ANTC61H3 Chapter Notes -Transvestism, Two-Spirit, Pharmacognosy
Document Summary
Shamanism is a religious phenomenon centered on the shaman, an ecstatic figure believed to have power to heal the sick, and to communicate with the world beyond. It is likely that shamanism evolved before the development of class society in the. It was practiced amongst peoples living in the hunting-and-gathering stage, and that it continued to exist amongst peoples who achieved domestication of plants and animals is well established. There is, however, no single definition of shamanism that applies to the elements of shamanistic activity found in the. Americas, in southeast india, in australia, and in small areas all over the world as well as to the phenomenon amongst the north asian, ural-altaic and paleo-asian peoples. Shamanism achieved its most articulated and specialized form in northern asia, from where the term is derived. Shamanism there is distinguished by its special clothing, accessories, rites, and a specific world view.
