The Siberian Audio Collection of Vilmos Diószegi in Budapest

Vilmos Diószegi, a Hungarian ethnologist and shamanism researcher, conducted four expeditions to southern Siberia and northern Mongolia between 1957 and 1964, recording shamanic narratives and collecting materials on shamanic practices from former shamans. His audio recordings, preserved at the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest, along with written documents and ethnographic artifacts, were digitized and posted on the museum's website in 2023 for the centenary of his birth. The collection is of interest to Indigenous Siberians and scholars of Siberian culture and languages.

Study at a glance

Abstract

ABSTRACT This commentary introduces the reader to the Siberian audio collection of the Hungarian ethnologist and researcher of shamanism Vilmos Diószegi (1923–1972). Diószegi conducted four research expeditions to southern Siberia and northern Mongolia, in 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1964, to study the shamanic traditions of Indigenous populations in these regions. During these expeditions, he recorded shamanic narratives and collected materials on shamanic practices from former shamans. The primary sources for this research are the audio recordings preserved in the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest, Diószegi's first workplace, along with other secondary materials, including written documents and ethnographic artifacts. The Museum of Ethnography digitized the audio materials and posted them on the museum's website in 2023 to commemorate the centenary of Diószegi's birth. The materials are of interest to representatives of Indigenous peoples of Siberia, as well as to anthropologists, folklorists, and linguists studying Siberian culture and languages.