Initiating Performance
University of Hawaii Press eBooks September 1, 2009 DOI: 10.21313/hawaii/9780824833435.003.0003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Argues that opening the gates of speech is the central task of a shamanic initiation ritual, and that through detailed observation of one initiate's struggles, the author gained understanding of what shamans experience during kut and how they balance performance skills and inspiration to manifest their gods. |
Abstract
The ability to speak the words of the spirits (kongsu) is central to shamanic practice, and the opening of a prospective shaman's “gates of speech” (malmun) is the central task of an initiation ritual. This chapter tells the story of a bashful, reticent initiate, Chini, and the initiating shamans' struggles to open her gates of speech. The analysis of hours of video, and the opportunity to discuss the outcome of this kut with Chini, her initiating “spirit mother,” and the other participating shamans has brought the author as close as she has ever been to understanding what a shaman is supposed to experience during kut and how shamans balance performance skills and inspiration to manifest their gods.