white people was Fort Kiowa, located at a distance of about 350 km from the place of the bear attack. Having approximately determined the south-eastern direction, Glass began to slowly crawl towards the intended target.

In the first days, he crawled no more than a kilometer, eating roots and wild berries along the way. Sometimes dead fish washed up on the banks of the river, and once he found the carcass of a dead bison half-eaten by wolves. And although the meat of the animal was a little rotten, it was this that allowed Glass to obtain the energy necessary for the further campaign. By making something like a bandage for his leg and finding a stick that was comfortable to lean on while walking, he was able to increase the speed of his movement. Two weeks after the start of his journey, an exhausted Hugh met a detachment of friendly Indians of the Lakota tribe, who treated his wounds with herbal infusions, gave him food and, most importantly, a canoe, with the help of which Glass was able to eventually reach Fort Kiowa. His journey took about 3 weeks.

Hugh Glass route on the map | Google Earth data was used for compilation

For several days, Hugh Glass came to his senses, healing his terrible wounds. Upon learning that the fort commandant had decided to send a group of 5 traders to the Mandan Indian village to restore friendly relations, Glass immediately joined the detachment. The Indian village was just up the Missouri, and Hugh hoped that by reaching Fort Henry he could take revenge on Fitzgerald and Bridger. For six weeks the Americans fought their way through the strong current of the river, and when there was a day's journey left before the Indian settlement, Glass decided to leave his fellow travelers, since he considered it more profitable to reach the village on foot, instead of using boats against the current to go around the large bend of the river that was visible ahead. . Glass knew that the more time he saved, the faster he would find the escaped guardians.

At this very time, the wars of the Arikara tribe were approaching the Mandana settlement - the Indians constantly fought with each other, and inter-tribal hatred was often much greater than hatred of the pale-faced invaders. This is what saved Glass - the warriors of the two tribes noticed the white man at the same time, and it so happened that the Indians of the Mandana tribe, sitting on horseback, were the first to approach him. Deciding to annoy their enemies, they saved the American’s life and even delivered him safe and sound to the nearest trading post of the American Fur Company, located near Fort Tilton.
This is interesting: the traders who accompanied Glass were much less fortunate. They were caught by the Arikara Indians, who killed and scalped all five.

In late November, Hugh Glass began his 38-day trek from Fort Tilton toward Fort Henry. Winter came to these parts unusually early, the river was frozen, and a cold north wind blew across the prairie and snow fell. The temperature at night could drop below 20 degrees below zero, but the stubborn traveler went to his goal. Finally reaching Fort Henry on New Year's Eve, Glass appeared before the eyes of the surprised members of his detachment. Fitzgerald had left the fort several weeks ago, but Bridger was still there, and Glass went straight to him with the firm conviction of shooting the traitor. But, having learned that young Bridger had recently married and his wife was expecting a child, Hugh changed his mind and forgave his former guardian.

Glass stayed at the fort for several months to wait out the onset of cold weather and fulfill the Fur Company's task - to deliver the skins to the fort located downstream of the Missouri. The trappers, consisting of five people, set off on the mission at the end of February. One day they saw an Indian chief in the robes of the Pawnee tribe, standing on the bank of the river and friendly inviting them to go ashore and have dinner at the Indian settlement. Confident that these were indeed the Pawnees, who were known for their friendliness towards the palefaces, the trappers accepted the invitation. The leader did not know that Glass had lived for a long time in the Pawnee tribe and understood Indian dialects, therefore, when communicating with his entourage, he spoke the Arikara language, confident that the Americans would not be able to understand the differences. But Glass realized that the Redskins wanted to outwit them, and in fact it was the Arikara, pretending to be Pawnee, luring them into a trap.

The trappers rushed in different directions, but two of them were immediately killed by Indian arrows. The other two, who ran in the opposite direction from Glass, disappeared into the forests and safely reached the fort, and Hugh himself was once again left alone in a forest full of danger, which the embittered Arikara were combing. But the Indians were not so easy to catch a seasoned fighter, and a few days later Glass safely reached the familiar Fort Kiowa, where he had already come, wounded after a bear attack. There he learned that Fitzgerald had joined the US Army and was currently stationed at Fort Atkinson, down the river.

