Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy

Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Foreword to the 2004 Edition
Foreword
Note on Orthography
I. General Considerations. Recruiting Methods. Shamanism and Mystical Vocation
	Approaches
	The Bestowal of Shamanic Powers
	Recruiting of Shamans in Western and Central Siberia
	Recruiting among the Tungus
	Recruiting among the Buryat and'the Altaians
	Hereditary Transmission and Quest in Obtaining Shamanic Powers
	Shamanism and Psychopathology
II. Initiatory Sicknesses and Dreams
	Sickness-Initiation
	Initiatory Ecstasies and Visions of the Yakut Shamans
	Initiatory Dreams of the Samoyed Shamans
	Initiation among the Tungus, the Buryat, and Others
	Initiation of Australian Magicians
	Australian — Siberian — South American and Other Parallels
	Initiatory Dismemberment in North and South America, Africa, and Indonesia
	Initiation of Eskimo Shamans
	Contemplating One's Own Skeleton
	Tribal Initiations and Secret Societies
III. Obtaining Shamanic Powers
	Siberian Myths concerning the Origin of Shamans
	Shamanic Election among the Goldi and the Yakut
	Election among the Buryat and the Teleut
	The Shaman's Female Tutelary Spirits
	Role of the Souls of the Dead
	Seeing the Spirits,
	The Helping Spirits
	Secret Language — "Animal Language"
	The Quest for Shamanic Powers in North America
IV. Shamanic Initiation
	Initiation among the Tungus and the Manchu
	Yakut, Samoyed, and Ostyak Initiations
	Buryat Initiation
	Initiation of the Araucanian Shamaness
	Ritual Tree Climbing
	Celestial Journey of the Carib Shaman
	Ascent by the Rainbow
	Australian Initiations
	Other Forms of the Rite of Ascent
V. Symbolism of the Shaman's Costume and Drum
	Preliminary Remarks
	The Siberian Costume
	The Buryat Costume
	The Altaic Costume
	The Shaman's Mirrors and Caps
	Ornithological Symbolism
	Symbolism of the Skeleton
	Rebirth from the Bones
	Shamanic Masks
	The Shamanic Drum
	Ritual Costumes and Magical Drums throughout the World
VI. Shamanism in Central and North Asia: I. Celestial Ascents. Descents to the Underworld
	The Shaman's Functions
	Black and "White" Shamans. "Dualistic" Mythologies
	Horse Sacrifice and the Shaman's Ascent to the Sky (Altaic)
	Bai Ülgän and the Altaic Shaman
	Descent to the Underworld (Altaic)
	The Shaman as Psychopomp (Altaians, Goldi, Yurak)
VII. Shamanism in Central and North Asia: II. Magical Cures. The Shaman as Psychopomp
	Summoning and Searching for the Soul: Tatars, Buryat, Kazak-Kirgiz
	The Shamanic Sèance among the Ugrians and Lapps
	Sèances among the Ostyak, the Yurak, and the Samoyed
	Shamanism among the Yakut and the Dolgan
	Shamanic Sèances among the Tungus and the Orochi
	Yukagir Shamanism
	Religion and Shamanism among the Koryak
	Shamanism among the Chukchee,
VIII. Shamanism and Cosmology
	The Three Cosmic Zones and the World Pillar
	The Cosmic Mountain
	The World Tree
	The Mystical Numbers 7 and 9
	Shamanism and Cosmology in the Oceanian Region
IX. Shamanism in North and South America
	Shamanism among the Eskimo
	North American Shamanism
	The Shamanic Seance in North America
	Shamanic Healing among the Paviotso
	The Shamanic Sèance among the Achomawi
	Descent to the Underworld
	Secret Brotherhoods and Shamanism
	South American Shamanism: Various Rituals
	Shamanic Healing
	Antiquity of Shamanism in the Two Americas
X. Southeast Asian and Oceanian Shamanism
	Shamanic Beliefs and Techniques among the Semang, Sakai, and the Jakun
	Shamanism in the Andaman Islands and Nicobar
	Malayan Shamanism
	Shamans and Priests in Sumatra
	Shamanism in Borneo and Celebes
	The "Boat of the Dead" and the Shamanic Boat
	Otherworld Journeys among the Dyak
	Melanesian Shamanism
	Polynesian Shamanism
XI. Shamanic Ideologies and Techniques among the Indo-Europeans
	Preliminary Remarks
	Techniques of Ecstasy among the Ancient Germans
	Ancient Greece
	Scythians, Caucasians, Iranians
	Ancient India: Ascensional Rites
	Ancient India: Magical Flight
	Tapas and Diksa
	Shamanic Symbolisms and Techniques in India
	Shamanism among the Aboriginal Tribes of India
XII. Shamanic Symbolisms and Techniques in Tibet China, and the Far East
	Buddhism, Tantrism, Lamaism
	Shamanic Practices among the Lolo
	Shamanism among the Moso
	Shamanic Symbolisms and Techniques in China
	Mongolia, Korea, Japan
XIII. Parallel Myths, Symbols, and Rites
	Dog and Horse
	Shamans and Smiths
	Magical Heat,
	Magical Flight,
	The Bridge and the "Difficult Passage,"
	The Ladder— The Road of the Dead—Ascension
XIV. Conclusions
	The Formation of North Asian Shamanism
Epilogue
List of Works Cited
Index