Russia: Shaman initiation (Far East Primorye)

BBC News ^ | 04/28/05

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Last Updated: Thursday, 28 April, 2005, 17:34 GMT 18:34 UK

In pictures: Shaman initiation

 

1 of 9 For the first time a public initiation has been held for a shaman (spiritual chief) in Russia's Far East. Vasily Dunkai is one of about 1,000 Udege people living in the Primorye region.

2 of 9 A highlight of the ritual was Vasily Dunkai's dousing in water from three different springs.

3 of 9 The water was heated over stones brought from five hills. First the stones were placed in a fire.

4 of 9 During the initiation, the villagers left food at their place of worship for the taiga (virgin forest) gods.

5 of 9 A cockerel was sacrificed to the taiga spirits as part of the ritual.

6 of 9 Wooden statues (savens) for the spirits to live in were also prepared.

7 of 9 The spirits were then offered pampushki (fritters) and vodka.

8 of 9 The shaman's grandfather, 84-year-old Aleksandr Pionka (second left), helped with the ceremony. He alone knows all the fine details.

9 of 9 All the residents of Krasny Yar village - including children - were keen to see the initiation, which lasted two days.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Fedora]

Thanks! Nice to get that documented on film. That is a real window into time there.

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Primorye in Ancient Times

Culture and Religion Conceptions of Primorye's Ancient Population

Ancient people of Primorye had their own culture and created many original works of art.

The artistic perception of the world of ancient Primorye was embodied mostly in the items of small plastic arts (animal and people figurines, masks, etc). Different decorations were also an embodiment of the aesthetical, religion, and social conceptions of ancient people. Numerous ceramic vessels (often ingenious and complex in composition) can be considered works of art. The Neolithic ceramics are rich in composition. For Yankovskaya ceramics an original style of crockery decoration, based on strict rectangular geometrical patterns, is typical. In Valentin-Peresheyek (Valentine Isthmus) monument a fragment of a vessel's wall with a sculptural picture of a man was found. One of the most ancient items of small plastic arts, a fish figurine, was discovered on Ustinovka-3 site. Its age is approximately 8-9 thousand years. The largest collection of small plastic arts items was gathered in Siny (Blue) Gay settlement. It consisted of masks, people and animal figurines. Series of wonderful art pieces belongs to the Chyortovy Vorota (Devil's Gates) collection. Among them a necklace in form of a narwhal whale's head deserves special mentioning.

Burial grounds and religious places also give us an idea about the ancients' world outlook. There are very few of such finds. More often single items, which could be interpreted as religious ones, are found. Undoubtedly that the ancient population of Primorye confessed animism - a system of fabulous views that people, animals, plants, and items have souls. Shamanism appeared at that time. There are data about existence of a cult of certain animals. In Siny (Blue) Gay settlement's Bronze Age layer a ritual burial ground of a pig was found. The pig's breast was covered with an armor of bone plates without an ornament. A pig cult also had place in Primorye in later times of the Iron age.

The ancient population of Primorye had hunting magic.

A burial ground in Malaya Podushechka (Small Pillow) settlement gives us an idea about ancients' spiritual views. The deceased were laid on their backs with heads pointing south. Such an orientation was probably related with the belief that the land of dead was situated in the north, and also with the cult of Sun. Decorations, tools, and crockery were laid with the deceased.

[blam]

Thanks.

I never understood the need to sacrifice the life of something to the gods/spirits. Notice that the sacrifice is usually something that hasn't a choice specifically, little kids in Peru.

[Fedora]

The last chapter of Volume 2 of E.B. Tylor's Primitive Culture has a section on the animistic belief system underlying sacrificial ritual which is a good introduction to the subject. Here is a more recent article summarizing various anthropological research and theories:

"Sacrifice", from The Encyclopedia of Religion