This time Glass decided to focus entirely on revenge on his former comrade, and in June 1824 he reached the fort. Indeed, Fitzgerald was at the fort, but since he was a US Army soldier, Glass faced the death penalty for his murder. Perhaps this was what stopped Glass from retaliating, perhaps something else, but after some time he abandoned his revenge and decided to continue working as a trapper and guide on the frontier.

A person like Glass simply could not calmly face his death, lying at home under a warm blanket. The Arikara Indian arrow found him nine years later, when he, along with other trappers, went to hunt for fur-bearing animals in the vicinity of the Missouri River.

A few months later, a group of Pawnee Indians came to the Americans to establish trade relations. One of the Indians, in the presence of the trappers, took a flask from his bag and drank. The trappers saw on the flask a characteristic design that Hugh Glass had once made on his flask. The Arikara Indians, again trying to pretend to be Pawnees, were shot on the spot.

Based on real events, the filmmakers emphasize to us. But often, when making films based on real events, filmmakers take liberties with the facts. Some events are a little boring and are neglected, some events are invented to add entertainment to the film and make the plot exciting, intriguing, and interesting. The real story of "The Revenant" is not as spectacular, but also admires the strength and lust for life of the main character. And also, in fact, he forgave everyone.

Was Hugh Glass really a fur hunter?
Yes, a hunter and a pioneer. And this is one of the few facts that are known about him reliably. In 1823, he signed a document requiring him to participate in the Rocky Mountain Fur Company's exploration expedition, organized by General William Henry Ashley, who advertised for expedition members in the Missouri Gazette & Public Advertiser. It was on this expedition that Glass was attacked by a bear.

Did Hugh Glass really convince the hunters to abandon their boats and continue along the river?
No. After the first battle with the Arikara Indians, the organizers of the expedition, General Ashley and Major Henry, decided to go through the mountains.

Did Hugh Glass really have a Native American wife?
Little is known about Glass's life before the bear attack. A hypothesis is also a marriage with an Indian woman, with whom he allegedly fell in love when he lived in captivity among the Indians. And according to legend, he was captured after escaping from the pirate Jean Lafitte. Hugh Glass was an experienced hunter and explorer. Where and how he acquired these skills, one can only guess.

Illustration in The Milwaukee Journal article, Milwaukee Journal, 1922

Was there really a grizzly bear attack on Hugh Glass?
Yes. This happened in the summer of 1823, five months after Glass joined the expedition. The meeting with the beast took place on the banks of the Missouri. The she-bear had two cubs and was therefore very aggressive. She caused him a huge amount of damage, including a broken leg and a puncture in his throat. Glass's colleagues heard his screams, rushed to his aid and drove off the bear with gunfire.

Is there any documentary evidence of this attack left?
No. At least they weren't found. Although it is reliably known that Hugh Glass was literate. A letter has been preserved that he wrote to the parents of the hunter John Gardner, who died during an attack by the Arikara tribe on the expedition. Some papers among the documents of the organizers of the expedition characterize him as not an ordinary person with a difficult character, but do not leave us with information about the incident. However, there are stories written from the words of eyewitnesses. Thus, the story of the attack appeared in 1825 in the Philadelphia Literary Magazine. It quickly spread throughout all states and became a legend.

Does the real story take place in winter?
No, at least not all of it. The bear attack occurred in the summer.

Did the expedition members really leave Hugh Glass to die alone?
Yes. Assuming that the hunter was mortally wounded, the leaders of the expedition paid two other hunters to stay with him until the end and bury him according to Christian customs. They stayed with Glass for several days (the exact number is unknown), and then they placed him in a shallow grave, collected all the weapons and supplies and left to catch up with the expedition.

Did the hunters really kill Hugh Glass's son?
No. This part of the film is pure fiction. There is no evidence that Glass had children, much less that these children were killed in front of him. But revenge for your son is a more interesting plot device than revenge for yourself.

Did Hugh Glass Really Sleep in Animal Carcasses?
This is unknown. But sleeping in animal carcasses is not uncommon in various survival tactics. This and other details of Glass's journey have emerged from numerous retellings of his macabre adventure.

Did Hugh Glass really crawl 200 miles (320 km)?
Hugh Glass crawled for six weeks. The distance he covered changed and grew from retelling to retelling, and now it is not possible to establish it.

Did Hugh Glass really take revenge on the hunters who abandoned him?
No. Hugh Glass did catch up with John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger, but forgave them both.

