ANTH ch.6

Siberian Shamanism

-central Siberia -religious specialist -hand-held drums -spirit helpers -rituals to heal the sick, divine the future, and ensure success in the hunt -the upper realm is one of light and good spirits -the middle realm is the home of people and spirits of earth -the lower realm is one of darkness and evil spirits -a shaman has spirit familiars or animal soul

Shamanic Roles and Rituals

-rituals for contacting the supernatural -success of a shaman lies not in the ability to memorize and perform rituals, but in the ability to successfully establish contact and some measure of control over the supernatural -spirits help shaman fight hostile spirits and diagnose and treat illness. -shaman recaptures the patients soul by means of mystical fight.

Pentecostal healers as shamans

-shaman in its broad sense -altered states of consciousness are achieved through the use of rhythemic speech and music. -Laying of hands, person in need of healing stands infront of preacher, preacher in front of the alter, others behind person in need of healing stand behind. -pastor anoints the persons head with oil and recites incantations -may rub the head, torso, back, or legs of the person -congregation may participate by clapping in unison during the healing -the holy spirit is believed to possess both the healer and the patient, can lead either one of them to convulse suddenly or begin speaking in tongues -pentecostal preachers report being called by the supernatural/god, and descibe prophetic dreams and visions.

tensegrity

-technique of body movements or magical passes -R. Buckminster Fuller -combination of "tensional" and "integrity" -aim is to increase awareness of the energy fields that humans are made of. -done through body movements and breathing

Diviner

Someone who practices divination, a series of techniques and activities that are used to obtain information about things that are not normally knowable -usually focus on practical questions

Shamanism

elements include direct contact and communication with the supernatural through trance, the use of spirit helpers, the use of a specific culturally recognized and transmitted method and paraphernalia, and a socially recognized special position for the shaman. -part time independent contractors.

prophet

-a mouthpiece of the gods -the role of a prophet is to communicate the words and will of the gods to his or her community and to act as an intermediary between the gods and the people -Moses -Mohammad

Korean Shamanism

-Korea has a long history of Shamanism -mostly men at first, now predominatly women -provides women with a good source of income and gives some degree of influence over the community -important part of korean culture -women who have experienced some type of psychological stress in their lives are especially vulnerable -the soul is fractured and made vulnerable. the sign that a particular woman has been selected is manifested as possession illness. -entrance into trance state. chosen individual is sick until they accept the call of the spirits -guide the dead to the otherworld -cure illnesses, divination, and ensure the good fortune of the family and community

core shamanism

-Michael Harner-anthropologist -shamanism is applicable to all people in all places. -core shamanism-"the near universal methods of shamanism without a specific cultural perspective." -Harner published "The Way of the Shaman" in 1980 -drumming to achieve altered states of consciousness -participants are told to begin their journey by entering the earth at a place well known to them in the physical world, such as the cave. they then travel down tunnels to the "lower world," where they meet and interact with spirit teachers and power animals.

Kaminchu

-Okinawan -Kaminchu rituals are funded by the village council or clan and take place at the village prayer house in the village square, in clan houses, or sacred groves. On these occasions the priestesses wear elaborate five-piece white outfits and a crown of leaves. This is the conventional clothing for the kami as well. -significance is in their presence. -they sit in certain places on certain days and receive food offerings from the villagers -believed to omit good spiritual energy -wanted around events such as housewarmings and agricultural festivals -role is semiheriditary -the role of chief kaminchu for a village is traditionally passed from mother to daughter

The Zuni

-Pueblo people in the American Southwest -complex of priests that form the basis of Zuni religious and political organizations -consist of young males, rarely females -inducted into one of the six Kiva groups. -major responsibility of the priests of each kiva group is the accurate performance of rituals. This involves the manipulation of sacred objects and recitation of prayers -includes the priests of the twelve medicine societies that both men and women join when they are cured of an illness because of the work of the medicine society. -Zuni political authority is vested in a council of priests led by the priest of the sun and the keeper of the calendar.

Yakut Shamanism

-Yakut or Shkha -northeastern Siberia -missionaries of the Russian Orthodox Church entered the region in the early eighteenth century -Yakut converted to christianity but shamanism remained strong. -participated in orthodox and shamanic rituals. -Soviet government began a program designed to destroy the traditional religious practices by persecuting shamans. many were executed or deported. -christian elements have entered into shamanic rituals and beliefs. -Jesus and the woman gave me a photo asking me to look after the people in the world. so I believe I have recieved a universal ability to cure not only the Yakut but also foreign people

Priests

-full-time religious specialist associated with formalized religious institutions that may be linked with kinship groups, communities, or larger political units and are given religious authority by those units or by formal religious organizations -societies contain either priests or shamans but seldom both -representative of the community in dealing with the deity or deities -periodic rituals on a ceremonial calendar that is usually tied to the agricultural cycle -rite of passage such as birth and death rituals and weddings -rituals in the event of disaster and illness -personify the image of the ideal person -held to higher standards -training includes memorization of vast amounts of knowledge -may have received a divine call, sometimes in dreams, visions, or trances

Neoshamanism

-growing interest in shamanism started after publication of historian Mircea Eliade's book "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" in 1951. this was the first to look at common elements of shamanism cross-culturally and to focus on shamanism as a technique for achieving an altered state of consciousness. -kicked off in the 1970'2 -1960's drug culture, interest in non-western religions, environmentalism, the new age, self-help, self realization movements. -focuses on the individual -criticized for presenting shamanic practices and beliefs out of their cultural context through such concepts as core shamanism

Okinawan Priestesses

-located southwest of the main islands of Japan -indigenous religion based on animism and shamanism heavily influenced by Shinto, Buddhism, and Taoism -sees the world as inhabited by a myriad of supernatural beings referred to as Kami. By placating and pleasing the kami through rituals, misfortunes can be avoided and blessings gained. -Okinawa is the only known society in which women lead a mainstream, official, publicly, funded religion that is practiced by both sexes. -two main specialist- priestesses; kaminchu and practitioners called yuta.

Eastern Orthodox Priests

-the head of a region is the bishop -priests- specialist, assigned to particular churches and are responsible for the performance of rituals -deacons- responsible to assist the priest in the performance of rituals and works under their directions -tradition of asceticism, where individuals separate themselves from the everyday world and spend their lives as monks and nuns. -monks are ordained priest but live in isolated communities like monasteries, they are celibate -orthodox priests participate in a wide variety of activities including education and counseling -priest focus responsibilities on performance rituals social rites of intensification -rites of passage.

Kiva

a ceremonial chamber, a sacred space analogous to a shrine or temple -Zuni -associated with the six cardinal directions, north, south, east, west and; -Zenith- overhead -Nadir- undergroud

Shaman

recieves his or her power directly from the spirit world. he or she aquires status and abilities, such as healing through personal communication with the supernatural shamanic trances or altered states of consciousness. -the term shaman comes from Tungus Language of Central Siberia -chosen by spirits -sporots call to the future shaman during a difficult time in their lives, including periods of stress, illness, accident, possession, or near-death experiences -"wounded healers" -period of training with older shaman -apprenticeship may include periods of seclusion, fasting, taking hallucinogens, main goal is to move in and out of altered states of consciousness.

herbalist

specialist in the use of plant and other material as cures. the herbalist may prescribe the materials to be administered or may provide the material as prescribed by a healer or diviner -intimately familiar with the various plant materials in the habitat and gather, process, and administer various medicines made from these materials

Axis Mundi

three worlds are seen as linked by a central vertical axis -worldview that sees humans living in a middle zone between upper and lower world. -axis of the world