title

pp.

Exploration into Peruvian Shamanism

100-3

Healing Journey of the Huichol

103-12

The Shaman’s Song"

198-207

The Shaman of Samiland

224-37

Teachings ... within the Kahuna Tradition

237-46

Garhwal Shamanism in Himalayan India

247-58

The Use of Dreams by Tribal Shamans

294-310

The Shaman’s Power

334-44

Magic, Shamanism, and Medicine

357-67

p. 101

"We did our first purification ritual above Cuzco where four underground rivers come to the surface. ...

p. 102

If they passed this test, they would enter the Cave of Light for a second initiation."

p. 102

This is the Pachu Mama Stone, the Earth Mother Stone. We prepared flower offerings and then each of us would individually come up and

p. 103

make an offering, first facing and then with our back pressed against this massive slab of stone. To the right, the men were chanting, to the left the women were singing".

p.

term

its meaning

104

mara>akame

shaman

105

muweiri

shaman’s wand

rukuli

votive bowl

itari

caerimonial mat

ulu

prayer arrow

"Grandfather Fire, Tatewari, ... is the god of life and health, and he is the curing and prophesying shaman. ... His bird is the royal eagle."

"Mother of Waters, Nawake ... is also known as Grandmother Growth."

"Another of the gods, Kauyumari or Elder Brother, ... is known as the half-bad. His body is handsome on one side but deformed on the other."

And for many kinds of prayer there are further decorations, often in the form of small symbolic attachments, neirikas, the tiny straw mats painted or woven with images of the object of the prayer."

"When the mara>akame uses his muweiri, he points the tuft upward, toward the gods. ... The feathers transmit the grace, life-force, kupuri, from the gods to who[m]ever or whatever is in need of divine help. The tufts and feathers are taken from the bird belonging to the particular god being invoked or the god to whom the mara>akame is dedicated perhaps."

"In the god houses, the statues of the gods stand on disks (tepali) made out of volcanic rock covered or carved with their emblems."

p. 108

"In Wirikuta, the ascent up "the Mountain where the Sun was born" (Reunar), is again seen in terms of five stages. The entire

p. 109

A small-scale symbol of this ascent is the carved stone called the Staircase to the Gods, with its five stone steps."

"in the most traditional form of the pilgrimage, each person becomes one of the gods and the pilgrims’ faces are painted accordingly. At the going away ceremony [was] chanted the story of the first pilgrimage to Wirikuta, made by the gods themselves."

p. 109

"we each took off one shoe ... . ... .

p. 110

... at the outskirts of Zacatecas, we came to the Cloud Gate, for the second ceremony ... the prayer to open the dangerous Clouds Gates to the Sacred Land. Holding the gates open with the power of his muweiri {cf. the rod of Mo^s^eh, opening the Yam Sup}, he let us all pass into the Sacred Land. The final portion of the ceremony was the blindfolding of the primeros or first-time pilgrims. It is dangerous for a primero ... to look upon the sacred hills of Wirikuta before being cleansed or blessed with the waters from the Springs of the Mother, Matineiri.

Then, ... we stopped at what I knew must be the Springs of the Mother. ... We ran ... and flew over the rocks ... . When the ceremony at the springs began, it was time to remove the blindfolds, and we primeros could gaze for the first time on the ... sacred land of Wirikuta in the distance. ... The conclusion of the ceremony was for each of us to jump across the springs to the other side, like leaping ... into a new land. ...

p. 111

In this fourth ceremony, ... I ... gaze ... away across the valley to the hills where El Tremolino was dancing toward us in the whirlwind ... . ...

Late, in the afternoon, morrals filled with the "footprints of Kauyumari," we converged ... . ... Soon Tatewari was lit and ... we partook of the fifth ceremony."

p. 112

"In the morning, we left Wirikuta quickly, for it is dangerous to linger in the holy land after meeting with the gods."

p. 199

In the Kalevala, "Vainamoinen, born of the Mother of Water, is an eternal sage and singer."

p. 202

Sioux : "The power of such healing, Rolling Thunder feels, arises from creating a situation where spiritual energies could be channeled from the spirit world with clarity and purpose. The chants we were using, he said, were sacred songs from the spirit world."

p. 203

Animals, shamans say, communicate on both, on a psychic level through telepathy, and on a spiritual level with their spiritual guides. Many hunting rituals involve dancing and singing,

p. 204

Shamanic songs also originate from spiritual beings in the earth ... . Norwegian folklore refers to elves as "Hudrafolk" and their music as "Hudraslaat", which is always in a minor key and often mournful."

p. 205

"all of the sudden, a new voiced popped through me as I was chanting. It seemed to be singing me and sounded like ... rich vibrato. I was told that I was being inspired by the "loon spirit," which sounded a little like my voice."

pp. 205-6

"periodically condors would appear in my dreams, giving me instructions about the song."

p. 228

"He informed me that I had a spirit guide ..., and that I would dream of who[m] it was. He also ... told me that my spirit resided there ... . ... Indeed, several nights later I did dream of my

p. 229

spirit guide. ... But when I told the dream ..., she rushed me over ... and ... he was wearing ..., just as I had dreamed. ... "Yes, he is your spirit guide ... to help you ...," the Great Shaman told me proudly. My ordinary Western description of reality was now really being dismantled."

