SHAMANISM. Shamanism is a term used to descrilbe the religion of the Turanian races of Siberia. The term was suggested by Shaman, the name for the Siberian priest-magician. The Shaman undertakes to cure disease, or avert death, or safely conduct souls to the other world. In the performance of their magical rites. they work themselves up into a state of ecstasy or delirium to the sound of music. According to Reinach, the priests are actually chosen from among epileptics or persons who know how to work themselves up into a state of ecstasy. They deal in talismans, and sacrifice horses to good and evil spirits. In order to knit one another closely together, to form a Blood Brotherhood, they drink or mingle blood. F. J. Gould, follow ing A. Wyllie, gives a lively description of the priest magician. A strange figure suddenly appears. " Amid his rags little bells tinkle, and rude Images of beasts and fishes, shaped out of old iron and connected by iron rings, clash together as he advances. These figures are endowed with magical virtue. The sorcerer's head
dress is decorated with two iron horns. In one hand be holds a magic rod enveloped in rat or sable skin; with the other he continually beats a sort of tambourine; both hands being gloved with bearskin. He leaps and capers, crosses his legs in a wild dance, howling and tambouring all the time. When his ecstasy has reached Its pitch his look becomes fixed. He falls as if in a swoon, oblivious of all around. At length the prophetic spasm passes off. The Shaman quietly rises, and is ready to declare to his questioners the decision of the gods." The Shaman in vests all the mysterious phenomena of nature with spirits, good and evil. These spirits he believes he can control. The chief spirit is Ukko, the Heaven-god. The term Shaman is a corrupt form of Sramana, a name which was given to Buddha and then to all Buddhist priests. See F. J. Gould, Concise Hist. of Rel., 1907; Reinach, 0., 1909; E. H. Parker, Studies; Max B. Weinstein, Welt um/ Leben-ansehauungen, 1910.