Silk Road Central Asia Uzbekistan

From 25 July to 28th August 2008. hosted international mileage jeep tour “Trans-Sultan”. Tour participants are teams from France, Spain, Greece and Belgium. He passes on a number of countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey. The territory of  Uzbekistаn from 2 to August 10, flew 31-in jeep plus 2-e escort cars. It was passed around 2500 km from PPC Karakalpakstan, along the Aral Sea, through the sands Uchkuduk, in the ancient cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, to the border with Turkmenistan.

During the Soviet shamanism is seen as a relic of the past, but the special persecution of him was not. He was considered an internal affair of small nationalities, one of the components of their inherent backwardness and identity. In areas where the spread of Mahayana Buddhism, shamanistic beliefs with them well combined. Therefore, this tradition, its continuity never stopped. The shaman often combines the functions of a doctor, the carrier of sacred knowledge, mythological, poetic, cultural traditions, the artist (bone carving, the creation of so-called religious sculptures, etc.).

Now the local authorities in the development of national consciousness are encouraging and even funding at the state level, such as in Tuva, the development of shamanic traditions and try to make the state religion of shamanism. In recent years the region are actively pursuing aliens who shoot films here on the local shamans and invite them to Europe to conduct seminars. Those shamans who “exit”, are from time to time in Moscow and are interested in seminars, but a large seminar in Moscow on a number of reasons they can not.

Regional title shaman — Kam Altai, boor in Tuva and Khakassia, boo in Mongolia, hence the term kamlat -conduct a ritual to beat a drum. Shamans are mainly inherited, gaining strength from the spirits of ancestors, although sometimes there are very powerful shaman who receive power from the Sky -Tengri or vice versa from the lower world in the person of his lord Erlig-KAANAN.

Education Starter shaman is usually in teaching formal things, such as the right fight the tambourine or the sequence of rituals, shamanic knowledge taboo. Internal content of all these things shaman receives from the spirits – aides who suggest what to do, what songs to sing, how to treat patients in a particular case. Many shamans have never, no one learned when they felt the shamanic call, they all trained spirits. Strong shaman in any situation, familiar or unfamiliar to him, acts spontaneously from inner impulse, without thinking about their actions, but in accordance with the standards adopted in its traditions, and his actions later on are the only right ones. But always there is some scope for which it will not work, so his actions may make him angry spirits-helpers.

Funeral rites performed mainly with the aim of healing people, at least in connection with failures, livestock, fortune telling, etc. Shamans, people are very specific, and will not be kamlat abstract, without a specific purpose and once again disturbed duhov.Suschestvuet notion that the shaman must kamlat for someone to help. For a shaman can kamlat, but only on certain days of the month and abstract travels, he did not commit.

Each shaman has a strictly defined position and level of training of shamanic attributes, without which no cost, no rite. The most common attributes are the cloak, hat, tambourine and rattle.

Shaman’s cloak sewn from the skins of goats or sheep or wool fabric, over which sewed pictures of snakes, made of colored ribbons and fringe. 18 differ shoulder snakes, which hang from the shoulders to the floor and 40 small snakes, sewn on the sleeves and the left half of his cloak, on the right-field image of snakes available. Snakes are strong advocates of the spirits, the shaman in his travels to the nether world and protect his shoulders, back and left side from the attacks of evil spirits. Another detail of a shaman’s coat are related to the nodes leather laces length about 15 cm, sewn to the cloak and employees shaman wings.

In general, all the details of shaman costumes are very concrete, practical value and have no explanation in terms of energy. The value of certain items altogether lost, no one knows what they are, their presence is determined by tradition, the memory that they should be.

In suits Mongolian shamans found an image of the human skeleton, including the image of individual bones, ribs and hands. Solid skeleton of a human or animal is considered to be the embodiment of life force, the most valuable from the fact that they can take the spirits. Researchers attribute this ancient tradition with shamanic initiations, during which the novice shaman tortures himself and sacrifices himself to the spirits that they were his assistants. This is manifested in the Bon ritual Chod (amputation), where the practitioner offers himself, his flesh, blood and bones as an offering to the spirits, to completely get rid of any attachment to this world.

Previously, in addition to the shaman’s costume was sewn large number of iron arrowheads and bundles of tubes, made in the form of pipes, each of which was sewn bell. This was done in order to frighten evil spirits. Noise of such a suit could really scare anyone. The weight of such a suit was significant, so wear it without assistance was impossible, and move can be difficult as long as the shaman did not start kamlat. The more severe were a tambourine and a shaman’s costume, especially the lungs and is rapidly becoming his movements during the ritual. They explain this by saying that the spirits helpers sorry shaman and give him the ability to fly above the earth.

Now modern shamans run leaving only bells, though quite old shamans can still see a similar suit. So know one old Mongolian shaman, who 72 years, and a suit which weighs 72 kilograms and with every passing year it becomes increasingly difficult due to a suit sewn on ribbons, scraps, bags with ritual offerings (tobacco), which offers asylum.

