Shamanism
Shanmanism
Concept of Soul
They believe that all kinds of creatures in the world have souls. People’s blessing and suffering caused by the natural changes are in fact the reflection of the will of various spirits, ghosts and gods.Shamanism believes that man has several souls. The Altaic and Yakutia people recategorize the soul and life into three parts “Teng”, “Su” (or “Surgut”) and “Kut”, believing that all the living things have “Teng”, and once it leaves the body man will die. “Su”, exclusively owned by human beings, enables them to think, and to have determination and feelings, and it can leave the body and wander about when humans fall into sleep. “Kut”, existing in non-living objects, gives them feelings and wills. When “Kut” is in corral and stables, livestock will be flourishing and their masters will be rich. When “Kut” is attached to the stick of the shepherd’s whip, it can protect the herd from devils and wolves. They also believe that a person’s soul, especially the souls of the deceased, can communicate or even mutually transfer with the natural soul or spirit. The souls of the deceased would like to attach to the living body or other materials, and bring about change to them.
Concept of Spirits
Shamanism would often endow the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, trees, thunder and lightning, fire, fog, ice and snow, wind and rain, rainbow and some animals with personified imagination and mysterious spirituality, regarding them as the spirits in control of the nature and human beings. The view on the souls of ancestors and the fear of disease and death are the core of Shamanistic concept of spirits. Shamanism believes that various spirits who can be grouped as good or evil like humans also have wills, aspirations and desires, which can not defied or offended. Various spirits have different attributes and functions, and take charge of their own business in their own areas. Most of them have relatively equal status, with little or no subordinates, and they are not dominated by one omnipotent spirit. But in the feudal societies of Mongolia, Manchu and Daur ethnic group, there appeared the hierarchical concept, in which one spirit is promoted to the leading rank above others.
Concept of Three Realms
Hezhen people think that the universe is divided into three realms including the upper, middle and lower realm. The upper realm, is the heaven where gods live. It is further divided into seven floors with the most authoritative spirits inhabiting on the top. The middle realm is the place where animals and plants live. The lower realm is the hell, which has a number of sub-layers, respectively inhabited by the ancestor’s spirits, general souls and big and small ghosts. Human beings live in the middle realm, under the impact of the divine blessing and the devils’ hunting. Only Shamanistic witches can reach the upper and lower realms, communicating with the three realms.
