Shaman
Shaman
Shaman (/ˈʃɑːmən/ SHAH-men or /ˈʃeɪmən/ SHAY-mən) is a term used to describe a person who is believed to have access to, and influence in, the world of benevolent and malevolent spirits, who typically enters into a trance state during a ritual, and practices divination and healing.
Etymology
The word "shaman" originates from the Tungusic term šamán, the term for such a practitioner, which also gained currency in the wider Turkic and Mongolic languages. The term was introduced to the west after Russian forces conquered the shamanistic Khanty and Mansi peoples of Siberia in the 16th century.
Related Terms
- Animism: The belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
- Spiritualism: A belief system or religion, postulating the belief in an afterlife and the ability of spirits to communicate with the living.
- Divination: The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.
- Trance: A half-conscious state characterized by an absence of response to external stimuli, typically as induced by hypnosis or entered by a medium.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Shaman
- Wikipedia's article - Shaman
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski