Healing in Buryat shamanic tradition is primarily a ritual and magical activity rather than a therapeutic one. Shamans do not perform medical treatments but instead use spells and semiotic rituals to propitiate or neutralize mythological disease spirits, relying on word magic and communicative connection with the other world. Analysis of archival verbal materials from Western Buryats shows that these healing practices are monotypic in ritual basis, rooted in belief in the magical power of word and ritual, and incorporate rudiments of earlier folk methods. The rituals correspond to main calendar and life-cycle ceremonies, serving to eliminate perceived causes of illness.
In the ritual folklore of Mongolic peoples, the snake is a sacred character with positive connotations, serving as an assistant, intermediary, carrier, and envoy between worlds. Closely associated with the shaman, the snake appears in cave drawings, petroglyphs, shamanic ongons, and costumes, emphasizing its sacred function. It can be used as a protective element, such as a walking-stick or whip. Symbolically, snake-shaped straps imply magical abilities. The snake's role as a mediator between worlds allows it to perform protective functions, and its main function is that of a carrier between worlds, related to its transforming abilities.