Vasily Surikov, A Shaman, sketch for ‘The Conquest of Siberia by Yermak’, 1893.
Oil on canvas, 25 x 23 cm. Krasnoyarskiy Kraevoy Musey, Krasnoyarsk.
Vasily Surikov, A Shaman, sketch for ‘The Conquest of Siberia by Yermak’, 1893.
Oil on canvas, 25 x 23 cm. Krasnoyarskiy Kraevoy Musey, Krasnoyarsk.
Shamanism is understood by some people to be a primitive form of religion or religio-magic practised by the aborigines of northern Asia as well as by all other aborigines in other parts of the world. Shamanism was only one form of expression of the religious cult of northern Asia, practised in order to avert the evil spirits.
One must not lose sight of the fact that in the various beliefs of the Siberian tribes a very close connexion is noticeable, and, there can also be observed an uninterrupted identity in the foundations of their mythology, and in their rites, even extending as far as the nomenclature - all of which gives one the right to suppose that these beliefs are the result of the joint work of the intellectual activity of the whole north of Asia.
The old national religion of the Mongols and the neighbouring nations is known in Europe as “Shamanism,” whereas among those who are not its followers it has no special name.
Shamanism was called “The Black Faith” (Khara Shadjin), in contradistinction to Buddhism, which they called “Yellow Faith” (Shira Shadjin). The Chinese call Shamanism Tao-Shen (“gambolling before the spirits”).
Those names, however, do not give any idea of the true character of Shamanism. Some are of the opinion that it originated alongside with Brahminism and Buddhism, while others find in it some elements in common with the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tze. Many hold that Shamanism is nothing but Nature-worship, likening it to the faith of the followers of Zoroaster. Careful study of the subject shows that the Shamanistic religion did not arise out of Buddhism or any other religion, but originated among the Mongolic nations, and consists not only in superstitious and shamanistic ceremonies, but in a certain primitive way of observing the outer world – Nature – and the inner world - the soul.
We find Shamanism all over northern and part of central Asia. As we see them now, the Palaeo-Siberians may be considered as possessing the simplest, and the Neo-Siberians the most complex, form of Shamanism. Thus among the former we see more ‘family’ than ‘professional’ Shamanism; that is, the ceremonials, beliefs, and shamans are practically limited to the family. Professional Shamanism, that is, ceremonies of a communal kind performed by a specialized or professional shaman, was here only in its infancy, and, being weaker, has been more affected by Christianity.
Among the Neo-Siberians, where professional Shamanism is strongly developed (for example, among the Yakut), family Shamanism has been more affected by European influences. We cannot, however, argue from this that the Palaeo-Siberian form is the more primitive. Professional Shamanism may be a development of family Shamanism, or it may be a degenerate form, where environment is such that communal life is no longer possible.
That the dissimilarity between the Shamanism of the Palaeo and Neo-Siberians is no doubt due to the differences in the geographical conditions of northern and southern Siberia seems to be proved by the result of a careful study of certain Neo-Siberian tribes (Yakut) who migrated to the north, and of certain Palaeo-Siberians (Gilyak) who migrated to the south. The ease with which they absorbed the customs and beliefs appertaining to their new surroundings shows that there was no fundamental difference between their shamanistic practices. The differences, being due to environment, disappear in migration. It cannot be said that the change is due to contact, since this, in many cases, is very slight. Indeed, Shamanism seems to be such a natural product of the continental climate with its extremes of cold and heat, of the violent burgas and burans, of the hunger and fear which attend the long winters, that not only the Palaeo-Siberians and the more highly cultivated Neo-Siberians, but even Europeans, have sometimes fallen under the influence of certain shamanistic superstitions. Such is the case with the Russian peasants and officials who settle in Siberia, and with the Russian Creoles.
According to the official census, only a small part of the aborigines are ‘true Shamanists,’ but, as a matter of fact, we see that though they are registered as Orthodox Catholics and Buddhists, they are in reality nearly all faithful to the practice of their old religion.