"The site was an enormous black rock with many reindeer antler offerings placed in ... every visible crevice. ... when we approached the site, we walked around three times counterclockwise. ... . ... permission to take a reindeer horn from the site. ... Thus, I placed the bone under my pillow and one night I awoke to voices calling me. ... The voices called me again ... . ... I like I was attached to a very distant star. The voices were spectral, ghostly."

"it was the Great Shaman ... . His eyes were extremely strange. ... He was making gestures to me like a bear ... . ... . .. it was ... "woytna," his spirit."

"However, once you have heard the voices of the ancestral spirits call you by name, you know that they exist, that they see you, watch you, and want to communicate with you. ... I now know that all is alive, all life is sacred, and the invisible is also part of the living world."

"Hawaiian name "Ka>onohiokala" means "the seeing eye of the sun." It refers to a god who conducted the souls of dead chiefs to the next world (Kent, 1986:176)."

"the <aumakua were the spirits of ancestors who had become gods ... (... see Yardley, 1982).

"Both the <uahane and

the <unihipili were types of spirits,

the former being an animating force which could return as a ghost and

the latter being a spirit of the recent dead (Pukui, 1972:193-196)."

"The kahuna used ... <awa root (Piper methysticum) ... . The pounded root was mixed with water, and ... could result in red eyes and scaly skin. These symptoms were often identified with the spiritual kahuna."

"Names of the newborn and the location of objects such as helpful stones often are revealed in dreams."

"Expected possessions occur during

gadiyalas and

mandans, which are held

with the accompaniment of cymbals and

drums, respectively.

Gadiyalas are organized for the appeasement of spirits and generally conducted within the house.

Mandans are usually conducted to appease ... deities and are held in the village square.

During a gadiyala, a spirit may speak through the medium".

"an ojha (of the Dom caste) may play the drum or cymbal to bring about a possession".

p. 250

"Bakias are the mediums of deities who speak ... . ... vakya ...

p. 251

signified speech, therefore the name bakia ... derived from it."

Once the deity has decided on a particular person, generally during his or her adulthood, he or she can do little to avoid it ... . The possessed begins to show the typical symptoms and is taken to a bakia for treatment. An expert bakia may recognize the possession by a deity and inform the family. ... Ultimately, however, the wishes of the deity must be followed ... . At his point, the family of the medium may request the deity (communicating through the possessed) to give proof of its genuineness. Certain events, predicted by the deity, may become true and may be considered to be proof. It is also said that occasionally the deity may sprout rice grains held by the medium in his or her palm within minutes or seconds to demonstrate its stren[g]th." [p. 256, n. 2 "Preliminary tests ... for determining psychokinetic ability in Garhwal shamans showed that shamans succeeded in influencing plant growth".]

"Shamanic sessions are generally held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. ... A session may continue throughout the day. ...

A bakia does not usually charge any fee for consultation and healing. ... . ... indeed, ... the economic level of bakias is generally at par with that of an average village family, if not below."

"Usually, within fifteen minutes, the possession by a deity (who may be the manifestation of a god or goddess) occurs. At this point, the medium shrieks loudly a few times, shakes rhythmically and breathes heavily or virtually gasps for air. When the possession begins, the bakia feels as if a very strong current of air is entering the head. ... . Certainly, there is a marked change in the bakias during trance. Their voice and rhythm change. Their eyes take on a glassy look. Their character becomes dominating and their body begins to shiver."

The bakia is supposed to divine the source of the rice ... as well as the person ... who has given it to the devotee. The direction from where the devotee has come ... and his/her cause of visit is also disclosed by the bakia".

p. 253

Once the bakia enters trance, the devotee addresses him/her as ma, devi (mother, goddess) or devta, baba (god, father) ... .

p. 254

"A good rapport between two persons is also conducive for establishing teleathic contact (Woolman, 1977)."

cause

meaning

dos.

fault

ghath

sorcery

nazar

evil eye

irs.a

envy

bhut

possessing-spirit

hantya

dead family member

graha

planetary condition

bhagya

fate

devta naraz

deity’s anger

bakia

byakra, gunni, bhagat

"are ... chosen by deities"

"begin to practice after training"

"is possessed by the same deity every time" {this is, e.g., a West African trait}

"may be possessed by different deities on other days." {this is, e.g., a Vietnamese trait}

"two alternative etymologies are

the Tungus word saman, meaning "practitioner of austerities"

and the Sanskrit word saman {/saman/} or "song.""

"Among California’s Diegueno and Luisano tribes, future shamans can be selected in childhood on the basis of their dreams (Almstadt, 1977:9-10).

