Magyar Shamans

agyar shamans are the leaders of their village, generally male, but not universally so. They are chosen after the death of the previous shaman, usually by a sign of some sort which the villagers accept (perhaps a goose alights upon the hut of a pregnant woman...her child might be the new shaman, whose soul the goose delivered). Once they are chosen, the shaman must plant a birch tree near the village (or where the village is to be founded if on the Anfold), which shall symbolize the prosperity of the village. When this tree dies or is uprooted, the town is in for troublesome times and must probably move on, or perhaps the shaman's time has come.

Shamans live as insects in human hair live in the sun's rays - able to pass between this world and the next. Often they make this journey by entering a trance, during which time they fly with their totem animal, or ride with it to the far lands of the dead. There they may ask or earn favors for their tribe. This trance is begun usually be imitating birds voices to summon their spirits, always concluded with the imitation of the eagle's call.

Sometimes the shaman must depart his village on a journey with the totem animal. In the absence of the shaman, nine poles are erected in a row with peeled bark, connected with a ribbon, which points along the path of the migrating birds. The top of each of them has the carved image of a loon, raven, or cuckoo. Sometimes, but not often, the spirits of shamans of different clans may war with each other. The defeated clan is in for turbulent times.

Bucu and Koori

This is the shaman's protecting spirit (fetch) while he is in the afterlife, traditionally human-like with crooked legs and wings. It escorts the shaman to the other world with the assistance of the Koori.

The Koori is a mystic bird who shows the shaman the way to the spiritlands, or perhaps a reindeer if the tribe's totem animal is not a bird. It is summoned when the shaman begins his chants, imitating its call.

Shamanic Dress

Shamans physically dress in different apparel than the rest of their tribe, often in woven skins or tokens of their clan's animal. Their elaborate costumes usually consist of a coat, apron, trousers, knee protectors, and shoes. A duck shaman might wear a coat with very long tails, like duck feathers, while a deer shaman might wear a set of antlers.

Their cloaks always have strips representing snakes on them, that the shaman may fool the snakes in the afterlife that he is one of them and not be bitten in his treacherous spiritual journeys. They often also bear a square hole in one of their ornaments, which symbolizes passage through to the next world. Without it, they may not be able to make the journey, or find their way back!

They place a leather patch on their skirt called the Shaman's shadow. This hides their shadow when in the other world so that they may remain hidden from Xotsadan - the goddess of death.

Ostyak and Samoyed Clans

The shamnns of these clans infuse their drums with magic in a ceremony, usually coinciding with the spring migration. There the shaman goes into a trance and flies with the birds south to the place where the seven suns shine upon the rocks.

Shamanic Ties

Shamans whose clans have land creatures as totems always have invisible ties to their totem, no matter how far apart they are when they go on their journeys. This tie is sometimes, but not always, apparant for shamans with bird totems.

This page last modified 9/14/97.

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