Contemporary Buriad Shamanism in Mongolia

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Contemporary Buriad Shamanism in Mongolia Eötvös Loránd University Faculty of Humanities PHD DISSERTATION Balogh Mátyás Contemporary Buriad Shamanism in Mongolia Doctoral School of Linguistics Mongolian Studies Programme Dr. Bańczerowski Janusz DSc Dr. Birtalan Ágnes CSc Consultant: Dr. Birtalan Ágnes CSc Members of the defence committee: Dr. Fodor Sándor CSc, chair Dr. Marie-Dominique Even, opponent Dr. Uray-Kőhalmi Katalin CSc, opponent Dr. Szilágyi Zsolt PhD Dr. Sárközi Alice CSc Dr. Seres István PhD Dr. Dügerjaviin Badamdorj CSc Budapest, 2011 Contents Acknowledgements ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1 Foreword ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2 1� Spirit and Inspiration �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 9 1.1 The Global and Mongol Notions of Spirit and Inspiration �������������������������������������������9 1.2 Spirits and Vulnerability ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13 2� Buriad Shamans in Mongolia ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 19 2.1 The Place of Buriad Shamanism in the Mongol Cultural Region �������������������������������19 2.2 Buriad Shamans in Ulaanbaatar ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������20 2.3 Roles, Ranks and Attributes in Mongolian Buriad Shamanism ����������������������������������23 2.3.1 The Interpreter (Bur. xelmershe, tulmaasha) �������������������������������������������������������23 2.3.2 The White Shaman ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������25 CLOAK AND BELL : THE WHI T E SHAMAN ’S PARA P HERNALIA ������������������������������������������������������������������� 26 THE SKULL C A P (BUR � MAIXABSHA ) ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 27 THE BLUE BRO C ADE CLOAK (BUR � XÜXE XAMBA NÜMERGE ) ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 29 THE BELL �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 30 THE ST AFF (BUR � BAYAG ) ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 32 THE JE W ’S HAR P (MP� AMAN XUUR ) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 33 THE WHI P (BUR � BARDAG ) �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33 THE MIRROR (MB� TOLI ) ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 34 2.3.3 The Black Shaman �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������35 ARMOUR AND WEA P ON S : THE BLA C K SHAMAN ’S PARA P HERNALIA (V50; V51) ���������������������������������������� 35 THE SKULL C A P ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 36 THE HELME T (BUR � ÜÜLEN AMITAI ) �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 THE FRON T ARMOUR (BUR � ELGEBSHE )�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 38 THE GO W N ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 39 THE BA C K ARMOUR (BUR � ARXAALI ) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 40 THE “LIVIN G COA T ” (BUR � YEXE AMITA ) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 41 THE “HU G E BLA C K DRUM ” (BUR � DAIBAN XARA XESE ) ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 42 THE “NINE -TON G UED DRUM st I C K ” (BUR � YÜHEN XELETEI TOIBUUR ) �������������������������������������������������������� 44 THE WHI P (BUR � BARDAG ) �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 44 THE HOR S E -HEADED ST AFF (BUR � HORIBO ) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 48 THE AB A G ALDAI MA S K (BUR � ABAGALDAI ) �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 49 THE PARA P HERNALIA DURIN G T HE PERFORMAN C E ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 50 2.3.4 The Way from the Ongon to the Tzaariŋ �������������������������������������������������������������52 3� The Structure of Shamanic Rituals �������������������������������������������������������������������� 54 THE GROU P IN G OF RI T UAL Acts ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 55 3.1 Pre-Possessional Acts ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������56 3.1.1 Preparations ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������56 3.1.2 Invocation ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������56 3.2. Possessional Acts �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������58 3.2.1 Greeting and Welcoming the Spirit ���������������������������������������������������������������������58 3.2.2 The Spirit’s Self Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������60 IN T ERA ct ION B E tw EEN SP IRI T AND PAR T I C I P AN T ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 60 3.2.3 The Spirit’s Monologue ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������62 3.2.4 The End of Possession �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������62 3.3. Post-Possessional Acts �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������62 3.3.1 Divination ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������63 3.3.2 Entrustment..........................................................................................................63 3.3.4 Despatching the Spirits ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������65 3.4. Summary of the Ritual Acts ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������66 4� The Types of Shamanic Rituals ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 68 4.1 Spirit-Pleasing Rituals �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������69 4.2 Entreating Rituals ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������70 4.3 Summary ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������71 5� Pleasing the Spirits ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 74 5.1 Indoor Rituals ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������75 5.1.1 Shaman Dowdon’s Spirit-Pleasing Ritual �����������������������������������������������������������75 5.1.2 Shamaness Altanceceg’s Spirit-Pleasing Ritual �������������������������������������������������91 5.1.3 Buriad Shamans’ Lunar New Year Ritual ��������������������������������������������������������� 105 5.2 Outdoor Rituals �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 128 5.2.1 The Fire-Sacrifice ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 130 5.2.2 Sacrificial Ritual in Honour of the Mother Tree ����������������������������������������������� 140 6� Problem-Solving Rituals ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 153 6.1 Shaman Dowdon’s Ützleg ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 154 6.2 Shaman Dowdon about Curses �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 155 6.3 The “Magic” ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 156 6.3.1 Altanceceg’s Problem-Solving Ritual ��������������������������������������������������������������� 156 AL T AN C E C E G AND NAM S RAI A B OU T T HE PRO B LEM -SOLVIN G RI T UAL ������������������������������������������������������159 6.3.2 Shamaness Ceeyee’s Problem-Solving Ritual �������������������������������������������������� 160 7� Mongolian Buriad Consecration Rituals ��������������������������������������������������������� 172 7.1 Initiations, Consecrations and Trial Rituals in the Mongol Cultural Region ����������� 172 7.2 Shanar, a Sequence of Consecrations ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 175 7.3 Shanar, the Ritual �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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