The Nature of Shamanism and the Shamanic Story [Hardcover]

Michael Berman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2007

The book makes out a case for the introduction of a new genre of tale, the shamanic story, which has either been based on or inspired by a shamanic journey, or contains a number of the elements that are typical of such a journey. The stories featured are the Book of Jonah from the Old Testament, two traditional stories from the Republic of Georgia The Earth will take its Own and Davit, a contemporary German tale Bundles, and the Korean story of Shimchong, the Blindman s Daughter. By making use of textual material from a number of different cultures and times, the intention is to highlight the pervasive influence shamanism has had and to show how the new genre being proposed is a universal one. The research questions addressed include 1) defining what shamanism is, deciding whether it should be classified as a religion, a methodology or a way of life 2) considering whether a case can be made out for the introduction of a new genre of tale and, if so, what its characteristics are. It is hoped the book will be of interest not only to those involved in the study of shamanism but also to those whose interest is in the study of literary texts. Since the old bearers of shamanic traditions quite often were, and even today are, illiterate, the study of their folklore epic songs, laments, narratives undoubtedly provides a rich source for research.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Berman BA, MPhil, PhD (Alternative Medicines) is a part-time teacher at Oxford House College in London, a writer, and core shamanic counsellor. Publications include A Multiple Intelligences Road to an ELT Classroom and The Power of Metaphor for Crown House Publishing and The Shaman and the Storyteller for Superscript. Michael has been involved in teaching English as a Foreign Language to adults for over thirty years and has given presentations at Conferences in Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, and the Ukraine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847183565
• ISBN-13: 978-1847183569
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,653,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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