Shamanism

Shamanism, a name applied loosely to the religion of the Turanian races of Siberia and north-eastern Asia, based essentially on magic and sorcery. Their Heaven-God Ukko is but the chief among a host of nature-spirits capable of being influenced and even forced into obedience by the spells of shamans or sorcerers. 'The only trace of the influence of Buddhism,' says Max-Müller, 'among the Kudic races, the Finns, Lapps, &c., is found in the name of their priests, Shaman being supposed to be a corruption of Sramana, a name applied to Buddha and to Buddhist priests in general.' The Siberian Shaman works his cures by magic, and averts sickness and death by incantations. He works himself up into a frenzy of nervous excitement, beating loudly upon his magic drum, and doubtless is usually the dupe of his own powers. Nor is his superstition any less reasonable than that of the devout Protestant who opens his Bible expecting a divine answer in the first verse on which his eye shall fall; for the latter makes the same assumption that he can compel God to give him an answer, his own faith being the condition. See DIVINATION, MAGIC, and WITCHCRAFT.