Russia: magic, folk belief and rites

Shamanism in Siberia is a diverse set of practices among indigenous groups, often blending with Islam or Buddhism. It centers on spirit journeys and healing, with distinct traditions among Uralic, Samoyedic, Turkic, and Tungusic peoples.

Female shaman terms share a root linked to the hearth goddess Etügen.
Nganasan shamans used three different crowns for different spiritual realms.
Shamanic songs mimic animal sounds like birds, wolves, and polar bears.
Skeleton-like dress overlays symbolize shamanic rebirth in several cultures.
The word 'shaman' derives from Proto-Turkic *bögü via Evenk.

Overview

Siberia is considered the heartland of shamanism, where many ethnic groups maintain these religio-cultural practices today. The tradition is highly diverse, shaped by linguistic families like Uralic, Samoyedic, Turkic, and Tungusic. While some groups have adopted Islam or Buddhism, core elements remain. The practice involves communicating with spirits for healing and guidance. Female shamans are prominent, with linguistic roots suggesting women may have practiced first. The tradition shares features with neighboring cultures, such as the Sami joiks, but retains unique local characteristics in music, dress, and ritual objects.

Practices and beliefs

Shamans undertake spirit journeys to rescue lost souls, reenacting dreams from their training. Healing séances involve mimicking natural sounds, such as bird calls or reindeer noises, to invoke helping spirits. Music includes overtone singing and songs that imitate animals like wolves or polar bears. Divination and contact with upper, lower, or dead worlds are common functions. Specific tools include drums with two transoms and headdresses adorned with effigies of human organs or bones, symbolizing rebirth. Songs often contain magical spell-like mumbling styles.

Rites and charms

Rites include clean tent ceremonies held after the polar night, involving sacrifices. Initiating songs describe the shaman's transformation, mentioning details like a dress with seven vertebrae. Seances are accompanied by women imitating animal sounds to provide fertility or aid the shaman's journey. Shamans wear specific crowns for different realms: upper world, underworld, or childbirth. Rituals often involve transforming into helper animals, such as a polar bear, through sound mimesis and costume.

Who practises

Practitioners include male shamans (böö, saman) and female shamans (udagan), with the latter term sharing a root across many languages. Types of shamans vary by function: those contacting the upper world, the underworld, or the dead. Healers, diviners, and sacral rite specialists are distinguished. Some shamans are chosen through dreams or illness. Historical records note notable figures like Dyukhade Kosterkin. In some groups, like the Ket, shamans are associated with specific helper animals like deer or bears.

Regions and communities

Practices differ by linguistic group. Uralic speakers like the Khanty and Mansi show remnants, while Samoyedic groups like the Nganasans and Nenets maintained living traditions longer. Turkic peoples in Altai and Tuva blend shamanism with Islam or Buddhism. Tungusic groups have their own folklore, such as the Tale of the Nisan Shaman. Regional variations exist in drum structure, headdress design, and the influence of neighboring cultures like Buryat or Abakan-Turkic peoples.

The calendar

Specific rites are tied to seasons, such as the clean tent ceremony after the polar night. Childbirth occasions require specific ceremonial crowns. Life events like death and resurrection are addressed through shamanic intervention. Festivals are not explicitly detailed, but seasonal transitions and community needs drive the timing of seances and sacrifices.

Law and the state

The text does not provide information on legal status, persecution, or state treatment of shamanism in Siberia.

Today

Shamanism persists among indigenous groups, though it has declined in some areas. The last Nganasan seances were recorded in the 1970s. Folklore memories were collected in the 1960s. Some languages, like Kamassian, are extinct, affecting cultural transmission. Modern practitioners maintain traditions, while scholars study historical records and folklore to understand the belief system.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Shamanism in Siberia", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Golem: user Thander, Public domain, source

Firebird: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source

Supernatural beings in Slavic religion: Bartolomeo Giuliano, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Baba Yaga: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source

Vampire: Edvard Munch, Public domain, source

Kikimora: Гиппиус Татьяна Николаевна (1877-1957), Public domain, source

Likho: Mhapon, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Leshy: Γραφέας, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Vila: Scan by NYPL, Public domain, source

Vodyanoy: Ivan Bilibin, Public domain, source

Behemoth: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source

Rusalka: Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0, source

Babay: Kyoukaa, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Jean de l'Ours: Édouard François Zier (1856–1924), illustrator, Public domain, source

Pan Twardowski: Pit1233, Public domain, source

Starkad: User:Skadinaujo, Public domain, source

Vegetable Lamb of Tartary: Unknown author, Public domain, source

Ispolin: Joshua Davis, CC BY-SA 2.0, source

Golden apple: Guido Reni, Public domain, source

Swan maiden: Walter Crane, Public domain, source

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