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quote:Originally posted by Lionheart:
Okay, well first of all, "Shaman" means:...
(according to Encyclopedia Britannica )
I used Harner's definition (notice I also cited this as Harner's translation - not the one definitive translation) because he gives the most evidence for his reasonings. One of the big failings in Eliade's approach at the term is that even though he details out the etymology he never discusses the translation. Harner's def. is the only one I've come across that cites how he came to that translation. Did your encyclopedia state who the translator was or what sources were used in their translation?
quote:Also, the Siberian shamans use drums but also rattles
Although I focused primarily on the drum beat I did state that "Most Asian and Eurasian shamanic cultures use a percussive beat such as the drum, rattle, tambourine, etc. as the major vehicle for the soul journey" so I did cover other percussives there. I probably should have stated in the earlier paragraph that "the methodology includes the use of a percussive beat..." to be more accurate. Still, I think you're picking nits.
quote:and Amanita Muscaria plays a MUCh bigger role in the ceremonies.
Amanita is more scarce than the quite prevalent entheogens in the South American rainforests. If the Eurasian's had access to entheogenic mushrooms year round I'm sure they would have used it a lot more. I still feel confident in stating that percussives were their main vehicle except for the few months out of the year when these semi-nomadic tribes had the option of harvesting amanita muscaria. And that's if the caribou happened to be travelling past the areas that they knew amanita grew.
quote:And the shamans don't feed the reindeer the Amanita Muscaria. They eat it and the more prominent members of the culture eat the muscaria and everybody else drinks the shaman's urine and the prominent people's urine. Yes, they also drink reindeer urine but that's not what they do most of the time.
I haven't heard that before. Where did you come across that info? Everything I'd read (including attending 2 lectures by botonist and mushroom expert Christopher Hobbs - who is also the source for the santa comment)indicated that they used the reindeer as a 'filtering' system for the liver toxins that can be deadly within all strains of Amanita, especially if you use it on any sort of regular basis as the toxins accummulate with each use. This isn't to say that I'm not wrong just that if there is additional sources, I'd like to read them as well to broaden my knowledge of the subject.
quote:And now... pure speculation.... If amanita muscaria causes people to dance and stuff then what effect would it have on reindeer? Would they start jumping around?
I don't know but I'd love to try it out and see. 
[ 30-09-2001: Message edited by: Lothar Tuppan ] |
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from Tunguso-Manchurian š aman, “he who knows”