Shamanism: Chapter One Mobile Histories
Shamanism: Chapter One Mobile Histories
Citation:
Buyandelger, Manduhai. “Chapter One: Mobile Histories.” Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, memory, and gender in contemporary Mongolia, 39-66 University of Chicago Press, 2013.
Focus:
In chapter one of the Mobile Histories book, Buyandelger discusses how the Buryats believe and stick to their Shamanic rituals which are tied to their Hoimorin Hogshin, a female deity. Despite the Buryat’s mobile lives, they keep on believing in their spirits by remembering their past[1]. (p. 64). As such, their spiritual believes end up affecting the different aspects of their mobile lives including social, political, and their relationship with other communities.
Logic:
In this chapter, the writer, who is an ethnographer continuously observes the Buryats as they perform their Shamanic rituals while paying much attention to their major deity, Hoimorin Hogshin, According to his observations, the community believes that remembering the past is a requirement in appeasing their deity. Besides, they have to offer frequent sacrifices to her so that she can give back by healing their illnesses and ensuring the continuity of their family lineages. Even when Russians try to colonize them to change their culture, they move further so that they can keep on worshiping Hoimorin Hogshin (p. 42). More so, Buryats store shamanic paraphernalia so that they can touch them and attach them to their past. The history of the Buryats also showed that even with the forceful introduction of Buddhism in their community they kept on performing shamanic rituals. In essence, the community had a strong attachment to their original spirits.
Matrix:
| Subsection: | Issue: | Implication: |
| Humphrey (1995).
Buryats believed extremely in their shamanic ritual, and they do it as their only solution to problems. |
According to Humphrey (1995), Buryats could face anybody, including the Russian armies because they believed that shamanic rituals could help them win any war or fight. | “A shaman’s paraphernalia mirrors military armament: for instance, a shaman’s shield is a mirror.” (p. 43) |
| Forsyth (1992)
Researched on the triggers of Buryats’ mobile lives. |
After Russians tried to colonize Buryats living in Russia, they chose to escape to Mongolia and Manchuria. This move was as well meant to prevent Russians from forcing them to drop their shamanic ritual for other spiritual beliefs. | “Buryats fled from Russia to Mongolia to escape the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and Russian Civil in 1905-1907.” (p. 44) |
| Agamben (1998)
Did a study that showed that Buryats were not in control of their rights, property, and identity. |
Although the study may be right based on how they were being treated, Buyandelger notes that most communities, including Russians and Mongol khans, were not impressed with their shamanic beliefs and rituals. As such, they tried to force them to submit themselves as subjects by denying them their human rights and taking away their property. | “Indeed, the stories of spirits indicate that the Buryats had more enemies than friends. The Russians employed Cossacks as well as local Khamnigans to force the Buryats into submission.” The Mongol khans were interested in subordinating the Buryats and making them pay taxes.” (p. 47) |
| Taussig (1993)
Total representation of something grants it power and authority. |
According to Taussig, total representation of a person or any idol gives it more power to take over situations meant for them. As such, Buryats represented Hoimorin Hogshin in detail, and this might have contributed to the success they had over their oppressors. | “It is through a detailed representation of their own spiritual world that the Buryats have resisted their oppressors.” (p. 49) |
| Heissig (1980)
Discusses the continuous attempts of the Mongol Khans to suppress the shamanic rituals performed by Buryats in Mongolia. |
In his book written in 1980, Heissig notes that Buryats faced hardships while trying to stick to their original spiritual beliefs. Mongol Khans forced them to adopt Buddhism in compromise of their shamanism spiritual beliefs. | ”In order to implement Buddhism, many Mongol khans forbade, under threat of punishment, the possession of shamanic ritual objects and the performance of blood sacrifices (Huessig 1980:30).” (p. 57) |
| The tendency to remember the past as a sign of respect to Hoimorin Hogshin has contributed to the well-document history of the Buryats. | Although the practice of remembering the past was exceptionally meant for spiritual reasons, it contributed to the securing of their history which is documented for reference. | “Buryats’ distinctive way of remembering their past through shamanic practices has developed in the context of their experiences of colonialism, displacement, and marginalization.” (p. 62) |
Implications:
The chapter shows clear research done by the ethnographer who spent time with the Buryats to study their spiritual beliefs and how they resulted. Also, the writer did more research about Buryats before documenting their mobile history. Back to the content in the chapter, it is clear that Buryats adored their deity so much because her origin was mysterious. They had to stick to the shamanic rituals and beliefs to avoid punishments from Hoimorin Hogshin. Still, their beliefs end up saving them from their oppressors, including the Russians and Mongol khans. As such, their beliefs in shamanism continues, despite its impact on their social and political lives.
Work Cited
Buyandelger, Manduhai. “Chapter One: Mobile Histories.” Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, memory, and gender in contemporary Mongolia, 39-66 University of Chicago Press, 2013.
[1] Buyandelger, Manduhai. “Chapter One: Mobile Histories.” Tragic Spirits: Shamanism, memory, and gender in contemporary Mongolia, 39-66 University of Chicago Press, 2013.