From the sound of throat singing to the sounds of shamanic practice: Structural organisation of shamanic rituals in Tuva

In Tuva, a republic within the Russian Federation, shamanic practice is distinguished by a lack of trance and a heavy reliance on sound and music. The organizational structure of the sound unit used in throat singing, based on an overtone-rich timbre system, provides a wider framework of thought and behavior that underlies the organization of shamanic rituals. Sounds are not only integral to shamans' communications with spirits but also serve as an analytical lens for understanding shamanic practice and sociocosmic interactions in Tuva.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article concentrates on the characteristics of shamanic practice in Tuva, a republic within the Russian Federation. While delineating the unique features of shamanic craft, such as a lack of trance, the analysis concentrates on the significance of sound and music as indispensable elements of the shamanic repertoire. In short, the article argues that the organizational structure of the sound unit in Tuva employed in throat singing and based on the overtone-rich timbre system constitutes a wider framework of patterns of thought and behavior which underlies the organizational structure of shamanic rituals. In this way, the article shows how sounds are not only the integral feature of the shamans' communications and negotiations with spirits, but also an analytical lens for the broader understandings of shamanic practice and sociocosmic interactions in Tuva in general.