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Shanar: Dedication Ritual of a Buryat Shaman in Siberia
 
 
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Shanar: Dedication Ritual of a Buryat Shaman in Siberia (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Sayan Zhambalov (Author), Wanda Phipps (Author), Dashinima Dugarov (Foreword)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Customers buy this book with Shamans and Elders: Experience, Knowledge, and Power among the Daur Mongols (Oxford Studies in Social and Cultural Anthropology) by Caroline Humphrey

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Buryat are a people indigenous to eastern Siberia, living mainly in the area near Lake Baikal called Buryatia. In 2000, a Shaman named Bayir Rinchinov invited Tkacz, Zhambalov and Phipps, translators of Buryat poetry, to the Siberian town of Ust-Orda to document a Shanar, the dedication ritual for a new shaman. This lucid, day-by-day account of the Shanar begins with the cleansing of the participants and the preparation of ritual objects (such as the initiate's goatskin drum and headdress) and continues through to the climax of the ceremony, a ritual called Bring Up the Dust, in which ancestral spirits enter the initiate (in this case, a man named Volodya) as he runs around a grove of birches. This particular Shanar turns out to be a difficult one: the spirits refuse to enter Volodya. The older shamans officiating the ceremony have to do a great deal of spiritual detective work to figure out what's gone wrong. After some back and forth with the spirits (their conversations are transcribed), it turns out that Volodya had slighted one of them with his inept performance of an earlier ritual, and appeasements are in order. As she describes these lively proceedings, Tkacz explains the beliefs of the Buryat and the role of shamans in the village (Rinchinov does healing, for instance, but only for those who can't be helped by Western medicine-he tells a villager with a toothache to "stop wasting his time and go to a dentist"). The authors have also translated the ceremony's ritual chants. This glimpse of Buryat culture does not aim to be comprehensive, but it will be fascinating to those interested in Eastern religions and anthropology. Of particular note are the hundreds of full-color photographs that grace the handsomely produced volume; there's also a useful glossary.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Product Description

This rare firsthand account, accompanied by 175 photographs of the setting, sacred tools, and costumes, follows each step of the shanar-a Siberian shaman dedication ritual. The Buryats are indigenous people of eastern Siberia, an area which gave rise to the languages from which the term "shaman" is derived. Shamanism is dependent upon intimate connections to specific places and cultures, and this account of a ceremony celebrates that relationship, while using the ritual as an entry point to explore the living culture of a people obscure to most Western readers. This accessible and authentic guide to true shaman practice reveals the personalities involved and respects the complexities of the Buryat community, thereby achieving greater depth than conventional anthropological studies.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 182 pages
  • Publisher: Parabola Books; 1 edition (November 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0930407571
  • ISBN-13: 978-0930407575
  • Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,128,618 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Virlana Tkacz
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, January 13, 2003
By Christine McArthur (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
In an era of neo-Shamanism and cold-hearted anthropology, it is very nice to see an increase in books where the authors are both practitioners and scientists. Shanar is quite impressive. The ritual appears authentic, the photographs are remarkable, and the text is quite intriguing.

If you're the type who wants to have Shamanism presented in a non-threatening, non-cultural, easy-to-digest-as-a-Westerner, fluffy New Age way ... this isn't the book for you. This is a ride through a very important ritual and thru the Buryat culture. The average Western reader isn't going to understand everything on the first pass - and it isn't about perfection. Its about Human beings trying to connect with their ancestors and the Spirits of their world. Its a serious business.

Because the authors are well versed in Shamanims themselves they tend to treat the ritual with honor and respect.

This is not a how-to book of Shamanism, it is a chance to see the real thing in action. Five stars seems too few.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Describes all of the various aspects of the ceremony, January 11, 2003
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
The collaborative effort of Virlana Tkacz, Sayan Zhambalov, and Wanda Phipps, and filled with a wealth of 175 gorgeous, full color photographs, Shanar: Dedication Ritual Of A Buryat Shaman In Siberia accurately depicts the dedication rituals, rites, and ceremony of a Buryat Shaman in Siberia. The informed and informative text describes all of the various aspects of the ceremony in wondrous, heartfelt, and painstaking detail, which combine to fully capture and present the this sacred rite with all respect and an appreciative humility. Shanar is a very highly recommended contribution to Comparative Religion and Anthropology reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic and Traditional, January 20, 2007
By Nicholas Noble Wolf (Durango, Colorado) - See all my reviews
The authors were offered the opportunity to attend the initiation of a traditional Buryat shaman to the third level (there are nine in their tradition). The book talks about the trials and difficulties Volodya had until his elder shamans lead by Bayir Rinchinov determined why the initiation was failing. Many photos that were permitted by the group are included. Just an excellent look into authentic and traditional Siberian shamanism.
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