The shaman of times gone by was a mediator between man and the mythical world in which he lived. A mediator between people, spirits and nature, including animals. In the daily struggle for the survival of the tribe, he negotiated with dangerous demons and tried to gain the favor of influential spirits, in the interests of his village or tribe. In shamanism contact was made between these basically very different worlds. For example, to cure diseases and to appease conflicts between heaven and earth. Shamanism has always been very important in many cultures and faiths, including in the modern Western world. The shaman and his knowledge even form the basis of religions and, by extension, the first secret societies.
Contents
- Origin of the concept of shamanism
- Purpose of shamanism
- Spread
- Hunt
- Shamanism and life crisis
- Trance
- Modern shamanism
- Shamanism and secret societies
Origin of the concept of shamanism
The linguistic origin of the words ‘shamanism’ and ‘shaman’ must be sought in Siberia, in the language of the Evenks (Tunguz). If you dig even deeper into the etymology, you will arrive at the concept of sram, which loosely translated means filling with warmth. There is some logic to this, as the mysterious knowledge and skills of the shaman are often directly related to ecstasy, also known as self-heating. According to shamanism, summoning and obtaining inner warmth is crucial for creating the right conditions for the magical powers to unfold.
Shaman like the earlier Aztecs / Source: MirreNL, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-3.0)
Purpose of shamanism
In many early cultures, including the San in Botswana, the shaman is also called a medicine man, at least in Western anthropology. He or she can cure diseases. For example, the Celts had their druids, of which Merlin in the King Arthur legend is undoubtedly the best known. There are numerous examples on all continents. The names can also be interpreted more broadly. One then ends up with priest, chief medium, oracle, spirit charmer, witch and herbalist, among others.
Balance between man and the spirit world
All efforts of the shaman from the different cultures were and are aimed at finding a balance between the worlds of humans, animals, spirits and demons. This very important task for the early communities was directly related to the social, political, military, psychological and health balance with the aim of protecting the tribe to which the shaman belonged in difficult times (climate, war, etc.) and in good times. let it flourish. The restoration of balance, both individually and collectively, was the shaman’s constant attention.
Spread
Shamanism is timeless. In general one can say that it is a ‘relict’ from the Old Stone Age ( Paleolithic ). It existed before about 10,000 years BC when people started to form communities, or cultures whose main characteristics were hunting and agriculture. Shamanism had already gained acceptance all over the world. The social place that the shaman had acquired in past and present cultures consisted of a kind of oscillation for people between fear, respect and appreciation. A characteristic expression of these ancient cultures was that the shaman had a home on the edge of the village. This symbolized seclusion, representing the fact that a shaman lived between two worlds: earthly existence and the otherworldly, mythical realms. A village had only one shaman, but a nation or tribe could have many.
Shaman / Source: Benralexander, Pixabay
Worldwide
Shamanism is a universal concept and spread worldwide. From the deserts of Australia to bitterly cold Siberia. From the jungles and savannas of Africa and Asia to the scorching prairies of North America and the impenetrable Amazon regions of South America. Shamanism also played an important role in Europe, as evidenced by the work of the druids in Celtic cultures. Characteristically, the teachings, practices and rituals of the various shamanic movements worldwide are somewhat, and in some cases even remarkably, similar.
Hunt
In short, shamanism is thousands of years old. Its roots lie hidden in the depths of the early Stone Age. The shaman’s goal was to keep the bond healthy between the earthly. subterranean and supraterranean. He had influence in all areas of human life, united in the often difficult struggle for existence. Tribes lived, among other things, from hunting. Unlike ‘ordinary’ tribe members and hunters, shamans had mysterious powers at their disposal with which they lured prey. In addition, they appeased the spirits and gods when animals were killed. With special rituals they led the souls of the killed animals to the afterlife.
Man and gods
The primordial goddess reunited the ‘dead’ souls and had them reincarnated into other animals, which in turn became prey for the hunters. All these things were crucial. In their eyes, the survival of the tribe depended on it. If the interaction between humans and spirits did not go well, otherworldly vengeance could occur, such as a lack of prey and crop failures due to drought, floods, tornadoes, or other weather events that threatened crops. There must also always be a conciliatory atmosphere between humans and animals. Fetishes played a major role in shamic rituals. They called upon magical powers to bring about this reconciliation.
Shamanism and life crisis
Allegedly, every shaman man or woman had gone through a personal life crisis. In other words, he or she had undergone a perilous journey through his own inner self. He had looked death in the eye, fought with it and emerged unscathed. He had fallen into inner chaos and was physically and mentally strong enough to restore order to the cosmic whole with all its connections between people, animals, spirits and demons. And he had gained deep insight into it and had thus grown into a special person. The shaman gave expression to this new inner order to the tribe to which he belonged by showing them the countless connections between everything earthly and otherworldly. His field of work was very diverse. From healing to predicting. He was often also a poet and singer.
Trance
One of the most important methods of contacting the otherworldly was going into a trance or ecstasy. The shaman thus reached higher levels of consciousness and passed through the gate to the otherworldly in all its facets. However, this could also be the subterranean if there had to be mediation between humans and demons who, for example, repeatedly disrupted the hunt by warning the prey animals. Thus the shaman was part of the dynamics that prevailed in the mystical spheres, which was expressed in supernatural gifts, such as walking through fire, taking poison without dying and even flying like a bird and staying on the moon for a while. The shaman did this with the help of specific spells , prayers, herbs, mantras, rattles and drums, or all tools that were common in the relevant cultures. They acted as vehicles to travel to the otherworldly. In other words, he went into a trance to negotiate and gain favor in order to reach a compromise with the spirits and other otherworldly entities that would be most beneficial to the tribe. In healing séances, where the shaman went into a trance, it was often necessary for the patient to undertake that supernatural journey with him or at least to reach a higher level of consciousness.
Shaman from the Altai (Russia), early 20th century / Source: Sergei Ivanovich Borisov, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
From drums to mantras
To achieve that goal, psychoactive substances were usually used. Like certain herbs. The monotonous shaman’s drum and mysterious spells also played a role, comparable to the effect of certain mantras used in Hinduism and specifically in yoga philosophy to activate the chakras during meditation sessions. In shamanism, the deep bass tone of the shaman drum creates a theta rhythm in the EEG, such as in sleep. The shaman’s rattle then activates the higher frequency ranges in the brain. It is precisely this combination of rhythms (theta rhythm and high gamma rhythm) that, according to researchers, evoke certain experiences, including reduced and altered perception and the activation of suggestive experiences with, by extension, illusions and hallucinations. However, according to modern shamans, this also includes paranormal impressions, including telepathic experiences and clairvoyance.
Modern shamanism
As people formed larger communities and cities emerged, the influence of traditional shamanism faded. In the countryside, however, the authority of the shamans remained undiminished for a long time, until the present day. Over the centuries, shamanism gradually laid the foundation for the development of numerous philosophical, religious and spiritual movements. In other words, shamans were the original ‘messengers’ who explored other worlds, expressed in dance, song, poetry and mythology. Shamanism also formed the basis of many natural sciences, including botany, as shamans traditionally investigated the effect of plants on the human physique and psyche.
Criticism
In Western thought, shamanism is considered by many as a relic of a bygone era with magical visions and outdated views. People often forget that shamanism is the basis of all current religious beliefs. Many have turned the shaman into a quack. In fact, some are convinced that shamanic flights and visions are manifestations of psychiatric illnesses. Over the centuries, shamanism has been more or less persecuted on all continents. But the ideas that are thousands of years old appear to be very tough and have found resonance in many religions. Certain shamanic teachings have also found a place in modern magic, art and in the interpretation of intuitive processes.
Shamanism and secret societies
In the early eras, tribe members were partially aware of the shaman’s knowledge. A very superficial knowledge indeed, since the mystery surrounding the shaman’s skills remained secret. The quintessence was reserved for other shamans and for the shaman’s talented students or confidants. Persons he considered valuable enough to pass on his knowledge to became his initiates. The transfer of specialist knowledge regarding botany and zoology, magic and mythology took place step by step and to a selected group, which was personally ‘literate’ by the shaman. For the rest of the community, that knowledge was simply unavailable and, for the most part, incomprehensible. Thus, in the shamanic world of mysteries, the first secret societies in their most basic form were formed.
Power
Even in times gone by, knowledge was power. When faced with problems, both individually and collectively, people turned to the shaman for advice. Undoubtedly, there were many reasons to keep knowledge hidden in certain situations and circumstances, both from the individual and from the tribe as a whole. The question is to what extent manipulation also played a role in this. In addition, someone with power (in the form of knowledge) such as the shaman tried to protect that power, undoubtedly together with his confidants or initiates.
Religions
The earliest recorded chthonic secret societies, including the Greek ones, can be traced back to prehistory. They reflect arable farming, fertility and the spirit and death world, also called chtronic societies with characteristics such as secret caves or other residences, mysterious rituals, powerful spells, ecstatic dances, psychoactive herbs and, by extension, ‘contact’ with the otherworldly. . Over the centuries, many characteristics became part of the religions and, consequently, the secret societies.
read more
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- The origins of secret societies
- The shadowy Opus Dei
- The Secret Society of Pythagoras
- Shamanism – health, illness and death