R w6 a1
abdultahnani930
PP5Aonshamanism.pptThe Anthropology of Religion
The Anthropology of Religion
- A shaman is a religious specialist that receives his or her power directly from the spiritual world.
- He or she acquires status and abilities (such as healing) through several ways:
Personal communication with the supernatural during trances.
Altered states of consciousness.
The Anthropology of Religion
- The term shaman has been used in many different ways by different people.
- The actual term, however, comes from the Tungus language of Central Siberia.
- It refers to the religious specialists who use handheld drums and spirit helpers to help the members of their community.
The Anthropology of Religion
Image: http://intercontinentalcry.org
*
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamans help members of their community by:
Healing the sick
Divining the future
Ensuring success in the hunt
- For people who understand shamanism in a broader way, it is characterized by:
Direct contact and communication with the supernatural through trance
The use of spirit helpers
A socially recognized social position for the shaman.
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamans are usually part-time independent contractors.
- Their authority lies in their charisma and ability to heal.
- Successful shamans amass a significant degree of social authority.
- A shaman, however, is often regarded with some suspicion by members of his or her community.
The Anthropology of Religion
Image: http://www.macalester.edu
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamans receive their power and authority directly from a supernatural entity (and are often chosen by spirits to become a shaman).
- The call may come in a dream or trance, or happen during the recovery of an illness.
- In some societies, a person may deliberately seek a call by inducing an altered state of consciousness.
- Usually, he or she does not seek a call because being it is a difficult, demanding, and marginalizing role.
- Shamans have been called “wounded healers.”
The Anthropology of Religion
- The shaman initiation often includes the ideas that the spirits (1) eat, (2) dismember, (3) or kill the person before the person can be reborn as a shaman.
- The spirits test the initiate--throughout this ordeal the symbolism of (1) death, (2) transformation, (3) and rebirth are very common.
The Anthropology of Religion
- The success of a shaman lies not in her ability to perform rituals, but to establish contact and control over the supernatural.
- The (1) control of spirit helpers and (2) the ability to enter altered states of consciousness are central to the role of a shaman.
- These spirits help the shaman fight hostile spirits and also help the shaman diagnose and treat illnesses.
- The shaman may be called to recapture a person’s lost soul by means of a mystical flight.
The Anthropology of Religion
- The shamanic ritual may be a simple affair or a major public ritual.
- A shaman may use various, almost theatrical, techniques like (1) drumming, (2) singing, (3) dancing, (4) elaborate costumes, (5) and sleight of hand.
The Anthropology of Religion
Axis Mundi
Image: http://dreamingconex.us
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamans move between the realms of the natural and supernatural.
- This movement is often related to a worldview that sees humans living in a middle zone between an upper and lower world.
- These three worlds are seen as linked by a central vertical axis, often referred to as an Axis Mundi, or Axis of the World.
The Anthropology of Religion
- A shaman is able to travel between these worlds, usually along the central axis.
- In shamanic rituals, a ladder, pole, or tree is often used to represent the axis.
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamans of Central Siberia use hand-held drums and spirit helpers (or animal helpers) to help members of their community.
- Their job is to dispel a disease causing spirit or retrieve a lost soul.
The Anthropology of Religion
Image: http://donsmaps.com
The Anthropology of Religion
- Siberian shamans perform rituals to heal the sick, divine the future, and ensure success in the hunt.
- It is the shaman’s role, while in an altered state of consciousness, to communicate with various spirits.
- These spirits give the shaman particular qualities or powers.
Image: http://holeinthedonut.com
The Anthropology of Religion
The Anthropology of Religion
- Animal spirits must be appeased with human flesh and blood to supply humans with food.
- This can be a cause of sickness and death, so shamans must minimize human sickness while maximizing the number of animals that will be successfully hunted.
- Video:
"Ancient Mysticism: Spirits talk to shamans in Russia's Far East”
The Anthropology of Religion
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamans also exist in many industrial societies.
- In Korea, shamans used to be mostly men and had considerable political influence.
- Overtime, shamanism moved from a prominent, public institution to being a more private, secretive activity.
- Today, most shamans are women (providing them with a degree of income and influence over the community).
The Anthropology of Religion
- Shamanism is now being recognized as an important part of Korean culture.
- Shamans are chosen by the spirits.
- Women who have experienced some type of psychological stress in their lives are especially vulnerable.
- The society believes that spirits tend toward individuals whose soul has already been fractured, and therefore been made vulnerable.
The Anthropology of Religion
- An individual is often ill with possession sickness until she accepts the call of the spirits.
- As previously mentioned, many individuals chosen by the spirits are reluctant to become shamans.
- Finally, the woman will apprentice herself to an experienced shaman who eventually performs an initiation ritual.
The Anthropology of Religion
Image: http://culturepotion.blogspot.com
*
The Anthropology of Religion
- Korean shamans are called to perform shamanic rituals for several reasons.
- For instance, (1) they may guide the dead to the otherworld, or (2) take the role of the deceased who is then able to communicate with the family.
- Shamanic rituals are also performed to cure illnesses, for divination, and to ensure the good fortune of the family and the community.
The Anthropology of Religion
- The last several decades have seen a growing interest in shamanism, primarily in the U.S. and Europe.
- This has lead to the idea and practice of neoshamanism, which draws upon some of the concepts and practices of traditional shamanism, but is usually more about self-help.
- Neoshamanism has been criticized for presenting shamanic beliefs and practices out of their cultural context.
The Anthropology of Religion
- A single practitioner may choose bits and pieces from many different cultures.
- Harsher criticisms accuse neoshamanism of…
Cultural imperialism
Neocolonial attitudes
Perpetuating racist stereotypes of indigenous people.
