Shaman Dance Group

“SHAMAN DANCE MUSIC and RHYTHM THEATRE” Shaman originally referred to the traditional healers of Turkic-Mongol areas such as Northern Asia (Siberia) and Mongolia, a “shaman” being the Turkic-Tungus word for such a practitioner and literally meaning “he or she who knows.” The words in Turkic languages which refer to shamans are kam, and sometimes baks?. Some say the Tungusic word šamán is from Chinese sha men (Chinese: ?????), “Buddhist monk,” borrowed from Pali ?amana, ultimately from Sanskrit ?ramana “ascetic,” from ?ramati “he fatigues” (see shramana). “The word shaman is in fact loosely used for almost any savage witch doctor who becomes frenzied and has communication with spirits. In its original form it appears to be a corruption of the Sanskrit Shramana, which, indicating a disciple of Buddha, among the Mongolians became synonymous with magician.”[1]. Other scholars assert that the word comes directly from the Manchu language, and indeed is “the only commonly used English word that is a loan from this language”.[2] Another explanation analyzes this Tungusic word as containing root “sa-“, this means “to know”. “Shaman” is “one who knows”:[3][4] a person who is an expert in keeping together the multiple codes through which this complex belief system appears, and has a comprehensive view of them in their mind with certainty of knowledge.[3] A criticism against the above approach says that there is no evidence that this Tungusic word would be of inner origin, and …