Shamanism
Shamanism in Anthropology has been an entity in a constant metamorphosis.
It has always been considered exotic and its existence around the globe was never contradicted. However, over the years it did not receive the scholarly attention that it so requires. The age of discovery garnered a multitude of information on shamanism all over the world. The reporters invested a great deal of accuracy in the gathering of the information, but their observational skills were mostly underdeveloped. Furthermore as could be expected, they saw and evaluated things solely on the basis of European religion and social customs
(Flaherty, 1992, pp.3) without having it necessary to view its ramifications to the people who are so imbued by it. Despite these methodologies which were grave in nature, matters began to shift during the 1940's and 1950's when the social sciences were rapidly coming into their own disciplines. Shamanism, was beginning to be looked upon as a complex religious notions and modes of behaviour (Lommel, 1967, pp.8). Although shamanism was beginning to harness scholarly attention there were still different contradicting theories being laid out in the scientific community. More recently since the notion of tribalism has become more prevalent shamanism is beginning to be recognized as holding the key puzzle in life. Furthermore, it is growing and encompassing many areas such as Psychology, Pharmacology, and even believe it or not Physics. Now before we elaborate on the historical significance of shamaninsm in anthropology it is imperative that a general definition of shamanism is established.
In order to study shamanism the shaman must first be understood. The original word shaman came form the Ural mountains in Russia. It applied to people who acted in several 'non-ordinary' capacities for their tribes. Shamans may be defined as man or a woman who through their ability to enter a trance state in any given moment can influence the course of events, find lost or stolen items and identify the criminal when a crime takes place. Thus in a sense shamanism is the practising of these mechanisms in trying to make sense of the world. As you can see it encompasses various facets of the social life from healing illness to maintaining social order. This definition of shamanism is very brief and reall...
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...ps altered its course.
The implications of these questions go on and on however, one thing is for certain and that the study of shamanism with its recent glorification is rapidly expanding. It is beginning to encompass areas that it never permeated for this reason perhaps it is time that a new discipline is created. One that in its own way will combine the best of humanities with certain aspects of anthropology, medicine and the physical sciences. " Perhaps it is time for a shamanology " (Flaherty, pp.215)
BIBLIGRAPHY
1. Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism And Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Paris,
1951.
2. Devereux, G. Normal and Abnormal: Key problems of Psychiatric
Anthropology. Washingtno, 1956.
3. Flaherty, Gloria. Shamanism In The Eighteen Century. Princeton:
Priceton University Press, 1992.
4. Krader, L. `Buryat Religion and Society`, Southwestern Journal of
Anthropology, 10, 1954.
5. Lewis, I.M. Ecstatic Religion. Middlesex: Penguin, 1971.
6. Lommel, Andreas. Shamanism: The Beginnings of Art. New York: McGraw-
-Hill, 1973.
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as an illustration of a lifestyle unknown to many people. Over the past few years there has
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