What happened to Hugh Glass after this story ended?
Almost nothing is known about this, except that he continued to work as a trapper on the Yellowstone River.

Was Hugh Glass Really Killed by Indians?
Yes. According to an article in The Milwaukee Journal, a visitor to Fort Union shared news of the hunter's death. “Old Glass and two companions went to Fort Cass to hunt bear, and as they crossed the river on the ice they were shot and scalped by the Arikara Indians.” This happened in 1833.

Hugh Glass Monument in South Dakota

There is also an excellent film called "Man of the Wild Prairie", directed in 1971 by Richard S. Sarafian.

Hugh Glass was played by famous actor Richard Harris. One of his last works was the role of Emperor Aurelius in the film "Gladiator".
The film has excellent wildlife photography - majestic snow-covered forests and mountain spurs. The most powerful picture in terms of impact. The great fortitude of the people who conquered the West. Great actors. In addition to Harris, the film also stars John Huston, who won an Oscar as a director for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The scene where Glass forgives his companions is especially powerful.

sources

You can argue until you're hoarse about the artistic value of the film. "Survivor", but the fact remains: it is he who is doomed to enter the textbooks on film studies for bringing the long-awaited Oscar to one of the brightest actors of the generation. What also gives the picture some weight is the fact that "Survivor" is based on real events: because of this, the feat of Hugh Glass shown on screen, who single-handedly defeated a grizzly bear and defied the harsh elements, takes on a true shade of heroism.

But what was the basis for the film's script? In honor of the second anniversary of the film's release being celebrated today, I decided to delve deeper into the study of the issue and find out the relationship between truth and fiction. I’ll say right away: the real story differs quite significantly from the film, but this does not make it any less amazing - believe me, there are many impressive facts left behind the scenes of the film.

I'll start with the literary basis.

Editions of the books that formed the basis of the film

The script was written mainly based on a 2002 fiction book (by Michael Pahnke), which, in turn, absorbed three other novels, written much earlier and today successfully forgotten. None of these authors knew Glass: the described details of events, memories, dialogues are all just a figment of the writers’ fantasies. Based only on this kind of “documents,” what can we say for sure about Glass?

He lived, he defeated the bear, he died.

There is no historical evidence (and, fortunately for fictional writers, no refutation) that Hugh there was a relationship with a native Aboriginal woman, who allegedly gave birth to a half-breed son. There is also not a word about flying on horseback from a cliff and then spending the night in her womb. Even the fact of eating raw liver of a freshly killed buffalo has not been confirmed. What is known for certain?

Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass. "Survivor", 2015

Glass lived in Pennsylvania with his wife and two children, he went on boats until he was captured by pirates, who set the condition - to join them and serve or go overboard to feed the fish. In general, the whole next year Hugh together with the pirates, he robbed and possibly killed, until, together with another poor fellow captive, he escaped from the ship and swam to the town Galveston.

Agree, this episode of his biography can already be developed into a fascinating story: when faced with death, a law-abiding citizen becomes a criminal.

Having traveled 1,000 miles to the West, Glass and his accomplice stumbled upon the Indians: the same Pawnee, with one of which is cinematic Glass allegedly gave birth to a son.

"Breakfast at Dawn" by Alfred J. Miller

Pawnee, unlike other tribes, were truly peace-loving, but, alas, the real meeting ended for Hugh much less pleasant than shown in the film. Instead of a bride, he received the unique experience of contemplating a companion burning alive: Pawnee They considered the arrival of strangers to be bad news and decided to sacrifice the fugitives. Glass was on the line for reprisals, but paid off in a very successful way. He had with him a piece of mercury sulfide, the so-called. “cinnabar”, which, like powder, is easily applied to the skin, giving it a bright scarlet color. The leader really liked the gift, and the whole tribe began to use it to apply war paint to their faces.

2 years have passed. Until January 1823 Glass lived with the Indians until he came with the chief to St. Louis for some negotiations with a local official on Indian affairs. The leader returned back to the tribe, and Glass he remained, seduced by an announcement about the recruitment of hundreds of volunteers to harvest beaver skins. The worker promised to enrich Hugh as much as $200 per year of fishing. Because The required number of volunteers was not found, the detachment was staffed with regulars of the local tavern.

Skulls of bison killed by trappers, 1870.

