Indian Antiquary Vol 12

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 58

46
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1883.
for they feared that bad spirits or winds might enter with the intruder."
In regard to the Buriat Shamans, Giorgi tells us they were dressed very much as the Shamans of the Tunguses are. Of these latter he says that when a child has convulsions, or is in the habit of bleeding at the nose or mouth, whether of the male or female sex, he is deemed to be marked out or distinguished as & Shaman, such & boy is called Hudildon among the Tunguses. When two years old, he is adopted by an old Shaman, who performs certain ceremonies over him, which are a kind of confirmation. He is thenceforward styled Yukedyeren, and is taught by the old man what he knows. As a Shaman he wears the Shaman coat (Shamasi), a cap (kuru), and a doublet made of armour, and similar stockings. His chief instrument is his drum (Ningandi or Kachan), sometimes only some staves or arrows.
The coat worn by the Shamans is not like that of the ordinary Tunguses, but long and wide and made of leather. In the sleeves are gauntlets, and along the arms iron plates like splints. In front and about the neck is a
t the neck is a wide collar, which is all hung with little metal gods (Hanen). These are also hung about the doublet (Grubtun). Across the back are three or five iron plates, to which there hang from rings, over fifty metal gods shaped like men or animals. The whole of these trinkets are known as Arkalan. Metal plates are fastened to the leggings as well as the sleeves. Some times there hang from the back serpents made of leather or kitaik (? silk) with coral eyes. The cap (kuru) has its rim decorated with metal gods, and instead of a knot at the top is the figure of a large spider or rather scorpion called Ataki. From the rim of the cap there also hang stuffed snakes made of kitaik which are called kulish." This was doubtless the old dress of the Shamans among the Mongols. Now it has become much simpler, the Shamans among them having a very secondary roll to the Lamas, and being now poor. Many of them have neither a Shaman's coat nor drum, but perform their part in ordinary costume merely with a staff. Some of those in Dauria are clad in silver tissue. On the staff (horbu) there hang sometimes small bells and tin gods.
Id. pp. 237 and 238. * Id. pp. 280-281.
Sometimes they use a small branch of larch to which some leaves are still attached, to which they fasten a banner which they are continually moving about. This they called Yodo.
Giorgi tells us further that the Shamans prefer to worship in the open air rather than in their yurts, and especially favour mountain tops for their sacrifices. Some of these mountains, which they call Tailga, are deemed holy, and are not to be approached without an offering. The prayers used by the Shamans are short, and the long chants of an hour or two long, in which they sometimes indulge, consist generally either of repetitions or of an enumeration of their many Burkbans or gods, and of dead Shamans, as Burkhan-tingeri or Khomley khan-tengeri, God of the heaven, defend the Empress; Barkhan khairla, God give children, Uguch, grass, &c. Tengeri Burkha na mudu Sagaish, God have pity on the sick one. Adahun eineg kheirla, bless our cattle, etc. To these ejaculations the congregation reply-Have mercy.
They use many amulets, consisting of little tin figures of gods which the Shamans sew on leather, and children who are epileptic or otherwise ailing hang them about them.
There are certain curious rules about women: thus a woman who has had three husbands may not marry again, and becomes a 80-called bilbyrhüne mu. A widow, when she has lost one or two husbands, can, if she likes, foreswear further matrimony, and join the celebate sisterhood. The mark of the sisterhood consists of a band & palm wide of silk, silver tissue or sammet, decked with corals worn over the shoulders. Underneath the band are three round disks, the size of a rouble ; from it are also suspended coins. All the hair which falls from these devoted people is plaited into cords, which are embroidered on the bags containing the gods.
The greater part of the Shamans profess to discover thieves, and to see into the past and future, to interpret dreams, and to divine by means of the burnt shoulder-blades of sheep. They are generally paid for their services by gifts of cattle, the amount being however arbitrary."
.
Id., p. 316. " Giorgi, vol. I, pp. 322 and 323.