Shamanism

This section has texts about Shamanism and Animism. These are traditional belief systems which consider the entire universe to be alive and interconnected. Shamanism in practice is used to heal and enlighten, using ceremonials which can include rhythmic music, mind altering drugs and mythic journeys into the subconscious. There are also numerous descriptions of Shamanism and related topics in the Native American, the Traditional Asian, Australian, Pacific, and African sections.

For instance:

Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee
by James Mooney [1891]
Fetichism in West Africa
by Rev. Robert Hamill Nassau [1904]

Shamanism in Siberia
from Aboriginal Siberia, by M. A. Czaplicka. [1914]
A comprehensive review of the ethographic literature concerning Shamanism in Sibera.

Shaman, Saiva and Sufi
by R.O. Winstedt. [1925]
An ethographic account of spiritual practices in Malaysia at the start of the 20th century, which included Shamanism, Animism, Hindu and Islamic influences.

A Journey in Southern Siberia
by Jeremiah Curtin [1909]
The mythology and folklore of the Buriat Mongols of Siberia.

Animism
by G.W. Gilmore [1919]
Animism is the concept that the entire universe is alive; this belief is central to Shamanistic spirituality.

Aino Folk-Tales
by Basil Hall Chamberlain [1888]
A collection of folktales of the Ainu, a shamanistic ethnic minority of Japan.

About the photo: Ainu Bear-Festival. The matting wall is hung with various implements and fetishes used at the festival. The men are eating the flesh of the slain bear. They are supposed to be the guests of the bear. See also an episode from the Kalevala for a curious episode with a bear who gets invited to a feast....Perhaps the book titled 'To Serve Bear' should have been a giveaway. (photo from Czaplicka)