The enterprise was headed by a general William Ashley, and not the young captain Andrew Henry (played in the film Domhnall Gleeson). Ashley loaded up the crew and went fishing on the Missouri River in early March. Apart from the fact that in the very first days one of the crew members fell overboard and drowned, and three more died from a gunpowder explosion - everything went according to plan. At least until Ashley and Co. did not meet the Indian tribe Arikara, from whom the Yankees asked for 50 horses in exchange for a couple of kegs of gunpowder. Having received preliminary consent, the trappers set up camp and spent the night. And in the morning they were attacked by shameless redskins.

It is with this episode that the film begins.

Glass was wounded in the leg (not in the film), and the detachment was missing 15 people. Which, against the background of its total number, is not so much: director A.G. Iñárritu showed real carnage.

Down the river Grandee, the remnants of the detachment were looking for a place for a storehouse of skins. And they found a grizzly bear and two cubs that attacked Glass. The poor guy shot and tried to climb a tree, but the bear grabbed him with her claws, tearing off a piece of meat from his butt. Glass collapsed and found the paws of a predator on his neck. No one heard his screams: only grunts came from his torn throat.

Drawing for a newspaper, 20s of the XIX century.

Fortunately, the noise of the fuss was noticed Fitzgerald And Bridger(coincide with the names of the heroes Hardy And Poulter). It was they, not Glass, who killed the beast. To be fair, I note that the fatal wound could have been caused by Glass, who not only was the first to shoot at the shaggy man, but also plunged his knife into him.

Bandaged wounds Glass, the detachment laid him on a stretcher made of branches and dragged him with them. After 5 days of travel, Henry, seeing how much his progress had slowed down, invited two volunteers to stay and care for the dying man: the general was sure that Hugh won't survive. Volunteered Bridger And Fitzgerald, for which they were promised, according to various sources, from $80 to $400 (a huge amount! Remember how much the trappers were paid per year). The detachment moved further towards the fort, and Glass and his nurses were left behind.

After 5 days of waiting, Fitzgerald convinced Bridger leave Glass to die alone: ​​the chance of being found by the Indians was too great. Unlike the film, assassination attempts Glassa Fitzgerald did not undertake. Just as he didn’t kill his half-breed son... He simply wasn’t there and, probably, didn’t exist at all in nature.

But revenge for a child is such a win-win Hollywood trick, right?

In just two days Fitzgerald And Bridger got to the fort. Well, what about Glass?

Article in The Milwaukee Journal. 1922.

Glass I woke up and found myself abandoned and deprived of all ammunition: my friends and comrades had taken everything. Wrapped in the skin of a dead bear, left with him, Hugh I was just lying by the river. After almost a week (and not immediately, as Leo), Hugh crawled off in search of revenge. Crawling and crawling. He had broken ribs, a broken leg and deep wounds on his back. To prevent gangrene, Hugh got hold of maggots and let them eat his rotting flesh.

Standing up on my feet Glass continued on his way.

Alas, he did not make a picturesque flight on horseback from a cliff. Just as I have never met a funny Indian, a lover of snowflakes, who would give him this horse. There was no buffalo either. There was only a calf that was killed by wolves. Moreover, Glass did not drive them away until they were satisfied. Whether the liver that Leo feasted on was left after their meal is an open question.

Left behind the scenes is another very interesting episode related to the survivalist’s food. It is known for certain that Glass ate dogs. At that time, this was considered a very common phenomenon, but today showing it in a movie (even a feature film!) is an unthinkable overkill.

In the footsteps of H. Glass

Weeks later, with 350 miles of travel behind my wounded back, Glass I came across a French garrison, with whom I stayed for another 6 (!) weeks. Having patched himself up, he moved towards the fort Tilton where I thought Hugh, his offenders are hiding. On the way he was overtaken by the Indians Ri, from whose bloodthirsty intentions he was saved by friendly natives. Not salty slurping in Tilton, Glass does not give up the idea of ​​revenge and goes to the fort Henry where it finds Bridger, whom he forgives, believing that the boy was simply intimidated by Fitzgerald. Of course, the latter was not in the fort.

In film Glass still overtakes the scoundrel and gives him to be torn to pieces Ri.

The reality is this. Arriving at the fort Atkinson in 1824, Hugh finds out that the one who was here Fitzgerald He enlisted in the US Army, which means there is no way to get even with him: in those years, for depriving a serviceman of his life, they were led to the scaffold without talking. His blood offender (who, let me remind you, did not attempt either his life or the life of his fictional son) Glass was never found and nothing is known about his fate.

