| An Introduction to Shamanism Contributor(s): DuBois, Thomas A. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0521695368 ISBN-13: 9780521695367 Publisher: Cambridge University Press OUR PRICE: $33.24 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2009 Annotation: This Introduction surveys the beliefs, rituals and techniques found in shamanic traditions around the world. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Religion |
| Dewey: 201.44 |
| LCCN: 2008053947 |
| Series: Introduction to Religion |
| Physical Information: 0.8" H x 5.9" W x 8.9" (0.95 lbs) 330 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Shamans are an integral part of communal religious traditions, professionals who make use of personal supernatural experiences, especially trance, as a resource for the wider community's physical and spiritual well-being. This Introduction surveys research on the topic of shamanism around the world, detailing the archaeology and earliest development of shamanic traditions as well as their scientific 'discovery' in the context of eighteenth and nineteenth century colonization in Siberia, the Americas, and Asia. It explores the beliefs and rituals typical of shamanic traditions, as well as the roles of shamans within their communities. It also surveys the variety of techniques used by shamans cross-culturally, including music, entheogens, material culture and verbal performance. The final chapters examine attempts to suppress or eradicate shamanic traditions, the revitalization of shamanism in postcolonial situations, and the development of new forms of shamanism within new cultural and social contexts. |