The Material World of Shamanic Attributes in the Light of the Theory of Shamanism (on the Example of the Collections of Russian Museums)
T. Sem
Kunstkamera July 10, 2023 DOI: 10.31250/2618-8619-2023-2(20)-76-86 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Shamanic paraphernalia of the peoples of Siberia from the collections of the MAE and REM ethnographic museums in St. Petersburg, dating to the 18th-20th centuries |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that shamanism is a holistic ("holotropic") vision of the world connecting humans, nature, and the Universe, and that Siberian shamanic attributes in the MAE and REM collections carry high semiotic status as sacred symbols. The author contends these objects can serve as a historical and ethnographic source for analyzing shamanism, and that studying their collection falls within the theory of materiality and the "ontological turn" in ethnology. |
Abstract
The article is devoted to the problems of shamanism associated with shamanic visions of the real world on the example of shamanic paraphernalia from the collection of museum collections in Russia. The author proceeds from the premise that shamanism is a holistic (holotropic) vision of the world, reflecting the concept of the connection between man and nature, man and the Universe. Russian museums contain unique artifacts of the traditional society of the XVIII–XX centuries, revealing the ethnic features of the culture of the peoples of Siberia, and characterizing their identity. The paper notes that the problem of collecting shamanic attributes is in the sphere of the currently relevant theory of the materiality of things within the framework of the “ontological turn” in ethnology. The article uses methods of material analysis — comparative-historical, semiotic and iconographic. The task of studying the problem fields of shamanism in the semiotic dimension is set. The article deals with the problem of shamanism in sacred attributes, the problem of sacred landscape, the problem of studying the semantics of shamanic costumes, the problem of initiation, functions and rituals in shamanic ritual sculpture, the problems of attribution of ritual sculpture, the problem of ecstasy and flights of shamans through the worlds, reflected in shamanic iconography. The author came to the conclusion that the shamanic attributes of the peoples of Siberia, stored in the main ethnographic museums of St. Petersburg (MAE and REM), characterize the foundations of shamanic worldview and cult practice. Russian and foreign shamanological researchers, relying on Siberian museum collections, reveal the features of shamanic initiation, paraphernalia, prayer, costumes, ritual sculpture. The value approach to museum shamanic attributes testifies to the great importance of shamanic objects, their high semiotic status, important sacred symbols and can be used as a historical and ethnographic source for analyzing the phenomenon of shamanism.
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 |