Shamanistic cultures in Siberia
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Siberia is regarded as the locus classicus of shamanism [1]. It is inhabited by many different people. Many of its Uralic, Altaic, Paleosiberian (see below) peoples had living shamanistic practices even in modern times. Many classical ethnograpical sources of “shamanism” were recoded at Siberian people.
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[edit] Lingustical classifications
Classifying the diverse population by language, it includes speakers of the following language families:
- Uralic.
- Turkic, Mongolian, Tungusic.
- Many languages are regarded as a standalone family, because no other languages are proven to be relative (Yukaghir). Although Eskimo languages form a branch of a larger family (Eskimo-Aleut), but their only (proven) relatives are the Aleut dialects.
- Nowadays, the majority of the Siberian population consists of Russian people. Their language is Indo-European.
This article discussess classical examples, peoples, where living shamanistic practices were recorded also in the modern times. Thus, discussion of the first three of the above list, sometimes termed as
Neither Altaic nor Paleosiberian has been proven to be a language family, a phylogenetic unit. Some approaches regard [Altaic as an example of Sprachbund. It would be even more problematic to regard Paleosiberian as a genealogical unit. Here, these two terms are listed just to serve as portal-like starting points — without suggesting genetic considerations.
[edit] Geographical distribution
In this article, only some peoples are shown on maps, because of the lack of an overall map.
See Yakut (Sakha) people below, and also other — South Siberian, Central Asian, etc. — Turkic peoples. Only Turkic peoples are shown. Not all colored areas denote shamanistic cultures. Most important examples for shamanism are North Siberian Turkic peoples (Yakuts and Dolgans, but Dolgans are omitted), and South Siberian Turkic groups (e.g. Tuvans etc). Some shamanistic elements are remained also at some Central Asian Turkic peoples.
Special features of Siberian and some other Asian peoples (and also some common features which could be termed as “shamanistic”) are described in [1] — it can serve for both an overview and a rather detailed description.
See also [2] [3] [4] [5] for detailed folkore examples of Eskimo shamanism, and [6] for a good summary work because this people (even Siberian Yupik) is mentioned only shortly in [1].
[edit] Living shamanistic practices also in modern times
Classified by languages:
[edit] Uralic
Uralic languages are proven to form a genalogical unit, a language family.
Not all Uralic peoples live in Siberia or have shamanistic features any more. Saami people had kept living shamanistic practice for a long time. They live in Europe, they practiced shamaism till cca the 18th century [1]. Some other peoples (e.g. Hungarian, Finnic, Mari) have only remnant elements of shamanism [1]. Majority of Uralic population lives outside Siberia.
Two main branches of Uralian family are Samoyedic and Finno-Ugric.
[edit] Samoyedic
Samoyedic peoples were hunter-gatherers or reindeer breeders, and shamanism was a living tradition also in modern times, especially at hunter-gatherer groups, or living in isolation until recent times (Nganasans) [1].
Nenets people, Enets people, Nganasan people live in North Siberia (Nenets live also in Euoropean parts), they provide classical examples and living shamanistic practices were recorded also in the second half of the 20th century. Selkups live more to the south, shamanism was in decline also at the beginning of 20th century [1].
[edit] Finno-Ugric
As mentioned, not all Finno-Ugric peoples practiced shamanism in the modern times. Many of Finno-Ugric peoples (includig those of the largest population: Hungarian people, Finnish people) live outside Siberia. Others live in the western part of Siberia (if we define this area in the broadest sense).
[edit] Finno-Permic
Saami shamanism existed till cca the second half of 18th century [1]. They live outside Siberia.
[edit] Ugric
Folklore about shamans could be recorded even in the second half of the 20th century among Khanty people, Mansi people [1].
[edit] External links
The external link Endangered Languages of Indigenous Peoples of Siberia contains outstanding detailed resorces (huge amount of general data, bibliography, names of experts etc.)[7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hoppál, Mihály: Sámánok Eurázsiában. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 2005. ISBN 963-05-8295-3. (The title means “Shamans in Eurasia”, the book is written in Hungarian, but it is published also in German, Estonian and Finnish.) Site of publisher with short description on the book (in Hungarian).
- ^ Rubcova, E.S.: Materials on the Language and Folklore of the Eskimoes, Vol. I, Chaplino Dialect. Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moskva * Leningrad, 1954. Original data: Е.С. Рубцова: Материалы по языку и фольклору эскимосов (чаплинский диалект). Академия Наук СССР. Москва * Ленинград, 1954.
- ^ Menovščikov, G.A.: Popular Conceptions, Religious Beliefs and Rites of the Asiatic Eskimoes. Published in Diószegi, Vilmos et Hoppál, Mihály: Folk Beliefs and Shamanistic Traditions in Siberia. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1968, 1996.
- ^ Barüske, Heinz: Eskimo Märchen. Eugen Diederichs Verlag, Düsseldorf and Köln, 1969.
- ^ Merkur, Daniel: Becoming Half Hidden / Shamanism and Initiation Among the Inuit. Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis / Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion. Almqvist & Wiksell, Stockholm, 1985.
- ^ Kleivan, I. and Sonne, B.: Eskimos / Greenland and Canada. (Series: Iconography of religions, section VIII /Artic Peoples/, fascicle 2). Institute of Religious Iconography • State University Groningen. E.J. Brill, Leiden (The Netherland), 1985. ISBN: 90 04 07160 1.
- ^ Endangered Languages of Indigenous Peoples of Siberia, containing outstanding detailed resorces (huge amount of general data, bibliography, names of experts etc.)
