Shamanism has gained significant global attention, with some even referring to it as a “shamanic religion” (Alberts, 2015). Since the 1970s, research and interest have surged, and Fotiou (2010) notes that there are more shamans today than ever before.
Ancient Origins
The exact origins of it remain uncertain. Clottes and Lewis-Williams (2001) suggest evidence from the Upper Paleolithic (35,000 BC) or even the early stages of cognitive evolution (40,000–60,000 years ago) (Winkelman, 2010). This is supported by cave art in Les Trois Frères, France, depicting human-bird hybrid figures.
Hultkrantz (1953) describes shamanism as a historical and geographical complex, resisting a singular or “pure” form. Siberian shamanism, for instance, is no more authentic than American shamanism, or vice versa. Many researchers, including Alberts (2015), consider shamanism to predate organized religions.
Contrary to popular belief, shamanism has roots in Europe. Evidence shows traces within the Judeo-Christian tradition and ancient Greece (Alberts, 2015). Figures like Pythagoras and Empedocles have been considered Greek shamans or semi-divine beings (Piña Saura, 2022).
Shamanism Through the Middle Ages
In the early Middle Ages, shamanic practices were rebranded as magic or sorcery. Practitioners often incorporated Christian elements, but the Church opposed these practices. The persecution of witches and sorcerers, combined with the rise of philosophy and science, almost eradicated these traditions (Page, 2017).
Despite persecution, shamanism survived in regions like Australia, Southeast Asia, Siberia, Central Asia, the Americas, and Africa. Its resilience lies in the shaman’s ability to move—physically (hiding) and spiritually (navigating between worlds) (Alberts, 2015).
Shamanism in the Andes
In the Andes, despite continued persecution of “Andean sorcerers,” communication with spirits persisted. This became vital for survival and helped preserve knowledge of Andean mesas and ceremonies (Brosedder, 2018).
People understand a shaman as a medicine man, a knower, and an experiencer of existence in its fullest form. They communicate with all creatures, perceive invisible connections, and operate in an intermediate world between wakefulness and dreams, sensitivity and understanding (Piña Saura, 2022).
Author: Joan De la colina Roman
References:
- Alberts, Thomas Karl (2015). Shamanism, Discourse, Modernity
- Fotiou, Evgenia (2010). From medicine men to day trippers: shamanic tourism in iquitos, peru
- Clottes Jean y Lewis-Williams David (2001). Los chamanes de la prehistoria
- Sophie Page (2017). Medieval magic en The oxford illustrated history of witchcraft and magic
- Brosseder, C. (2018). El poder de las huacas: Cambios y resistencia en los Andes del Perú colonial (R. Zeballos Rebaza, Trad.; Primera edición). Ediciones El Lector.
- Piñas Saura María del Carmen (2022). La esperanza habitada: Filosofía antigua y conciencia hermética.
- Winkelman, Michael (2010). Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing (2nd edition). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
- Hultkrantz, Ake. (1953). Conceptions of the Soul among North American Indians a Study in Religious Ethnology. Stockholm: The Ethnographical Museum of Sweden.
