The worldview in shamanic invocations.

Mosкvitina E. A.

«Buryat Agricultural College named after M.N. Erbanov»

The worldview in shamanic invocations.

       Buryat oral folk art originated in ancient times and was transmitted from generation to generation for many centuries, being a form of knowledge of life and the artistic perception of the world. This article is devoted to the most ancient and deepest genre of Buryat folklore - shamanic poetry, the study of shamanic invocations in the folkloric, mythological worldview.

      It should be noted that all around the world people have shamanistic beliefs. They have probably arisen many times: in each part of the world in its own time and in its own way. The rituals and shamanic invocations are almost the same for all people.  And yet differences exist. This is not only because of the different culture, but also due to the natural environment in which religious beliefs of ethnic groups have been shaped.

           In Buryat culture shamans were experts in oral folk art. Shamanic poetry as an original phenomenon in the folkloric heritage of the Buryats is closely related to all genres of oral folk art. In ancient times, the Buryat epics - uligers - were often performed for religious-magical purposes: for the appeasement of gods and spirits in accidents, natural disasters, during hunting and on long trips, to ensure good luck. Thus, Dugarov B.S. points out in his study the interconnection of the folk epic «Geser» with shamanic ritual texts. [4;194]

       Bazarov B.D. refers to the cult shamanistic poetry: myths, genealogies, spells, hymns, vows, invocations, etc. He divides shamanic invocations into accessible and taboo ones. [2; 38]  Dampilova L.S. identifies three main genres in shamanic poetry: hymns laudations, invocation prayers and detailed whole chants about spirits (zayans). [3; 12]

        The object of shamanic poetry is the idea of the three-dimensionality of the Universe, the other world, the supernatural, the soul and the death, the mediation of shamans between humans and spirits, the divine power. Shamanic invocations have extraordinary imagery, some allegory and mythology. In the shamanic invocations, various visual means are used; these are metaphors, comparisons, periphrases, epithets, personifications. These poetic means affect our imagination.

       The theme of shamanic invocations  includes the concepts: “parts of the world”, “tengeri, huts, local owners, zayans”, “generation, ancestors”, “the sun, moon, sky,

 earth, stars”, “animal world”, “flora ”,“ thread, arrow ”,“pole, hitching post ”,“ fire, water ”, “stones, meteorites”, “natural phenomena”, etc.

         A  ritual or sacred type of communication is realized in shamanic texts, where the acting characters, recipients are celestials, spirits and ancestors.

      The shaman's invocations have their own forms, principles and models, and they typically consisted of four parts: 1) conception, introduction; 2) the epic part, which described the biography and personal qualities of a supernatural being; 3) requests;

4) exclamations / spells / wishes - “sok!” ("ascend!"). The word "sok" is pronounced three times at the beginning and at the end of the shamanic invocation.

      Let us give an example of how a shaman thanks the spirits:

        Father-Heaven, Mother Earth, Spirits of the Ancestors, Tengriens of the four sides of the world,

      Ongon spirits (spirits - assistants of shamans), Spirits of all animals, I honor and thank you!

     Be kind, listen to me, be kind, protect me, be kind, help me,

     Khurai, khurai, khurai! 

       These words are followed by the movement of both hands in front of them clockwise, making one circle with each shout of a khurai. The word “khurai” is an ancient call-wish (Russian borrowing in the form of “ura”) at the thanksgiving of spirits. The word in combination with a gesture serves the direction of energy to the intentions. Buryats have been using such spells since ancient times, helping to fulfill any desire. Let us give more examples of verbal magic - the evocation of magical powers by the pronunciation of certain words - exclamations.

Buugyt! – This word is pronounced when the shaman invokes the ongon spirits. Em dom bolo! - Become a potion and a spell!  Khoyor Sagai negende! - "two becomes one." Perhaps it is the most powerful spell in Buryat shamanism. Shouting out these words connects the time of the intention with the time of its realization through the power gol. Tooreg! -  This is a  plea to the spirits to provide information about the outcome of the rite of serzhim.

        The concept of the “animal world” is presented in texts with images - symbols of a wolf, swan, eagle, snake, etc. The term totem originated in  the American Indian tribes, in whose language meant kinship "by blood." Such totemic animals as Bukha Noyon (a bull), the progenitor of the Bulagat tribe, burbot - among the Ekhirit tribe etc., are widely revered among the Buryats.  For example, some invocations refer to the swan

bird, the progenitor of the Khorinsky tribes. The swan bird was considered a celestial maiden - Khubilgaan, the daughter of Khaan Hyurmast Tengeri.

 Our origin is from a swan bird,

 Our genus is the Hori Mongols,

Our hitching post is the birch.

       The concept of the “tree” is represented by pine and birch trees, which are considered sacred. The birch and pine, speaking in a human voice, knowing the entire shamanic history, symbolize not only the connection with the upper world, but also the shamanic root (udha).

      We pray and bow

      to the mighty white birch.

       Bow and arrow in shamanic poetry is seen as a model of the world. The bow shaft itself is the sky, the bowstring is the earth, and the arrow is the vertical that connects this world. According to the views of the Buryats, the armament is connected with the "nulde" of man, i.e. with his vitality. Breaking the arrow means killing the person. In the next invocation, the magical power of the shaman is identified with the arrow:

"He received an arrow (right, power) from a high sky,

 To become a zayan (creator, protector) for the people. ”

           Mythology and cosmology of the Buryats are preserved in folk memory and are reflected in shamanic poetry. In the center of the mythological worldview is a man. It is important to note that shamanic invocations pursued high moral goals; they were used to solve economic, family-marital, medical and other issues.

Bibliography

1. Bazarov B.D. Mysteries and practices of shamanism. In two books. –Ulan-Ude. Publishing House of Republican Printing House, 2018.-232 p.
2. Bazarov B.D. Mysteries and practices of shamanism. Book 3: Man in time and space. - Ulan-Ude. Publishing House of Buryat University, 2009, - 208 p.
3. Dampilova L.S. Shamanic chants of the Buryats: symbolism and poetics. - Ulan-Ude: Publishing House of the BSC SB RAS, 2005. - 256 p.
4. Dugarov B.S. Epic and shamanic calling: some analogies. / Dugarov B.S. Bulletin of Buryat State University, 2017. Ulan-Ude. – 194-199 p.