'On the Sacrificial Ritual of the Pim River Khanty in December 1995', by Anzori Barkalaja. The Khanty are a Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the basin of the River Ob in Western Siberia. They attach great importance to sacrificing to the gods and local spirits; their survival is thought to depend upon it. In December 1995, the Pim River Khanty made a joint offering. Barkalaja, though witnessing this, describes the details of a like sacrifice in the same area from March 1994, which he participated in. The joint offering also serves to redistribute wealth, a good deal of which is accumulated for the sacrifice. Whatever valuables are remaining following the sacrifice, are redistributed equally among the participants as a gift from the god sacrificed to. It is the poor who benefit the most from this. Also described is the aftermath of the sacrifice, involving a shamanic séance intended to determine the gods' response to the offerings.

Excerpts from Aboriginal Siberia by M.A. Czaplicka, 1914. Reproduced here is 'Part III. Religion: Ch.VII - Ch.XIV'. The chapter headings are 'Shamanism' (VII), 'The Shaman', 'Types of Shamans', 'The Accessories of the Shaman', 'The Shaman in Action', 'Shamanism and Sex', 'God's, Spirits, Soul', and 'Some Ceremonies' (XIV). It is worth remembering that since 1914 the methodologies employed by anthropologists & sociologists have evolved a good deal, and given the complexity of the subjects, continue to do so. Cross-referencing with more modern texts on this subject is therefore recommended.

For further articles on shamanism see Studies in Siberian Shamanism in Religions of the Finno-Ugrian Peoples.

For an overview of Nenet life and culture see Nenet People. Unlike Niglas' discussion, which was based upon a single case study, this brief article considers the Nenet in general, and does not seem to regard their future to be very bright. It states, "Nenets today have to adapt to a changing economy, depleted resources, and state-sponsored assimilation programs which combine to threaten the future of their way of life." Nevertheless, provided is some interesting cultural information.

Dr. Zandan Enebish, In her opening statement, says: "Studies related to discovering the roots of Mongolian culture are essential if a better understanding of the Mongolian nomadic tradition is to be gained." In her view a good place to begin this task is with a study of the Tsaatan or 'reindeer people'. The discussion is divided into three main parts: (i) 'The Tsaatan People'; (ii) 'Tsaatan and Shamanism'; and (iii) 'Social and Economic Problems'.

This discussion by Heather Hobden focuses upon the role played by the shaman as time-keeper, or calendar-keeper. Whilst not concerned exclusively with Central Asia, Hobden does give several paragraphs to the shamans of Siberia, including those of the Yakut people (N.E. Siberia).

This third article from Pro Ethnologia 11, is 'Shaman on the Stage (Shamanism and Northern Identity)' by Tatyana Bulgakova. Discussed here is the recent phenomenon of so-called neo-shamanism, the claim by some that this may preserve traditional folk culture, and the response to it of traditional shamans. The latter are said to condemn this new trend, which treats their skills as a form of theatre, because of the danger posed to the shaman or 'actor' by their spirit helpers. The spirits are said to become angry when the sacred words of the shaman are used in vain, out of their proper context. Some Nanai shamans who agreed to go on stage became ill and soon after died, and other shamans put this down to the spirits. Some neo-shamans are not shamans at all, but merely act as such. Bulgakova is of the view that the eclecticism of neo-shamanism prohibits it from preserving traditional culture, and specifically cultural identity.

On this page S. Leggatt summarizes Chs.I-II of Mircea Eliade's Shamanism. A summary of Chs.III-V by S. Jenks may be accessed from here, and from Jenks a link to a summary of Chs.XIII-Epilogue by R. Abrutyn. Eliade is concerned with the shamans of Siberia/Central Asia. These shamans cure, escort the souls of the dead, they fly, control fire, but most importantly, they employ techniques of ecstasy; specifically, they leave their bodies. Chs.I-II include recruiting methods, shamanism and mystical vocation, and 'Initiatory Sickness and Dreams.' Chs.III-V cover 'Obtaining Shamanic Powers', 'Shamanic Initiation', and 'Symbolism of the Shaman's Costume and Drum'. Chs.XIII-Epilogue includes a brief general account of 'Myths, Symbols and Rites', followed by 'Conclusions', and 'Epilogue'.

This is the homepage of a site that provides a very good source of information on the indigenous peoples of Russia. Slightly confusingly, this page features both Russian and English text. Nevertheless, clicking on the name of a particular people or on a 'box' within the frame/table provided, one may access articles written in English. As indicated in the frame/table, each article is divided into sections including, 'General Information'; 'Ethnogenesis'; 'Ethnic History'; 'Economy'; 'Material Culture'; and 'Spiritual Culture'. Most, if not all, of the indigenous cultures listed appear to exhibit animistic or/and shamanistic beliefs, and the shamans themselves might be women, not only men (see e.g. the Nanai); indeed, among the Itelmen the shaman was normally a woman. Shamanism was also commonly a family business, passed on from generation to generation, although not always so.

By Tatyana Sem, this is one of several articles from the contents page for Pro Ethnologia 11. Following a general discussion of Tungus traditional life, Sem discusses in detail the mythological world of the Nanai, one of the Tungus-speaking peoples of the Amur Basin. The discussion falls under four main sections, which, simply put, examine the structure of the universe, the model of the world in rituals - created to permit the transfer from the human realm to that of the ancestors - the creation of the world, and 'Images of the Universe in Nanai Cosmology' (the final section's title). (For those interested in Tungusic languages, go to the Tungusic Research Group at Dartmouth College.)

This section is followed by a general discussion of shamanism, taken from the book The Shaman by P. Vitebsky (1995). He states that, "There can be no shaman without a surrounding society and culture. Shamanism is not a single, unified religion but a cross-cultural form of religious sensibility and practice." He claims that it has no doctrine, and no priests to define for us what is right and wrong. Nevertheless, he notes the similarity between "…shamanic ideas and practices…" around the world, in societies that have probably never had any contact with each other. Shamanism, he says, is also a hunters's religion.

This article, also from Pro Ethnologia 11, is entitled 'Yavun-iki, the Master of Yugan as the Cultural Symbol of Yugan Khanties,' and is by Irina Karapetova and Karina Solovyova. The Yugan Khanties live in the basin of the Great and Small Yugan rivers and name themselves accordingly. Yavun-iki, or 'Yugan Old Man,' is regarded by them as the master and protective spirit of the whole river, responsible for the lives of all who depend upon it. Referring to those Yugan Khanties who preserve the traditional way of life, this paper's authors state: 'Yavun-iki enables those Khanties to perceive themselves as a particular society of people i.e. "people of Yugan" existing in a metaphorical tribe. This is a key factor in the preservation of ethnicity of that group.'