HEALING-THE SHAMAN’S WAY: SHAMANISM AND SPIRITUALITY

CHAPTER ONE

WHAT IS SHAMANISM?

Welcome to the world of shamanism and spirituality. I am a Shaman; I am not a Native American nor am I a First Nation person of Canada. However, I was trained by a Mi’kmaq healer named Elisapie. I called her Sa-pie. The Mi’kmaq word for a healer is nepiteget. Each Native American and First Nation tribe of Canada has its own words for a healer. Shaman is not one of them

Since the word shaman is not in the normal daily languages of local Native tribes, why do I use it? Until recently, interest in shamanism remained to those interested in ethnology, anthropology, and psychoanalysis. The late Michael Harner is credited with popularizing shamanism and its concepts. Consequently, I use the word shaman because it is within the current popular language.

If the word shaman is not from North, Central, or South American tribes where do we get the word? As with many things from antiquity, the origin of the word shaman has its challenges. There is some general agreement among etymologists that the word shaman came from the Tungus language of Siberia, specifically from the Evenki word "šaman," which means "spiritual healer" or "one who knows."  Who knows what? How to help people heal themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The term was adopted into Russian in the 17th century when Peter the Great sent an envoy to China. Two Dutch diplomats, Gerrit de Veer, and Johan Nieuhof, traveled with the envoy and reported about meeting Scha-man. Their writings later entered the English and European languages. De Veer and Nieuhof were part of the Dutch East India Company’s efforts to establish trade agreements with China.

In the Evenki language, "šaman" refers to a person who communicates with the spirit world, often acting as a healer or guide for their community. Over time, the term has been used more broadly to describe similar figures in various Indigenous cultures around the world.

In his book Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Mircea Eliade stated that the shaman “is a man who has immediate concrete experiences with gods and spirits....” That is not correct. Women were and are shamans. The Tungus word for female shamans is shamanka. Also, the word sama in the Tungus refers to both males and females who have achieved the necessary skills.

The notion that the word shaman is from the Tungus of Siberia is not without challenge. Some authorities claim the word comes from the Chinese word scha-man and others claim it’s from the Pali word schamana, a term used for a Buddhist monk, and sramana from Sanskrit.

Evidence of shamanic practices suggests they are at least 40,000 years old. This evidence has been found in Paleolithic cave paintings such as those of Lascaux Cave in France (17.000 BCE) and the Altamira Cave (Spain) dating back to 36,000 BCE. Artifacts found in burial sites in Siberia, for example, have revealed carvings made of bone, drums, masks, and clothing decorated with animal imagery. Excavations in Turkey have revealed large stone pillars with carvings that suggest the area was a ceremonial center. Ancient Sumerian cuneiform tablets and Ancient Egyptian texts include those who could be called shamans.

As hundreds of years passed, shamanism showing a remarkable adaptability, gradually evolved, diverse as its forms are, into a dual concept: healing and spirituality.  Because of this dual concept, the shaman took on several roles which included any one or more of the following:

 

·      Historian

·      Sage

·      Healer

·      Spiritualist

·      Mediator

·      Traveler

As a historian, the shaman sings the story of his or her people. The oral tradition meant that someone was always being taught the stories of the tribe.

The sage, just as the word suggests, is a wise man or woman; one whom the tribe leadership respects. A modern example would be an advisor or mentor.

The healer relies upon the vast medicines that populate the natural world, sound, and movement to treat his or her patients.

As a spiritualist, the shaman incorporates a deep connection between human beings and the natural world that includes animals, trees, rocks,  the elements such as rain as inherent life forces. Simply, it is the notion that all things are alive.

 The shaman may function as a mediator between mankind and the Spirit World and one’s ancestors; between individuals and families that are in dispute.

As a traveler, the shaman moves from the current realm to another. Traditionally, there are three realms or divisions:

1.     Underworld- Here emotions, memories  and their psychic healing takes place

2.     Middle World – Here plant spirits, spells, curses, and ghosts are located. Generally, this is just outside of ordinary reality.

3.     Upper World-Spiritual teachers are located here. Jung’s archetypes also exist here.

To arrive at these realms requires an altered state of consciousness, and therein, lies inherent dangers. First is the lack of trained people who provide and supervise the use of hallucinogens. Second, is the overdose of hallucinogens and third is being disrespectful of the Realms, especially the Underworld.

Three stories from ancient literature demonstrate what happens when the traveler does not follow proper protocol: Orpheus and Eurydice, Persephone and Demeter, and Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

I have to admit I have a bias when it comes to the use of hallucinogens to create a trance to go to another Realm. I don’t recommend their use. There are other safer ways to create a trance state: drumming, for example.