Shamanic Healing Rituals of Western Buryats
Oriental Studies September 18, 2023 Liudmila S. Dampilova, Evdokia E. Khabunova, Balzira V. Elbikova
Healing in Buryat shamanic tradition is primarily a ritual and magical activity rather than a therapeutic one. Shamans do not perform medical treatments but instead use spells and semiotic rituals to propitiate or neutralize mythological disease spirits, relying on word magic and communicative connection with the other world. Analysis of archival verbal materials from Western Buryats shows that these healing practices are monotypic in ritual basis, rooted in belief in the magical power of word and ritual, and incorporate rudiments of earlier folk methods. The rituals correspond to main calendar and life-cycle ceremonies, serving to eliminate perceived causes of illness.