Toornarsuk, or Shamanism Upside Down
Diogenes June 1, 1992 DOI: 10.1177/039219219204015811 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that the Inuit mask-figure Toornarsuk serves as a mirror of how shamanism has been observed and of the complex picture it presents to contemporary researchers, and contends that shamanism, like Toornarsuk, mimics and makes sport of people and their moral and social orders, which is why it has long constituted a kind of counterculture for minority communities. |
Abstract
In our time “spirits” have been reduced to mythical beings often objectified in the form of masks. The mask-figure of Toornarsuk, this cunning and mischievous Eskimo shamanistic spirit-figure’, seems to offer us both a mirror image of the various ways shamanism has been observed and a reflection of the complex picture shamanism presents to contemporary researchers. Shamanism, like Toornarsuk, seems both to mimic and to make sport of people and their moral and social orders. This is why shamanism, for a long period of time now, has constituted a kind of counterculture for minority communities.