Ancient Traditions [Paperback]

Gary Seaman (Editor), Jane S Day (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0870813420 | ISBN-13: 978-0870813429 | Publication Date: May 15, 1994

Shamanism is the world's oldest religion. The rituals and beliefs of this ancient tradition were carried from Asia and Siberia into the New World by nomadic hunting bands beginning 12,000 years ago. This unique collection of essays on shamanism in Central Asia and the Indian Americas provides sound and engaging scholarship that reflects the great diversity in this fascinating field. First published in 1994, "Ancient Traditions" has become a vital, frequently cited reference in the ongoing study of ancient religions. Over the centuries, shamanism has endured as an abiding topic of interest not only because of a human concern with the past but also because of a common yearning to acknowledge life lived in closer symbolic relationship to the earth. For readers interested in indigenous cultures and religions, this collection of essays clarifies much of the New Age speculation on universals in shamanism, offering solid research on specific ethnic and historical expressions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Seaman is director of the Center for Visual Anthropology at the University of Southern California. Jane S. Day is a curator ermerita and was a specialist in Mesoamerican archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Contributors include: Vladimir N. Basilov, Robert S. Carlsen, James A. Clifton, Jane S. Day, Vladimir Diachenko, Vera P. Diakonova, Peter T. Furst, Larisa R. Pavlinskaya, Martin Prechtel, Gary Seaman, Omer C. Stewart, Lawrence E. Sullivan, Robert J. Theodoratus, and Johannes Wilbert.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Colorado (May 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870813420
• ISBN-13: 978-0870813429
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,036,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars fair coverage but not much that is new, April 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ancient Traditions (Paperback)

This is a collection of essays on shamanism in the Americas and Asia, with a slight emphasis on New World shamanism. Although some of the essays are based on ethnographic research, I didn't find much novel information in these collections. I'd say that someone who is interested in shamanism in one of these societies specifically would be interested in the book, but there are better introductions to the topic of shamanism for the general reader (such as Mircea Eliade).