The Honored Guest: Ritual Invitation
and Preparation in Tuvan Shamanism
and Preparation in Tuvan Shamanism
Inviting a shaman
In Tuvan culture, inviting a shaman is accompanied by various customs. First of all, to invite a ritual specialist, a person was sent to him with a second horse intended for the shaman. In many cases, the messenger must have a kadak (a ritual silk scarf symbolizing respect for the shaman).
The messenger who came to the shaman's yurt had to observe the nuances of guest etiquette. Following unwritten rules, after mutual greetings, after drinking tea offered by the hosts, he talks about extraneous things - he asks about the health of the shaman's family members, the state of the cattle and the weather, only then the messenger informs about the purpose of the visit, in order to get the consent or refusal of the shaman. Having received the consent of the shaman, he carries all the equipment for kamlanie - he attaches the vestments to the saddle, and hangs a drum on his back, but at the same time it was not allowed to touch the kuzunga (shamanic mirror).
In all families the shaman was welcomed as the most honored guest. The narratives describe in detail the arrival of the shaman to the invited family. They mention the seating of the guest on the place of honor in the yurt opposite the entrance. They describe the etiquette of greeting, in which adults who have not seen each other since the New Year according to the lunar calendar (Shagaa) greet each other with a ritual greeting, holding silk scarves on their hands, when the youngest presents his palms to the eldest. In case of inviting a shaman, even if he was younger than the owners of the yurt, his palms should always be on top - it showed respectful attitude to him. In the dwelling the shaman was first of all offered tea, giving him a rest after the road.
In all families the shaman was welcomed as the most honored guest. The narratives describe in detail the arrival of the shaman to the invited family. They mention the seating of the guest on the place of honor in the yurt opposite the entrance. They describe the etiquette of greeting, in which adults who have not seen each other since the New Year according to the lunar calendar (Shagaa) greet each other with a ritual greeting, holding silk scarves on their hands, when the youngest presents his palms to the eldest. In case of inviting a shaman, even if he was younger than the owners of the yurt, his palms should always be on top - it showed respectful attitude to him. In the dwelling the shaman was first of all offered tea, giving him a rest after the road.
Preparation for a shamanic kamlanie
A common and recurrent element in Tuvan narratives is the description of important details of the kamlanie, which remained in the memory of eyewitnesses of shamanic rituals. Many narrators mention that before the kamlanie the shaman's ritual costume and drum were smudged with juniper, and the ritual itself was conducted in the honorable part of the dwelling. Shamans to conduct kamlanie rid themselves not only from the accumulated “dirt” of everyday life, but also from unnecessary odors.
The preparatory stages of kamlanie in Tuvan local traditions have their own differences. Before starting the kamlanie, the shaman smokes a pipe in complete silence. No one is allowed to speak to him during these minutes, as he is preparing to perform the ritual. Before starting the ritual, the Tojin shaman used a wargan-homus (for some shamans it replaced the drum) and conducted his purification with juniper.
In the Tuvan tradition there was a well-established set of prescriptions, which were fulfilled by the clients themselves before the shamanic kamlanie. The mistress of the yurt before the kamlanie performed the ritual of sprinkling the area, thus making a sacrifice to the spirits of the hosts for the success of the shamanic kamlanie. The following example describes the preparation of the ritual liquid necessary for sprinkling, and also mentions the order of this ritual: "First, they boil juniper in hot water. The water smelling of juniper is poured into a wooden bucket and diluted with milk. The result is arjaan, which absorbs juniper, water and milk. The mistress of the yurt sprinkles the arjaan first into the fire and then reverently sacrifices it to the Universe". As can be seen from the story, unlike the usual sprinkling with milk or tea, in this case a special liquid is prepared. Probably, it is also intended for shamanic guardian spirits, which should help the shaman.
In Tuvinians, the time code of shamanic kamlanie depends on the nature of the intended rite. Public prayers dagylga (consecration) or occasional rites performed by shamans were carried out in the daytime near the objects of veneration. In contrast to calendar rites, individual rites of shamanic kamlanie were conducted in the yurt of the client at night.
The preparatory stages of kamlanie in Tuvan local traditions have their own differences. Before starting the kamlanie, the shaman smokes a pipe in complete silence. No one is allowed to speak to him during these minutes, as he is preparing to perform the ritual. Before starting the ritual, the Tojin shaman used a wargan-homus (for some shamans it replaced the drum) and conducted his purification with juniper.
In the Tuvan tradition there was a well-established set of prescriptions, which were fulfilled by the clients themselves before the shamanic kamlanie. The mistress of the yurt before the kamlanie performed the ritual of sprinkling the area, thus making a sacrifice to the spirits of the hosts for the success of the shamanic kamlanie. The following example describes the preparation of the ritual liquid necessary for sprinkling, and also mentions the order of this ritual: "First, they boil juniper in hot water. The water smelling of juniper is poured into a wooden bucket and diluted with milk. The result is arjaan, which absorbs juniper, water and milk. The mistress of the yurt sprinkles the arjaan first into the fire and then reverently sacrifices it to the Universe". As can be seen from the story, unlike the usual sprinkling with milk or tea, in this case a special liquid is prepared. Probably, it is also intended for shamanic guardian spirits, which should help the shaman.
In Tuvinians, the time code of shamanic kamlanie depends on the nature of the intended rite. Public prayers dagylga (consecration) or occasional rites performed by shamans were carried out in the daytime near the objects of veneration. In contrast to calendar rites, individual rites of shamanic kamlanie were conducted in the yurt of the client at night.
The concept of kamlanie and shamanism
The shaman's kamlanie implied that the client's initial disadvantage was either eliminated during the kamlanie itself, or was to be replaced by the prosperity expected in the future as a result of his actions. In Tuvan shamanic rituals, the linguistic competence of a shaman is of particular importance. In the Tuvan tradition, kamlanie in other unknown languages was associated with the spirit of the ancestor shaman, from whom shamanic power was received. Therefore, the transition to other languages and such linguistic behavior was approved and considered one of the important signs of a strong shaman. It is believed that the foreign-language speech of a Tuvan shaman manifests itself during kamlanie sessions, when the ritual specialist recites ritual texts of algysh - chants in other languages. The same views are also observed in other Turkic peoples.
In the contact zones of the great Tuvan shamans (ulug kham) were invited by neighboring peoples: Altaians, Kazakhs and Mongols, which confirms their authority and demand. At the same time, Tuvans considered shamans as dangerous people, they were feared and warned.
Speaking about the shaman's kamlanie, we should mention the topic of remuneration for a shaman, as this issue is not covered in ethnographic literature. In Tuvinians, the word asty denoted the payment for shamanic kamlanie. According to the narratives, the Tuvinian shaman could receive remuneration for his service only in certain cases. If a ritual specialist came to a difficult labor and helped a woman in labor to give birth, he was not paid because he gave life to a new person.
In the contact zones of the great Tuvan shamans (ulug kham) were invited by neighboring peoples: Altaians, Kazakhs and Mongols, which confirms their authority and demand. At the same time, Tuvans considered shamans as dangerous people, they were feared and warned.
Speaking about the shaman's kamlanie, we should mention the topic of remuneration for a shaman, as this issue is not covered in ethnographic literature. In Tuvinians, the word asty denoted the payment for shamanic kamlanie. According to the narratives, the Tuvinian shaman could receive remuneration for his service only in certain cases. If a ritual specialist came to a difficult labor and helped a woman in labor to give birth, he was not paid because he gave life to a new person.