Memorial plaque in honor of H. Glass. Shadehill Nature Reserve, San Diego, USA

What Glass?

The film ends with a close-up of the half-mad man's face Leo, meaningfully breaking the fourth wall. Of course, this is not where this man’s story ends. For some time he tried to engage in trade, but without success. Returning to the trapper's craft, Hugh and here he soon failed. The demand for skins fell and his occupation did not generate income. After 10 years, he earned money by supplying meat (which he obtained by hunting) for the fort. Cass. During one of the attacks, he and two accomplices were surrounded Ri, stripped to the skin and scalped.

Ironically, that day he went out to hunt a bear.

He was 50.

Portrait of Hugh Glass

WHAT TO SEE?
"Wild Prairie Man" (1971) - the first film about Hugh Glass

While Iñarittu’s drama is triumphantly playing in cinemas and everyone is wondering whether Leonardo DiCaprio will receive an Oscar, Woman’s Day found out how truthfully the film conveys the story of Hugh Glass - the man who died and... came back.

In the picture. Hugh Glass is a fur game hunter.

In fact.

This is true - one of the few confirmed facts from Glass’s biography. In 1823, he, along with 100 other hunters, became part of an expedition to explore the sources of the Missouri River. It was organized by General William Ashley and Major Andrew Henry (played by Domhnall Gleeson in the film), founders of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. It was on this expedition that Hugh was attacked by a grizzly bear, after which his life turned into a legend.

In the picture. Glass's wife was a Pawnee Indian.

In fact.

No information has been preserved about Glass’s life before 1823 - alas, but his fate became interesting to everyone only after the fight with the bear. The most common theory is that Hugh spent several years as a prisoner of Pawnee, where a girl fell in love with him. During the retellings, the legend acquired various fantastic details, including the fact that he was kidnapped by a French pirate and escaped from his ship by jumping overboard in the area where the state of Texas is now located... It can be said for sure that Glass was an experienced hunter and had excellent knowledge of the terrain , but how he obtained this knowledge is unknown.

DiCaprio's hero and the real Hugh Glass

Photo frame from the film

In the picture. In the process of fighting the bear, Glass kills the animal.

In fact.

Just like in the movies, there were no eyewitnesses in real life to the moment the grizzly bear attacked the hunter. His comrades rushed to help after hearing the screams, and they had to shoot the animal more than once to get it to release the victim. Hugh accidentally came across a mother bear with two cubs, and she attacked him, leaving numerous cuts and wounds: she ripped open her head, pierced her throat, and broke her leg.

In fact.

And so it was: the hunters, on behalf of General Henry, stayed with the dying man so that when the moment came, they could bury him in a Christian manner. However, when it became clear that time was passing and Glass was not going to die, the “guards” put him in a hole and went to catch up with the rest of the expedition members.

In the picture. The main action takes place in winter.

In fact.

The bear attack took place in the summer. Moreover, according to the myth, when Glass was abandoned, he looked much worse than in the movies: his wounds were rotting. He, a great connoisseur of nature, came up with a treatment for himself, which, I must say, was quite disgusting: he found a tree with many larvae and allowed them to eat his dying tissue. Leonardo DiCaprio said that they did not use this in the film, since they moved the action almost entirely to winter and it was problematic to find any insects.

In the picture. Glass has a teenage son, and Fitzgerald kills him in front of his father.

In fact.

No evidence has been preserved as to whether the hunter had children, much less that someone killed them.

In the picture. Hugh Glass reached the camp where the expedition was located, and his main goal: to find and kill Fitzgerald, which he does.

In fact.

Studies of Glass’s life confirm: he reached the camp, found Fitzgerald (he, it seems, was not particularly hiding), but did not kill him or inflict bodily harm at all. Why? It is difficult to say what kind of revolution occurs in the soul of a person who has traveled 300 km crawling, without food or equipment. Perhaps he finds meaning in something more than the pleasure of revenge. But still, the main theme of the film was revenge. True, we should not forget that in his life Glass did not have children who were killed before his eyes.

In the picture. Nothing is said about Glass's subsequent life or death.

In fact.

