The world ‘shaman’ comes from the Siberian Evenk and Manchu word šaman (or samman), and means either ‘to know,’ or ‘to become heated’ (excited). It does not have any relationship to any Sanskrit word. There is a persistent, erroneous myth - created by ill informed linguists in the C19th - that the word comes from ṣamāne, a Sanskrit word for a Buddhist monk. This theory has long been discredited, although it gets repeated on Facebook, and in other places very often. The word šaman was introduced to the Russian language by scholars in the C17th and C18th century, and from there was passed into French, and changed to chaman. From France chaman spread to England and America, and the word morphed to shaman - the word we use widely today. The word šaman itself is a male word. Women are not called shamans, the proper word for a woman ‘shaman’ is udigan. If the C18th Russian scholars had not been so typically patriarchal, and had spoken to the women, we would perhaps be discussing ‘udiganism’ rather than shamanism. The word šaman is not used by neigbouring tribal groups in Siberia, they have their own names instead, such as Boo, Kam, Kaman, khamma, ayun, gam, baksy and tadibey - which all mean ‘shaman’ as we know it. These are all male words. In all these tribes the word udigan is used for a woman ‘shamans’. This shows that the word for women shamans is older than all the words for male shamans, and implies that the first shamans were women. Further evidence of this can be seen in the fact that the ritual clothes of many male shamans are ritualised forms of female dress. The word Shamanka is a modern Russian creation. the suffix ‘Ka’ means female, like Vodka (Vod is water - Ka is ‘female’ or ‘little’). In the C19th, the term ‘shamanism’ began to be applied to all sorts of ‘tribal’ spirituality and healing - from medicine men to witch doctors. The anthropologists of the time used it because it was fashionable - much like the new age uses it today - and applied it in error, without any real understanding about the true nature of shamanims. This misuse of the word has gone into popular language, so now many things get called shamanic. In new age culture this has become even more evident, as the word ‘shamanic’ is sexy, and sells things. So books, and workshops, and other things get the word attached to them, to help them sell. Hence we get things like ‘Shamanic Reiki’ and ‘Shamanic Yoga’ and even a ‘Shaman Extra Body hair shampoo’ In the last 50 years or so there has been a growing attempt to be accurate with the term ‘shamanism’ and not apply it to all sorts of other things, which bare little relationship to the traditions of the Evenk and others. Specialist anthropologists - Shamanologists - have arisen, and they use the term more A little Shamanic background Nicholas Breeze Wood
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
The world ‘shaman’ comes fromthe Siberian Evenk and Manchuword šaman (or samman), andmeans either ‘to know,’ or ‘tobecome heated’ (excited).
It does not have anyrelationship to any Sanskritword. There is a persistent,erroneous myth - created by illinformed linguists in the C19th- that the word comes fromṣamāne, a Sanskrit word for aBuddhist monk. This theory haslong been discredited, althoughit gets repeated on Facebook,and in other places very often.
The word šaman wasintroduced to the Russianlanguage by scholars in theC17th and C18th century, andfrom there was passed intoFrench, and changed tochaman. From France chamanspread to England andAmerica, and the wordmorphed to shaman - the wordwe use widely today.
The word šaman itself is amale word. Women are notcalled shamans, the proper wordfor a woman ‘shaman’ is udigan.If the C18th Russian scholarshad not been so typicallypatriarchal, and had spoken tothe women, we would perhapsbe discussing ‘udiganism’ ratherthan shamanism.
The word šaman is not usedby neigbouring tribal groups inSiberia, they have their ownnames instead, such as Boo,Kam, Kaman, khamma, ayun,gam, baksy and tadibey - whichall mean ‘shaman’ as we knowit. These are all male words. Inall these tribes the word udiganis used for a woman ‘shamans’.This shows that the word forwomen shamans is older thanall the words for male shamans,
and implies that the firstshamans were women. Furtherevidence of this can be seen inthe fact that the ritual clothes ofmany male shamans areritualised forms of female dress.
The word Shamanka is amodern Russian creation. thesuffix ‘Ka’ means female, likeVodka (Vod is water - Ka is‘female’ or ‘little’).
In the C19th, the term‘shamanism’ began to beapplied to all sorts of ‘tribal’spirituality and healing - frommedicine men to witch doctors.The anthropologists of the timeused it because it wasfashionable - much like the newage uses it today - and appliedit in error, without any realunderstanding about the truenature of shamanims. Thismisuse of the word has goneinto popular language, so nowmany things get calledshamanic.
In new age culture this hasbecome even more evident, asthe word ‘shamanic’ is sexy,and sells things. So books, andworkshops, and other thingsget the word attached to them,to help them sell. Hence we getthings like ‘Shamanic Reiki’ and‘Shamanic Yoga’ and even a‘Shaman Extra Body hairshampoo’
In the last 50 years or sothere has been a growingattempt to be accurate with theterm ‘shamanism’ and not applyit to all sorts of other things,which bare little relationship tothe traditions of the Evenk andothers.
Specialist anthropologists -Shamanologists - have arisen,and they use the term more
A little Shamanic background Nicholas Breeze Wood
accurately. There is an ongoingendeavour to educate the publicabout the correct use of theword, and to focus its meaningto gain more clarity about theprocess. This is very muchwhat i try to do - I use ashamanologists definition ofshamanism, not the ratherwooly popular definition, whichis a left over from in accurateC19th thinking.
Another enduring myth is thatshamanism is the ‘root of allreligions.’ It is not. The probableroot of all religions is ‘animism’- the belief everything is alive,and has a soul. Shamanismarose from out of animism, butit is considered to be a fairlynew development, perhaps only5,000-10,000 years old atmost.
There is evidence of ancientritual found in cave paintingsetc, but this would likely to havebeen animistic - although nomaterial evidence can everreally tell us anything for sure -we can only guess, as we dontknow exactly what was goingon in ancient ceremonies; wedon’t know the cosmology ofthe people performing them;and we were not in their heads,and so don’t know what theyexperienced.
The first actual account ofshamanism is about 2000 yearsago, and comes from China -before that it is all conjecture,but the general opinion ofexpert shamanologists is it’s amuch later development,probabaly no older than about5,000-10,000 years in age.
Shamanism - in the correctusage of the word, as used byshamanologists - is also not aworldwide thing. It does notoccur everywhere, but is mostlyfound in Central Asia andSiberia. It is generally thoughtthat it arose in that area too.
It does occur in other places,but a lot of the reason for this
is because people migratedfrom Central Asia and Siberia tothose other places. Theseinclude: Korea, SE Asia,Finland, Hungary, Alaska,Greenland, and the Pacific NWcoast of North America. Thoseare the main places trueshamanism can be found.
There are other places whichhave traditions similar toshamanism - and theseprobably arose independently.These are places like theAmazon and some tribal groupsin Mexico. Howeever, someanthropologists don’t classifythese as shamanistic, but Ithink personally they can andshould be. Some shamanic liketraditions also occur in a fewgroups in North America too -here and there - such as theCree and the Ojibwa, but it’sharder to define those culturesas shamanic. The edge ofwhere shamanism ends andstarts is blurred and around theedges it hard to say what is inand what is out.
Some shamanic-liketraditions also occur in Africa,for example the San people ofSouthern Africa and the Gnawatraditions of Morocco.
As a rule of thumb, it can be
said that all shamanic culturesare animistic - but not allanimistic cultures are shamanic.
Here is a brief deffinition ofshamanism... A shaman issomeone chosen by the spirits;and who can go into acontrolled and repeatable,deliberate trance state, duringwhich they:
A) experience 'spirit flight',where they go to the spiritworlds and meet spirits, whothey either fight with, negotiate
with, or trick, in order to createchange in this physical world.
B) are often taken over bythe spirits (normally ancestralshaman spirits, or local landspirits) while in this physicalworld - the spirits using theshaman's voice and body toheal, or give advice to membersof the shaman's community.
Without the spirits, and theirblessing, a shaman can not existor function. Without the trancestate it is not shamanism.
Related Documents
