Magic in Central Asia and the Caucasus
Steppe shamanism and Tengri, the bakhshi and the baksy, and the amulets and fire customs of the Caucasus. 26 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Khövsgöl Province 3Baghdad 2Arunachal Pradesh 1Bactra 1Balkh 1Burkhan Khaldun 1Darkhad Valley 1Dayan Deerh monastery 1Drigung Monastery 1Gur-e-Amir 1Larung Gar Buddhist Institute 1Ordos City 1Sakha Republic 1Sikkim 1Wāsiṭ 1Yakutsk 1Yerevan 1Altai RepublicBakuKyzyl and Tuvan shamanismMausoleum of Khoja Ahmed YasawiOlkhon Island and Shaman RockSamarkandTashkentTbilisiTereng Valley
Rites of the region
Countries
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 2 moreWind Horseརླུང་རྟ་
An East and Central Asian symbol of the soul, luck, and vital energyBeing · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 1 moreOvooовоо
A stone or branch cairn used as a shrine and boundary marker in Mongolic folk practice.Tradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreIranian folkloreفولکلور ایرانی
The oral legends, heroes, and spirits of Greater IranTradition · Protection · Seeing and foretelling Living
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreSky burialབྱ་གཏོར་
A Tibetan funerary rite where human remains are offered to scavenging birdsRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 2 moreMongolian shamanismBöö mörgöl
The animistic and shamanic ethnic religion of the Mongol peoples, centered on sky worship and ancestral spirits.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living
🇷🇺 RussiaReindeer in Siberian shamanism
The role of reindeer as spirit helpers, ritual tools, and burial vehicles in the shamanic traditions of Northern AsiaTradition · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇮🇳 IndiaSnow Lionགངས་སེང་གེ་
A celestial mountain guardian of Tibet embodying fearlessness, bliss, and the DharmaBeing · Protection · Power and authority Living
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan and 2 moreAyaz AtaАяз Ата
A Turkic winter spirit who brings snow and gifts during the cold seasonBeing · Luck and prosperity · Protection Living
🇲🇳 Mongolia and 1 moreOngon
Ancestor spirits in Mongolian shamanism, represented by consecrated idols and talismansBeing · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇷🇺 RussiaYhyakhЫһыах
A summer solstice festival of the Sakha people marking the new year and nature's returnTradition · Luck and prosperity · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Ongon: Vyacheslav Kirillin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yhyakh: Humano92, Public domain, source
- Ovoo: Bouette ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Iranian folklore: Hossein Mirkamali, CC BY 4.0, source
- Sky burial: FishOil at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Mongolian shamanism: Enrique Bendicho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Reindeer in Siberian shamanism: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Snow Lion: John Hill, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wind Horse: Clemensmarabu, CC BY-SA 3.0, source