The limited evidence says: Hugh Glass continued to work as a skin miner. Once, in the company of two companions, he went after a bear, and all three were overtaken and killed by the Indians - they even scalped the victims. Glass was about 50 years old. And the legend about his fate has been retold for more than two centuries.

Citizenship: Date of death:

The detachment set out on a campaign at the beginning of 1823. While moving up the river, the hunters became involved in a conflict with local Arikara Indians, as a result of which several members of the expedition were killed and Glass was wounded in the leg. In August, reinforcements called by General Ashley arrived and defeated the Indians in battle, after which fourteen people (including Glass) separated from the main detachment. Led by Major Henry, they decided to follow their own route. The plan was to head up the Grand River and then turn north to the mouth of the Yellowstone, where Fort Henry was located.

Fight with a bear

A few days later, Henry's detachment approached the fork of the Grand River (currently this territory, along with the Shadehill Reservoir located on it, is part of Perkins County). Glass, while picking berries away from the camp, unexpectedly came across a grizzly bear with two cubs. The animal attacked before Glass could use his gun and inflicted deep wounds on the hunter with its claws. Glass, however, managed to grab a knife, which he used to defend himself from the bear, while simultaneously calling for help. The comrades who came running to the cry killed the bear, but Glass had already lost consciousness.

Major Henry was convinced that a man with such wounds would not live more than a day or two, so he decided to leave two volunteers with Glass who would bury him when he died while the main party continued their journey. John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger volunteered. After the major's departure, they dug a grave for Glass and began to await his death. Five days later, Fitzgerald, fearing that they might be discovered by the Arikara, convinced young Bridger to leave Glass and follow Major Henry. Since both believed that the hunter would die anyway, they took with them all his equipment, including a rifle, a pistol and a knife. Meeting with the major, they informed him that Glass had died.

Travel to Fort Kiowa

In reality, Glass survived. Having regained consciousness, he found himself completely alone, deprived of all equipment, water and food. In addition, his leg was broken, and deep wounds on his back reached to his ribs. The nearest settlement, Fort Kiowa, was more than 200 miles (over 320 km) to the southeast, on the banks of the Missouri.

In popular culture

• Glass's biography formed the basis of the adventure novel "Wild Lands", written by the famous American science fiction writer Roger Zelazny in collaboration with Gerald Houseman. In the novel, Glass's fate is described in parallel with the story of another famous pioneer, John Coulter, who in 1809 ran naked for more than 5 miles, pursued by Blackfeet Indians, and then spent eleven days, without clothing or equipment, traveling through the wilderness to the nearest populated area.

Literature

• Bradley, Bruce. Hugh Glass. - Monarch Press, 1999. - ISBN 0-9669005-0-2

Links

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See also: Portal "Indians" Portal "Wild West"

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Books

• Survivor Hugh Glass. The real story, Buta Elizaveta Mikhailovna, The lands of the Wild West of America are the lot of real men. Wimps and weaklings cannot survive here. Fight hand-to-hand with an angry grizzly bear, relying only on a hunting knife - and survive... Category:

I want to tell you about the American pioneer, trapper Hugh Glass

He was born around 1783 in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), the son of Irish immigrants. From his youth, driven by a thirst for wandering, he became a sailor. One day his ship was captured by the famous French pirate Jean Lafitte, who at that time was robbing ships in the Gulf of Mexico. Glass had to remain on the crew of the pirate ship. After 2 years, he managed to escape, and he swam to the shore (2 miles) and set off through wild areas. The Pawnee Indians took him prisoner, but later accepted him into their tribe. Hugh Glass even married an Indian woman. A few years later, Glass traveled to St. Louis with a delegation of Indians. There he remained, deciding not to return to the tribe.

In 1822, Glass joined General William Ashley's company as he founded the Rocky Mountain Fur Campaign in St. Louis. The general recruited a detachment of 100 young men to travel up the Missouri River and explore its sources, and, of course, to harvest furs. The St. Louis newspapers wrote: "...100 enterprising young men are required...to reach the sources of the Missouri...employment - two, three, or four years." Many famous trappers and fur traders of that time joined the detachment, among them were Jim Bridger, Major Andrew Henry, Jedediah Smith, William Sublett, Thomas Fitzpatrick. The unit was later called "Ashley's Hundred"

The detachment set out on a campaign at the beginning of 1823. During the campaign, they encountered Indians, as a result of which several members of the campaign were killed and Glass was wounded in the leg. General Ashley called for reinforcements, as a result of which the Indians were defeated. 14 people (among them Hugh Glass), led by Major Henry, separated from the main detachment and decided to follow their own route. The plan was to head up the Grand River and then turn north to the mouth of the Yellowstone, where Fort Henry was located.

