Alcohol as a Unifying Force in the Shamanic Community: Nanai Case Study
Alcohol as a Unifying Force in the Shamanic Community: Nanai Case Study
Author(s): Tatiana Diomidovna BulgakovaSubject(s): Customs / Folklore, Evaluation research, Substance abuse and addiction
Published by: Tartu Ülikool, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum
Keywords: Nanai culture; shamanism; alcohol in ritual praxis; offering;
Summary/Abstract: The issue raised in the present article is shamanists’ ideas about why there should be unity in drinking in the shamanic community. In the framework of the shamanic worldview, each act of drinking, not only ritual acts but also everyday acts, can comprise the features of worshipping the spirits and making an offering to them. Hence there is the need to make an offering during any domestic drinking, and an obligation to share the drink with everyone present. From the shamanic perspective, by rejecting alcohol a person demonstrates a refusal to subordinate him or herself to the spirits, which can cause problems.
Journal: Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
- Issue Year: XII/2018
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 65-77
- Page Count: 13
- Language: English
