The Last of the Shor Shamans [Paperback]

Alexander Arbachakov (Author), Luba Arbachakov (Author), Llyn Roberts (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2008

This unified presentation of previously disparate studies of Siberian Shor shamanism will intrigue academicians and folklorists alike - as well, it will inspire serious shamanic practitioners and a wider readership interested in traditional shamanic cultures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I welcome the publication of this volume by Shor ethnographers on Shor shamans. Their insider insights are enhanced with shamanic texts and ritual descriptions collected in the nick of time, as knowledgeable elderly Siberian shamans of the magnificent Altai-Sayan mountains have been passing away." -- MARJORIE MANDELSTAM BALZER, PH.D., RESEARCH PROFESSOR, GOERGETOWN UNIVERSITY, EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL ANTHROPOLOGYAND ARCHEOLOGY OF EURASIA AND THE BOOK SHAMANIC WORLDS.

"The publication of Alexander and Luba Arbachakov's 2004 study of Shamanism in their own community in Siberia is an important addition to the study of the anthropology and sociology of the peoples of Russia. Joanna Dobson's excellent English translation of the Arbachakov's work brings to a wider international audience a fascinating glimpse into the rapidly disappearing traditional world of the Shor Mountain people. That the few and very elderly Shortsi Shamans were willing to share their beliefs and experiences with the Arbachakov's has enabled us all to peer into this mysterious and mystic world." -- FREDERICK LUNDAHL, RETIRED AMERICAN DIPLOMAT & SPECIALIST ON CENTRAL ASIA AND POST SOVIET UNION COUNTRIES.

"This book is a most worthy contribution to our knowledge of Siberian shamanism, illuminating the shamanic traditions of the little-known Shor ethnic group. The documentation is all the more valuable since the research has been done and recorded by native Shor ethnographers so that the observations and language of the shamanic rituals are, without question, authentic and represent a true picture of historical traditions and current cultural adaptations. Particularly important for preservation are the interviews with, and observations of, Shor shamans who were practicing in the post-Soviet period, and the documentation and translation of their kamlanie chants." -- EVA JANE NEUMANN FRIDMAN, PH.D., AUTHOR OF SACRED GEOGRAPHY: SHAMANISM AMONG BUDDHIST PEOPLES OF RUSSIA AND CO-AUTHOR OF SHAMANISM: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD BELIEFS, PRACTICES, AND CULTURE.

From the Author

"It has been our aim to show that among the Shor people, the tradition of turning to the kam (Siberian Shor word for shaman), is still very much alive. Unfortunately, until very recently, no researcher has seriously carried out studies into this aspect of the Shor culture.

Shamanism as a social institution represents an alloy that combines a system of views on the model of the universe with the traditional oral transmission of fundamental knowledge, rites and laws. In previous times, almost every Shor `ulus' - village, had its kam who played a significant role in the life of the villagers.

Together with the kaichi* - the traditional keepers of the culture, the `tellers' - the kam were the real keepers of the people's knowledge and culture. Time and History would have it, however, that they are now gradually disappearing.

It is essential that we learn and preserve all that the kam know and remember. Without its language, traditions and memory of the ancestors, a nation becomes moribund. Today the Siberian Shor people number only 12,000 in total." - Alexander and Luba Arbachakov

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: John Hunt Publishing (December 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184694127X
• ISBN-13: 978-1846941276
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,454,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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