Observations placeholder
Engel, C - Siberian shamanism - Kamtschatka shamans
Identifier
007308
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Musical Myths and Facts Volume II 1876 – C. Engel
The natives of Kamtschatka have persons called Shamans who profess to be able to communicate with the spirits by arraying themselves in a grotesque garment, chanting, beating a drum, dancing and working themselves up to a state of trance.
They, on these occasions, drink an infusion of a species of fungus, which has an intoxicating power and which sometimes make them sleep afterwards for three of four days without interruption. Its effect must therefore be similar to opium.
The shamans of the Ostiaks and of the Samoiedes, in Siberia suspend to their dress metal representations of strange birds, fishes, and quadrupeds, with bones, teeth and other frightful looking things. In their incantations they shake the dress so that the metallic appendages produce clanging and tinkling sounds the effect of which is increased by the shaman’s beating a drum of the tambourine kind
The source of the experience
Siberian shamanismConcepts, symbols and science items
Concepts
Substance guide communicationActivities and commonsteps
Activities
Overloads
Amanita muscariaFrenetic exercise
Listening to sound and music
Suppressions
Listening to beating soundsSinging spells