The Choctaw Indians believe that sick children’s dreams should be observed for signs of shamanic "calling." Spirits will often seize the souls of these children in the dreams and take them to caves, offering them ... a bundle of medicinal herbs. ... this in an indication that the child has been "called" to heal (Roheim, 1952:214).

p. 297

I was taken to a large pool of water by spiritual beings who[m] I could not see. A python came out of the water, wrapped itself around me, and pulled me into the pool. ... I found myself coming out of the pool and heard a whistle from the snake. ... I felt the wind blowing on me as I awakened."

p. 298

[at Ujung Pandang in Sulawesi] "An elderly man came to her in a dream, ... and told her to apply it to ... eyes. Upon awakening, ... she applied the coin to his eyes. ... A year later, a young man and a young woman appeared ... in another dream, asking her why she had not become a dukun. ... Within a few years, ... had become ... shamanic healer ..., ... applying her ring to the bodies of people who purportedly needed to be "exorcised" from the influence of evil spirits."

"The Mohave Indians believe that power and knowledge can be imported by spirits to the initiate in dreams, sometimes in the form of songs. Sometimes a dream will repeated what the embryo supposedly dreamed in the womb ... (Wallace, 1947:252-253).

The Yuma Indians believe that power animals can bestow "power songs" to dreamers. ... (Roheim, 1952:196-197)."

"abisua or singer"

"inaduledi or herbalist"

"nele or diagnostician who obtains knowledge from his travels in the Lower World."

p. 300

"In the Washo tribe of Nevada and California, the initiate receives power through a dream, then is awakened by a whistle. The initiate follows the whistle which changes to a whisper that dictates instructions. ... (Rogers, 1982:22)."

p. 301

"Zambian shamans believe that they can derive powers of diagnosis in dreams, obtaining accurate information about an illness without examining the client (Frankenberg & Leeson, 1976:223-258)."

"Australian Unambal shamans believe that their bodies can acquire crystals during a dream and that the resulting "luminosity" can aid their diagnostic abilities (Lommel, 1952)."

"In the Brazilian Amazon, the Parintinin tribe considers dreams so important that they have devised a special grammatical form for narrating them. The dream is seen as essential to shamanism and, according to Parintinin tradition, "Everyone who dreams has a little paji, sbamanic power" (Kracke, 1979:119-172)."

"Australian aborigine shamans move into "dreamtime" with great facility to assist tribal hunting activities (Halifax, 1982:61)."

"Dieguna Indian shamans ... ingest Jimson weed to enhance their dreams; if they dream of putting their hands around the world, this is felt to signify all-embracing knowledge ... (Tofflemeier & Luomala, 1936:216-221)."

p. 304

"Northwest Coast Indians of North America carve "soul catchers" out of bone ... . Malay shamans make images of dough and roll them slightly over the client’s body to bring back the soul (Rogers, 1982:41, 109)."

"Among the Kiwai of Papua New Guinea, ... If the soul does escape during sleep, the shaman turns into a bird and

p. 305

attempts to bring it back ... (Roheim, 1952:154).

Mota shamans in the banks Islands often are called upon to treat soul theft by ghosts. They make a potion ..., drink it before falling asleep; and, in their dreams, leave their body to attempt to retrieve the lost soul. ... (Roheim, 1952:254-255)."

[Navaho] "A person who has been subjected a ceremony potentially possesses a great many powers to keep him safe. ... Meanwhile, he is dangerous to others who have not been so treated. They must not come near him [n]or touch dishes from which he eats; what is invaluable to him may harm those too weak to endure the newly acquired power" (Reichard, 1983:113)."

[Sioux] "during ... vision quests, ... how huge or immense the power is. Sacred places that contain great powers are also to be avoided by the unprepared."

"Among the Northwest Coast tribes, ... Individuals attempted to purify themselves to the point that they were "transparent." A spirit that saw a "transparent" person would be willing to take up abode in such a body. ... among the Haida ..., when ... the human smell was gone, the spirits were free to come and warn them of approaching dangers" (McKechnie, 1972:14)"

"Most often shamans will tell you that they have no power, that the power belongs to the spirits. They only act as intermediaries, acquiring the power directly from the spirits."

"Spirits prefer to come in the dark ... . For example, among the Lakota, spirits most often appear in the form of small flashes of light much like fireflies."

"It’s important that these kinds of healings are not attended by people with wrong ideas. ... You want people who are ... trusting. You don’t fool around with spiritual things (Modesto and Mount, 1980:47)."

"Non-Indians may attend, but ... they must not be disbelievers. ... Any skepticism will be sufficient cause for the ceremony to fail (Grobsmith, 1981:77)."

"A relationship which we define as prayerful exists between humans and spirits. ... Spirits are uniquely capable of helping people, but their requirements must be met before they will lend themselves to the task. As the last resort, people must sing songs the spirit like[s] to hear. Then, upon hearing the songs, the spirit brings his own uniquely sufficient skill to bear on the task. ... ([Bahr] 1974:230)."

"The Ixkareya were two she-witches." (p. 365) In order to detect where those 2 she-witches had hidden the salmon, Coyote made red salmon-decoys out of alder-bark (p. 365); and then saw the she-witches go behind a waterfall (p. 366) to check the pool there for its hidden salmon. By hearing this story, a female patient was able to cure herself of infertility (p. 367) {salmon = impounded souls awaiting incarnation?} [p. 367 the myth is Maidu, in :- Jane Louise Curry : Back in the Beforetime : Tales of the California Indians. Macmillan, 1987.]