The Flying Tiger: Women Shamans and Storytellers of the Amur (McGill-Queen's Native and Northern) [Paperback]

Kira Van Deusen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2001 | Series: McGill-Queen's Native and Northern (Book 26)

Outsiders to the culture have long focused on the physical artifacts of shamanism - like the costume and drum - and on ritual healing practices, but far less is known about the images shamans and storytellers use to entertain, heal, and educate. Van Deusen describes the lives of the people of the Amur during a period of dramatic transition, as they attempt to find some way to relate ancient traditions to an uncertain future. She emphasizes the contributions of women - often overlooked in the literature on shamanism - in traditional and contemporary society, and their concerns with ecology and the education of children. Their magnificent embroidery, illustrated by the author's photographs, echoes these women's stories. "The Flying Tiger" will appeal to anyone interested in shamanism, storytelling and folklore, Russia, indigenous people, women's studies, and spirituality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Van Deusen masterfully weaves a series of stories from her own fieldwork on the folklore of the Russian Far East to emphasize the many ways in which the pathways of other minds and cultures creates, as shamans themselves do, bridges to other worlds. This is a beautifully written and impressive book." Bruce Grant, Department of Anthropology, Swarthmore College

About the Author

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773521569
• ISBN-13: 978-0773521568
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,879,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than fifty traditional stories, September 8, 2001

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flying Tiger: Women Shamans and Storytellers of the Amur (McGill-Queen's Native and Northern) (Paperback)

In The Flying Tiger: Women Shamans And Storytellers Of The Amur, storyteller/folklorist Kira Van Deusen draws upon her expertise and experience in the oral traditions of the peoples of Siberia (especially in the Amur region) to present more than fifty traditional stories she recorded from the people of the taiga forest in the Russian Far East. The stories bridge culture, history, and spirituality to reveal the lives of the storytellers, their adaptation to the environment, relationships with animals, and even their sense of humor. Readers are also provided with descriptions of the lives of the people of the Amur in the 1990s, a period of rapid and dramatic transition. The Flying Tiger is an impressive work that is especially recommended to students of shamanism, storytelling, folklore, Russia, indigenous cultures, women's studies, and ancient traditions.