Shamanism : Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Eliade, Mircea.

Series:

Bollingen Series

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource (641 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2026.

Summary:

The foundational work on shamanism from an influential historian of religion Shamanism is an essential account of this mysterious and fascinating phenomenon.The founder of the modern study of the history of religion, Mircea Eliade surveys the shamanic tradition through two and a half millennia of human history, moving from Siberia and Central.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Foreword to the 2004 Edition

Foreword

Note on Orthography

I. General Considerations. Recruiting Methods. Shamanism and Mystical Vocation

Approaches

The Bestowal of Shamanic Powers

Recruiting of Shamans in Western and Central Siberia

Recruiting among the Tungus

Recruiting among the Buryat and the Altaians

Hereditary Transmission and Quest in Obtaining Shamanic Powers

Shamanism and Psychopathology

II. Initiatory Sicknesses and Dreams

Sickness-Initiation

Initiatory Ecstasies and Visions of the Yakut Shamans

Initiatory Dreams of the Samoyed Shamans

Initiation among the Tungus, the Buryat, and Others

Initiation of Australian Magicians

Australian-Siberian-South American and Other Parallels

Initiatory Dismemberment in North and South America, Africa, and Indonesia

Initiation of Eskimo Shamans

Contemplating One's Own Skeleton

Tribal Initiations and Secret Societies

III. Obtaining Shamanic Powers

Siberian Myths concerning the Origin of Shamans

Shamanic Election among the Goldi and the Yakut

Election among the Buryat and the Teleut

The Shaman's Female Tutelary Spirits

Role of the Souls of the Dead

"Seeing the Spirits"

The Helping Spirits

"Secret Language"-"Animal Language"

The Quest for Shamanic Powers in North America

IV. Shamanic Initiation

Initiation among the Tungus and the Manchu

Yakut, Samoyed, and Ostyak Initiations

Buryat Initiation

Initiation of the Araucanian Shamaness

Ritual Tree Climbing

Celestial Journey of the Carib Shaman

Ascent by the Rainbow

Australian Initiations

Other Forms of the Rite of Ascent

V. Symbolism of the Shaman's Costume and Drum

Preliminary Remarks

The Siberian Costume

The Buryat Costume

The Altaic Costume

The Shaman's Mirrors and Caps

Ornithological Symbolism.

Symbolism of the Skeleton

Rebirth from the Bones

Shamanic Masks

The Shamanic Drum

Ritual Costumes and Magical Drums throughout the World

VI. Shamanism in Central and North Asia: I. Celestial Ascents. Descents to the Underworld

The Shaman's Functions

"Black" and "White" Shamans. "Dualistic" Mythologies

Horse Sacrifice and the Shaman's Ascent to the Sky (Altaic)

Bai Ülgän and the Altaic Shaman

Descent to the Underworld (Altaic)

The Shaman as Psychopomp (Altaians, Goldi, Yurak)

VII. Shamanism in Central and North Asia: II. Magical Cures. The Shaman as Psychopomp

Summoning and Searching for the Soul: Tatars, Buryat, Kazak-Kirgiz

The Shamanic Séance among the Ugrians and Lapps

Séances among the Ostyak, the Yurak, and the Samoyed

Shamanism among the Yakut and the Dolgan

Shamanic Séances among the Tungus and the Orochi

Yukagir Shamanism

Religion and Shamanism among the Koryak

Shamanism among the Chukchee

VIII. Shamanism and Cosmology

The Three Cosmic Zones and the World Pillar

The Cosmic Mountain

The World Tree

The Mystical Numbers 7 and 9

Shamanism and Cosmology in the Oceanian Region

IX. Shamanism in North and South America

Shamanism among the Eskimo

North American Shamanism

The Shamanic Séance in North America

Shamanic Healing among the Paviotso

The Shamanic Séance among the Achomawi

Descent to the Underworld

Secret Brotherhoods and Shamanism

South American Shamanism: Various Rituals

Shamanic Healing

Antiquity of Shamanism in the Two Americas

X. Southeast Asian and Oceanian Shamanism

Shamanic Beliefs and Techniques among the Semang, Sakai, and the Jakun

Shamanism in the Andaman Islands and Nicobar

Malayan Shamanism

Shamans and Priests in Sumatra

Shamanism in Borneo and Celebes

The "Boat of the Dead" and the Shamanic Boat.

Otherworld Journeys among the Dyak

Melanesian Shamanism

Polynesian Shamanism

XI. Shamanic Ideologies and Techniques among the Indo-Europeans

Techniques of Ecstasy among the Ancient Germans

Ancient Greece

Scythians, Caucasians, Iranians

Ancient India: Ascensional Rites

Ancient India: Magical Flight

Tapas and Dīkṣā

"Shamanic" Symbolisms and Techniques in India

Shamanism among the Aboriginal Tribes of India

XII. Shamanic Symbolisms and Techniques in Tibet, China, and the Far East

Buddhism, Tantrism, Lamaism

Shamanic Practices among the Lolo

Shamanism among the Moso

Shamanic Symbolisms and Techniques in China

Mongolia, Korea, Japan

XIII. Parallel Myths, Symbols, and Rites

Dog and Horse

Shamans and Smiths

"Magical Heat"

"Magical Flight"

The Bridge and the "Difficult Passage"

The Ladder-The Road of the Dead-Ascension

XIV. Conclusions

The Formation of North Asian Shamanism

Epilogue

List of Works Cited

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-691-28608-6

0-691-27935-7

9780691279350

OCLC:

1568059866