A few days later, Henry's detachment approached the forks of the Grand River. Glass went to pick berries, but in the thickets he encountered a grizzly bear. The she-bear was with two cubs and furiously attacked the hunter. Glass did not have time to shoot and had to defend himself with only a knife. His comrades who came running to his cry killed the bear, but Glass received very serious injuries and was unconscious. Hugh Glass had a broken leg, the bear left deep claw wounds on his body - his ribs were visible on his back. The companions believed that a person with such wounds would inevitably die. Therefore, it was decided to leave him.
The leader of the detachment, Major Henry, left two people with Glass, instructing them to bury him after he gave his soul to God, and he and the main detachment continued on their way. John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger were left with an unconscious Hugh Glass. They dug a grave and began to wait for his death. Five days later, Fitzgerald, fearing that they might be discovered by the Arikara, convinced young Bridger to leave Glass and follow Major Henry. They took Glass's weapons and belongings, believing that he would no longer need them anyway. Returning to the detachment, they reported that Hugh Glass had died.

However, he survived.
Having regained consciousness, he discovered that he was left completely alone, without supplies, water or weapons. Lying nearby was only a freshly skinned grizzly bear skin, with which Fitzgerald and Bridger had covered him. He covered his back with the hide, allowing the maggots from the raw hide to cleanse his festering wounds.

The nearest settlement to which the detachment was moving, Fort Kiowa, was 200 miles (about 320 km) away.
Hugh Glass made this journey in almost 2 months.

On the map it looked something like this:

Most of the distance was crawling. Here the survival skills he acquired while living in an Indian tribe came in very handy. He ate mainly berries and roots. One day he managed to drive two wolves away from the carcass of a dead bison and eat the meat.

Hugh Glass had a long recovery. Having recovered, he decided to take revenge on John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger who left him. However, upon learning that Bridger had recently gotten married, Glass forgave the newlywed. Fitzgerald became a soldier, so here too he had to forget about revenge, since the murder of a United States Army soldier at that time meant a death sentence.

After experiencing many more adventures, Hugh Glass was killed along with two other hunters in the winter of 1833 on the Yellowstone River as a result of an Indian attack.

In honor of Hugh Glass, a memorial sign was erected near the city of Lemmon.

The inscription on it reads:

"Hugh Glass, a member of Ashley's Fur Campaign party, under the leadership of Major Henry, took part in a trip along the Grand River in August 1823, separated while hunting and was attacked by a grizzly bear near a bend in the Grand River. He was terribly maimed and could not move. Two men Fitzgerald and Bridger were left with him, but they, believing that he was dead, took his gun and savings and left him. He, however, did not die, but crawled forward. Hugh managed to survive on seasonal fruits and meat, which he obtained when was able to drive off several well-fed wolves from the buffalo they had driven, and, incredibly, along the most difficult route, came out near Fort Kiowa, below Big Bend, which was 190 bird's eye miles from the bend of the Great River. All of the above is a true story. He was killed by the Arikara Indians on on the ice of the Yellowstone River near the Big Horn in the winter of 1832-33, John G. Nelhart immortalized his name in the epic poem “The Song of Hugh Glass.” Lonely, unarmed, terribly wounded, he advanced at night over the high hills to avoid the Indians , and during the day I looked for water and shelter. Guided only by his instincts, he successfully reached Big Bend and Fort Kiowa. Whatever the details, it was a fine example of endurance and courage."

In general, I was inspired to write about Glass by the excellent film “Man of the Wild Prairie,” filmed in 1971 by Richard S. Sarafian.

Hugh Glass was played by famous actor Richard Harris. One of his last works was the role of Emperor Aurelius in the film "Gladiator".
The film struck me first of all with its wildlife footage. Majestic snow-covered forests and mountain spurs. The most powerful picture in terms of impact. The great fortitude of the people who conquered the West. Great actors. In addition to Harris, the film also stars John Huston, who won an Oscar as a director for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The scene where Glass forgives his companions is especially powerful.

One more moment.
In the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment, there is a merchant character named Hugh Glass :) Here's an Easter egg