The Shaman archetype in Azerbaijani magic tales: the motifs of metamorphosis

Abstract

The article examines the vestiges of ancient shamanic worldviews within the structural and semantic framework of Azerbaijani magic tales, focusing specifically on the archetype of transformation and shape-shifting.The shaman and the dervish figure in magic tales are genealogically and functionally sacred mediators originating from the same mythic root, representing two distinct historical periods.In the archaic era, the shaman's magical capacities-such as journeying to the spirit world in a state of trance, healing the sick, foreseeing the future, and assuming various guises-underwent a transformation, being replaced in the narrative space of folktales by notions such as "talisman," "incantation," and "esoteric knowledge".Both figures serve as repositories of esoteric power capable of traversing the boundaries between Cosmos and Chaos.Drawing upon the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of Vladimir Propp, Mircea Eliade, Arnold van Gennep, Bahaeddin Ögel, Celal Beydili, and Seyfaddin Rzasoy, the study fundamentally establishes that the dervish and sorcerer (rammal) personas are genealogically folklorized derivatives of the archaic shaman-mediator.The investigation of shamanic/dervish transformations encountered in Azerbaijani folktales demonstrates that the dervish character is not merely a religious-mystical figure, but also the structural heir to archaic shamanic functions within the folktale.The dervish character in folktales is genealogically intertwined with the shaman archetype.The shaman's communion with the spirit world and mastery over natural forces have been transposed into the narrative realm as metamorphoses executed by the dervish through "talismans" and "sorcery".