Shamanic Attributes of Anthropomorphic Characters in the Rock Art of the Middle Yenisei
Alexandr L. Zaika, Ivan V. Siryukin
SibScript December 24, 2024 DOI: 10.21603/sibscript-2024-26-6-874-888 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Middle Yenisei rock art depictions of shamans |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that shamanic imagery in Middle Yenisei rock art, rooted in the Bronze Age and present from the Tesin period through the Tashtyk culture, is most numerous in the Modern Era, where shamans appear in dynamic poses with attributes such as tambourines, bows or arrows, and wands. |
Abstract
The rock art of the Middle Yenisei often depicts shamans with various shamanic attributes. The local shamanism has its roots in the Bronze Age. It influenced the plots and patterns of the Middle Yenisei rock art. The earliest images of shaman figures with shamanic attributes date back to the Tesin period. Shamanic images also appear in the art of the Tashtyk culture. However, it is the shamanic images of the Modern Era that are the most numerous. They show shamans in dynamic poses. The images are either individual or incorporated into complex multi-figure compositions. The shamans are wearing coats decorated with ribbons, long robes or fur coats, and hats trimmed with feathers or adorned with animal / bird ornaments. The shamanic attributes include large or small tambourines depicted as circles divided with vertical lines into two or four parts. Some shamans are holding bows or arrows instead of tambourines, which they probably use to fight evil spirits. A shaman’s wand is the least popular attribute. With three claws on a handle, it resembles a bird’s foot.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |