Our article is not an attempt to convince or dissuade the reader, everyone chooses what to believe. But such a phenomenon as Siberian shamanism definitely deserves the attention of both a serious researcher and a layman who is passionate about mysticism.
This topic has always attracted and frightened those who want to know more than what is described in school textbooks. There are legends about the wisdom of the shamans of Siberia, many believe in their supernatural abilities, and someone goes on a long journey in search of them, hoping for a cure from an illness or the help of mysterious spirits in business. Who are they - people who can communicate with higher powers and wander between worlds?
Worldview of the peoples of Siberia
In the view of the archaic peoples of the Russian North, the Universe consists of two parts: obvious (ordinary) and sacred. In turn, the sacred world is triune: the upper part is inhabited by light spirits, the middle part is inhabited by people, and the lower part is, simply speaking, evil spirits. From an ordinary person, the inhabitants of the upper and lower worlds are hidden, while the shaman sees spirits and interacts with them both in the middle world and in other worlds where he can move.
The upper world is ruled by the deity Ulgen, and the lower world by Elric, who, although he heads the "dark kingdom", also had a hand in the creation of man and all things. After death, a person goes on a dangerous journey to the halls of the lower world.
It is easy to detect obvious similarities with the cults of many other peoples. For example, the Slavs of pre-Christian Russia believed in Yav, Rule and Nav; the Scandinavians - in the Ygdrasil Tree, the roots, trunk and branches of which also personified the triune world; The ancient Egyptians believed that after death a person goes to the underground dark world of spirits. One can even draw parallels with the Christian Creator and the Devil, hell and heaven. But in this case we are not talking about any borrowing, the worldview of the peoples of Siberia was formed independently.
So, the Siberian shaman or shaman, as we see, is a kind of conductor, an intermediary between the world of people and the world of gods and spirits.
Sacrifice
The word "shaman" came into Russian from the Evenk šaman. Many modern researchers believe that it is related to the Sanskrit sāman - "to conjure".
Turkic peoples call shamans the word kam, which probably comes from the Japanese kami (“god”). From the Turkic name, in turn, the term "kamlanie" is formed.
This phenomenon is described as the ability of a shaman to travel between worlds through ritual actions in order to converse with otherworldly beings. During the ritual, the shaman enters a trance, the connection between the spiritual body and the physical weakens,energy channels open, through which consciousness makes its journey.
Categories of shamans
It is generally accepted that an angry shaman is able to bring the objectionable to the grave. But the main task of most Siberian magicians is healing and help. In any case, many Siberian peoples have always been sure of this.
Shamans of the North, who worship in the upper and lower worlds, are called black and are considered the strongest. White shamans do not resort to shamanism, their strength is not so great, but their tasks are more ordinary: help with the weather, drive away pestilence, overcome ailments, make hunting and fishing successful, and trade profitable. Note that among the peoples of southern Siberia (Altaians, Khakasses, Tuvans) white shamans also worship, but only to light spirits.
In the western part of Siberia (among the Khanty, Mansi, Nenets) sacred faces have a specialization at all. They are divided into soothsayers, weather spellcasters, singers, trade ritualists, shamans themselves.
Shamans associated with blacksmithing are considered especially strong. They work with the elements: the Earth, which gave the ore; fire, in which ore is turned into metal; water to temper it, and air.
External attributes, costume, props
Every shaman of Siberia has a special outfit. Photos of researchers of the religious cults of the North give an idea of how diverse, but in general, the costumes are similar to each other. However, the uninitiated, especially a foreigner, cannot determine the level and abilities of a shaman by appearance.
Every little thing matters: braid, tassels, beads, metal patches, bones. Some details are devoted to totem animals, others are devoted to patron spirits, others speak of certain skills, but there are also those that are added simply for the sake of beauty.
Shamans can use staves, mallets, jars of jingling stones or grits.
For divination, stones, bones of animals and birds are used, in coastal areas - shells of mollusks. There is information collected by Siberian scholars that the shamans of some nationalities practiced divination on human skulls. For this purpose, after death, the body of the shaman was dismembered, the bones were cleaned and dried. The skull was given to the successor along with the bones of other shamans previously used by the deceased. So, from generation to generation, entire collections of skulls accumulated.
Goals
The rituals of the shamans of Siberia are mainly aimed at good. The main task is to help fellow tribesmen. The shaman resorts to harmful magic and unkind spells when the family is in danger, or for the sake of punishing a common enemy. The basis of activity is healing, protection, assistance in domestic needs.
Methods and tools
Kamlanie is the main method. Unlike the European tradition, the Siberian shaman never "summons" the spirits. On the contrary, he himself overcomes a difficult path in order to go to the one whose help he asks. Further actions are aimed at coaxing, pleading, begging.
