Shamanism - Introduction to Sociology - Lecture Slides, Slides of Introduction to Sociology

Download Shamanism - Introduction to Sociology - Lecture Slides and more Slides Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! Shamanism Sociology Docsity.com Perspective • In this analysis, the role of shamans and shamanism will be discussed from the structural functionalist perspective in order to expound upon their place in ancient and modern society and show the part they play in various world cultures. Docsity.com The shaman • A shaman is a person who, through heredity or spiritual calling, possesses the ability to travel to spiritual planes in order to contact gods, ancestors, and spirits for the purposes of healing, acquiring knowledge, etc. • How a person becomes a shaman varies among cultures. Some gain the position via hereditary lines. Others are selected because of some sickness such as seizures. One might also be selected as a shaman by the gods or spirits who reveal their desire through dreams or natural phenomena like lightning. Docsity.com How shamans operate • A shaman serves his or her community by traveling to the “Otherworld” and, once there, either battling the evil spirits which do harm, or working with the good spirits in order to bring blessings. Docsity.com Spirits • “Spirit” is a broad term which encompasses any non-corporeal entity with which a shaman associates. These spirits are one of the fundamental components of shamanism, as they are seen as the cause of most problems as well as the bringers of blessings. It is the shaman’s job to work with the entities for the benefit of his or her people. • The shaman will work not only in the spirit world, but also in the physical through offerings, prayers, rituals, and the building of special altars. A Mongolian shaman constructing an Ovoo which is a shrine built in honor of spirits Docsity.com How trance is achieved • A skilled shaman is able to slip into a trance at will. Sometimes, however, special tools are used to aid in reaching this state. These tools include: • Drums and rattles • Chanting and singing • Dancing • The use of sacred (often hallucinogenic plants) Docsity.com Medium • The shaman’s primary job has always been that of an intermediary between the worlds. It is the duty of the shaman to act as a mouthpiece for the various gods, ancestors, and spirits. It is through the shaman that their message is brought to humans. • If a shaman does not possess the ability to communicate with the spirits then he or she may not be eligible to become a shaman (even if it is a hereditary title). If, however, a candidate is accepted (generally due to the imminent death of the old shaman with no desirable successor), he/she is not looked at as a full shaman. Docsity.com Healer • The role of medium also extends to another central practice of shamanism – healing. Often referred to (although somewhat erroneously) as “medicine men/women”, the shaman acts a healer and spiritual counselor for many ailment, physical, spiritual, and psychological. By traveling in the spirit worlds, the healer is able to determine what is causing the patient’s illness and can draw out the malevolent spirit and, afterwards, ask the benign spirits to speed the client’s recovery, as well as to protect him or her from future attacks. • Sometimes, however, the illness is determined to have been caused not by ill- intending spirits, but by the gods or ancestors because of some offense done by the client. It then becomes the shaman’s job to argue on his/her client’s behalf to find out what the person has done and what actions should be taken to make amends. Mary Louie – a well known healer of the Snoqualmie tribe ca 1900 Docsity.com Magician • As magicians, shamans are expected to use their gifts to the benefit of their community. This includes things such as bringing fertility to the crops and/or animals, influencing the weather to bring rain in times of drought or to stop storms if there is flooding, coercing the spirits of animals to give up their lives to hunters so that the tribe may eat, and working against enemy shamans and groups who may be working to usurp their land. The ways in which shamans go about this vary depending on the shaman and the tradition. Some will use something similar to mana, “a sacred impersonal force existing in the universe” (Kottak 1996), which certain people can harness and direct in conformity with their will in order to affect the world around them. Others will use methods like those discussed previously, petitioning the gods/spirits of the rain, the land, etc. in order to gain their blessings. Docsity.com Diviner • In order to divine the future for his or her tribe, a shaman will, of course, seek knowledge from the deities/spirits/ancestors to learn what is in store for them, frequently becoming a mouthpiece for the gods and prophesying in an oracular manner. This, however, is (as in most cases) not the only method employed. Shamans are often adept in one or more forms of divination particular to their culture exemplified by the use of bones among the Yukagir. • In modern cultures, runes and tarot cards have become an acceptable way for shamans to come by glimpses of what is to come. Also in the shaman’s repertoire is the ability to interpret various signs and omens such as the flight patterns of birds. Docsity.com Religious figure • As a person of religion, the shaman is the common man’s direct link to the divine and is, therefore, often turned to for advice in spiritual matters. It is generally thought to be part of the shaman’s duty to guide those who come to him/her in the way the spirits guide them. It is not, however, within his or her job description to be a religious leader, as is a common misconception. Shamans are not in place to dictate spiritual rules to the people of their communities. Their purpose is that of a teacher (although their teaching is often limited to those deemed worthy) and a guide. Rather than dictate what a person must do concerning his or her religious belief, the shaman will generally offer just enough advice for the inquirer to be able to come up with the answer for themselves, rather than have the path presented to them. Docsity.com