Skip to content
IUScholarWorks Journals
Paula Girshick - Review of Thomas A. DuBois, An Introduction to Shamanism

Abstract

.

Click Here for Review

This book is a general introduction to the study of shamanism and is aimed at a university-level audience as well as anyone seeking a scholarly treatment of the topic (in contrast to the numerous glossy popular books available). It grew out of a course taught by DuBois, a professor of Scandinavian studies at the University of Wisconsin, and the extensive and up-to-date bibliography will be of great use to teachers and students alike. DuBois covers a wide range of sources from as far away as the Trobriand Islands, New Guinea, but puts special emphasis on ethnographies from Siberia (understandably since that is the source of the term and many of the concepts associated with shamanism) as well as his own research experience with an immigrant Hmong shaman in America.

The book is organized into five parts, each of which is broken down into several chapters. In the introductory section DuBois problematizes the concept of shamanism itself, a construct that arose out of contact and conquest. He addresses core questions that have dominated the literature for more than a century: is shamanism a religion by itself or just a component of a religion? What can we know about its origin(s) from travelers’ accounts, archaeological finds, and phenomenological queries? Should the term be confined to the one geographical area (Siberia) or can it be applied universally? Is it specific to certain types of individuals or is the capacity inherent in human being? To address these issues DuBois examines the history of the study, focusing on the work of historians of religion and anthropologists to show how definitions have changed as scholarly understandings of religion itself have changed.

In the second part, “Shamanic Soteriology [a term he employs to refer to religious traditions based on customary practice rather than theologies of awe] and Ritual,” DuBois asks whether there is such a thing as a unified shamanic cosmology. He concludes that even given the great differences in context all these belief systems share a concept of a multilayered world through which the shaman moves in a trance to negotiate with spirits in order to help his community. DuBois goes on to discuss how shamans are called and then trained by both spirits and fellow practitioners in intense relationships that are sustained through life. DuBois stresses that shamans are professionals who specialize in some or all the activities of healing, divining, bringing luck, sacrificing, and leading souls to the afterlife. He quite rightly emphasizes the importance of acquiring and maintaining a reputation through effective performances and community support.

The third part, “Examining Ritual Effectiveness,” addresses the persistent question of whether shamanic healing rituals actually work. DuBois takes a relativistic view of medicine, problematizing our cultural commitment to science as the only mode of understanding. He focuses instead on indigenous notions of healing as they affect individuals and communities and suggests that we look to cognitive science as the way to link supernatural experience with measurable neural functions of the brain and body.

The fourth part should of special interest to folklorists and anthropologists interested in music, material culture, and verbal lore—in DuBois’ terms the shaman’s “arsenal of performative techniques.” Unfortunately, it is the weakest section as he inadequately addresses that very aspect. DuBois argues that the aural components of shamanic ritual are more important than the visual as they are often understood as the very essence of shamanic power. Music frames the event and can facilitate the achievement of trance while the shaman’s ongoing narrative helps him negotiate with spirits. DuBois briefly mentions the power of words but mainly focuses on the various verbal genres shamans employ (myths, legends, and the like). In this he is missing an opportunity to utilize the performance-centered approaches developed in folklore, sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology. The same criticism applies to his discussion of material culture. DuBois acknowledges that costume, sculpture, masks, and altars mark the role of the shaman and serve as a manifestation of sacred power but he fails to bring to bear studies in visual culture and the anthropology of art which address the aesthetic and performative aspects of material culture.

The last part, “Shamanic Politics in a Changing World,” explores a range of developments, from the persecutions of shamans in Russia after the Revolution to revivals in South Korea where it is highlighted as a “cultural treasure.” DuBois is particularly interested in what happens as cultures become more modernized and shamanic traditions become marginalized in competition with major religions (primarily Christianity), although aspects can become incorporated into them. His last chapter deals with Neo-shamanism in two senses—as beliefs and practices which are adopted by New Agers based on their readings of popular books, some by anthropologists profiting from their field experiences, as well as those observed by people coming from these very shamanic traditions who read the same books, perform for tourists, and generally participate in the global spiritual market.

Beyond the extensive examples and excellent bibliography, DuBois’ main contribution to the discussion at hand lies in his attempt to provide a workable conceptualization of shamanism in the face of all these different approaches and varied cultural examples. He sides with those who argue that shamanism occurs most frequently in Eurasia and the Americas, especially among hunting and gathering and subsistence agriculture peoples, but he leaves room for other cultural configurations. DuBois carefully navigates the different theoretical approaches, trying to avoid biases underlying older ones and treating shamanic practices respectfully. The result is a conceptualization grounded in ethnography and stressing what shamans do with and for the community rather than their psychology, attainment of trance states, or other components. Overall this book is the most comprehensive and pedagogically useful of the recent wave of scholarly and popular books attempting to cover the topic.

--------

[Review length: 959 words • Review posted on October 20, 2009]