Becoming a Shaman: Narratives of Apprenticeship and Initiation in Contemporary Shamanism
Carolina Ivanescu, Sterre Berentzen
Religions July 17, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/rel11070362 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Contemporary people based in the UK who define themselves as shamans |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key findings | Argues that contemporary UK shamans' narratives of becoming a shaman reveal intersections between different shamanic traditions, continuous innovation, and a complex network of human and beyond-human authority that problematizes the self's place, meaning, and agency. Contends that contemporary shamanism is widespread and multifaceted and is not as different from traditional forms of shamanism as some studies suggest. |
Abstract
This article, based on an open-question survey completed in 2018, engages with McAdams and Manczak’s approaches to life stories (2015) and Mayer’s ten elements of the shaman myth (2008) to explore the way contemporary people based in the UK, who define themselves as shamans, talk about their becoming a shaman. Individual narratives point out the intricate meeting points between different shamanic traditions and the importance of continuous innovation. They highlight the complex network of human and beyond-human authority and problematize the place, meaning and agency of the self. Contemporary shamanism is a widespread, manifold and multifaceted phenomenon, which we argue is not as different from traditional forms of shamanism as some studies suggest.