Music accompanying rituals
Voice intonation matters a lotand soundtrack. The sense of sound resonance is very developed among peoples who have long practiced throat singing: Khakass, Altaians, Nenets, Tuvans, Evenks.
Music for the shamans of Siberia is also of great importance. Customs vary among different peoples. Shamans use tambourines to create the sound vibrations necessary to enter a trance. Some use the harp.
The shaman's song, which may seem like a collection of chaotic sounds to the uninitiated, actually consists of spells cast in a well-defined order. Depending on the purpose of the ritual, the shaman turns to one or another deity, asks him for help, hints or patronage. In some cults, the shaman imitates the voices of animals, the sounds of nature.
The English anthropologist with Polish roots Maria Chaplitskaya devoted a lot of time to studying the issue. During an ethnographic expedition along the Yenisei in 1914-1916, she herself witnessed the chants that she later described in her works.
"Special" herbs
To enter the trance, the shaman can use certain plants, mushrooms. In ancient traditions, the fumigation of plants with smoke is considered part of the ritual. Probably, according to shamans, the use of certain substances that cause hallucinations helps to tune in the right way, facilitates communication with otherworldly entities.
The phenomenon of travesty
This practice is common among some peoples of Siberia. Shamans of Altai, Kamchatka, Chukotka and some other northernregions can "turn" into women for the purpose of performing certain cults or at the behest of spirits. Shamans can also claim to be male.
In this case, of course, we are not talking about sex change from the point of view of medicine. Changes are purely external.
Verbal killer phenomenon
Researchers of the beliefs of the peoples of Siberia have repeatedly described local cases related to the curse of a shaman that led to death. The autochthons are convinced that sorcerers have the gift to kill with a word. But the scientific world has always found more prosaic explanations for the phenomenon, considering deadly diseases the result of radiation, poisoning, or even a coincidence.
In the 70s of the last century, a young scientist from Novosibirsk, Sergei Kamov, decided to properly investigate the issue. According to him, his own grandfather had a similar gift. As a child, Sergei had to see how his grandfather with one word "Die!" stopped a huge angry wolfhound: the dog instantly breathed his last.
Kamov traveled through the villages, talked with old people, wrote down sacred words. He managed to collect about three hundred ancient spells in more than 15 dialects and dialects.
In the laboratory, Sergei Kamov conducted experiments on plants and animals, using modern technology and measuring instruments. In almost half of the cases, the experimenter was fatal: the plants withered, the animals' immunity weakened, and malignant tumors developed at lightning speed. Kamov believed that not only the text itself is important, but also the intonation with which it is pronounced.
In the 80s, Kamov received an offer of cooperation from one of the special services of the USSR, which he immediately rejected. However, the scientist had to abandon further research on the phenomenon.
Shaman's way of life
There is an opinion that shamans lead a secluded lifestyle, keep entire settlements in fear, communicate mainly with spirits, and not with mere mortals. Cinematography contributed a lot to the formation of such ideas.
In fact, practicing shamans could always start families, live in the world, there were no more hermits among them than among ordinary people. In Siberia, the principle of succession was widespread, when knowledge and "position" passed from a parent to a son or daughter, from a grandfather or grandmother to grandchildren.
Indigenous peoples believe that the one in whose veins shamanic blood flows, even if he does not connect his life with magical practices, will still have some outstanding gift. However, according to Siberians, in one way or another, each person is endowed with the ability to interpret dreams, guess, heal wounds.
Shamans in the modern world
According to Anatoly Alekseev, candidate of historical sciences, associate professor of NEFU named after M. K. Ammosov, there are still strong shamans in Siberia. The scientist, who was born and raised in Yakutia, devoted many years to the topic of studying the spiritual practices and traditions of his native land.
In his writings, he explains that it is not enough to want to become a shaman, one must have certain qualities, character, and he alth. At all times, the indigenous peoples of Siberia believed that the shaman was chosen by spirits, andonly with their help can he acquire the necessary knowledge.
Today, when interest in the topic of the supernatural is growing, many are trying to find out how to find shamans in Siberia. But this, according to Alekseev, is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, the increased interest of society interferes with sacred practices, “scares away” otherworldly forces; on the other hand, demand breeds charlatans and mummers.
According to the researcher, a real shaman does not strive for fame, does not give any advertising and does not engage in self-promotion. Ancient knowledge requires concentration and silence. Therefore, those who decide to personally get acquainted with a practicing magician will have a long way to the outback, an independent search, and surveys of local people. But if a prominent ethnographer and historian, who has lived in Siberia all his life, assures that shamans exist, then everyone has a chance for a successful search.