Another powerful type of amulets are “thunder stones” – pieces of a meteorite. They are often found in the area and connected with them a cult, they are hung on the back of shaman costumes, they are used in the treatment, applying to the sore spot, or adding in powdered form in food.

Headwear shaman in Tuvinian and Altaic is a tape to the upper edge is sewn eagle feathers – 40 large and 20 small ones. The ribbon painted eyes and ears, personifying a shamanistic ability to vision and hearing. The very same hat is the main attribute of the shaman to help him fly, but for especially high-flying ahead of eagle feathers attached two long black feathers, they help to overcome the resistance of air. Often bands sewn on the front fringe of the ribbons which completely covers the face, it is clearly seen through the fire and spirits, but do not see people around them.

Alternatively, a headdress, very common in the Buryat-iron hoop, which are fastened the horns to frighten evil spirits. This headdress is called “crown”, and considered that it may have only shamans higher initiation, “crowned” shamans.

The views of the peoples of Central Asia, from Siberia to Tibet include the following common to all mythological notions: the universe consists of three worlds: heaven, or the Upper, Middle or lands of the world in which we live, and the lower the underworld. Each world has its own ruler, very powerful creature. Each world can share more on some levels, the number of which differs in different people. All worlds are inhabited by various creatures, some of which are helping people, while others took a hostile attitude to him.

Such, for example, albysy and shulbusy, are frequently found in deserted steppe or taiga and able to take human form and become implanted in the man and take him crazy or make them do strange things, such as a human meat, etc. These creatures are the heroes of many stories that have described the local residents, each of whom has ever met albysa or shulbusa.

Unlike albysov and shulbusov guardian spirits of places are neither hostile nor supportive to the person they are too powerful and independent, if they do not offend the wrong actions and make offerings to them, they can attract to its side. Definitely good to a man are good spirits-ereny or Ongon, Each of which has its own image, and his spirit and his image is often identified. The main function Eren is to protect a particular family or person from evil spirits, sending the disease. Some Eren could only have a shaman, the other-any person.

One group Eren were spirits of dead ancestors, they served as repositories of anthropomorphic images. Another group, the spirits of some animals and birds, especially the bear, which is devoted to a particular cult, as well as a snake, sable, an eagle, falcon, etc. Eren may serve as some living pets, for example, the widespread cult of the sacred white horse Tuvinians and Mongols. This horse, stands out for its appearance, never saddled and rode on him, compliment him as a god. Mongol khans were taken of the horses in front of the troops as a talisman. A white horse, carrying on the back of the jewel is one of the major symbols of Tibetan Buddhism.

Animal keepers have each of the shaman, the most powerful shamans have as custodians of the bear and the snake. Their ereny are sewn from felt or leather figure with bound pieces of skins or claws, teeth, and covered with numerous ribbons or dried animal paws.

Among the anthropomorphic Eren special prominence Ehren -ancestors of the shaman, from which the shaman shaman inherited gift. Their images were made on the crossbeam of the tambourine, the hats, they were the main patrons of the shaman, his native power. In addition, each family has a pair of ancestorsEren in the form of felt figures, which are sewn bags of flour and ribbons in each case assistance. In addition they are regularly fed with milk and tea, splashing out a special spoon with nine cavities. In general, before each meal or drink tea every tuvinets, or Mongolian Buryat usually sprinkles the spirits of the four corners of the earth, fire, water, and in memory of the dead.

I would like to mention also a strong Eren –White Elder ” Sagaan Ubgen –Eren, which is a symbol of longevity and immortality, and very popular among the Buryat and Mongolians, he is currently one of Buddhist saints of the region and a hero of folk tales, where it represents a great shaman.

Very strong Eren, formerly only the great shamans, is kuzungu ancient-bronze circular mirror that hangs on a ribbon around his neck. It is believed that the shaman accidentally finds it destroyed by the Scythian burial mounds, under the high banks of rivers or it has itself jumped into his hands, very rarely cast it on special order. Availability kuzungu is a shaman among the issues of prestige. It is believed that without him, and therefore can not be treated in modern shamans, it is a mandatory attribute of the costume.

All the everyday life of these peoples ritualizirovanna, there is a wide variety of taboos. Literally every domestic action must be realized in the sense not to offend the fire, water, or some powerful spirit, guardian of the area and not lose a fortune. There are so many different rules that it is impossible to perform them on the machine, the local people themselves must always be attentive to their actions. It is often seen as some type of sweeping economic pursuits of the yurt, pouring tea, or whipping butter turns into a ritual with many parts, and has shamanic ritual with external simplicity of action, they are not “esoteric” is simply saturated with knowledge and concentrated on the fact being done.

Rites performed in honor of the spirits of mountains and hunting and fishing grounds include offerings to these owners. They may differ in nature. Eastern Tuva on the way to hunt for passes spray drops of tea or milk on the four corners of the earth, accompanying these acts singing certain songs, which are known to every hunter. In the case of a successful hunt, they make offerings to the fire, threw pieces of meat produced and spraying the fire drops of tea.

Widely distributed throughout Central Asia, the ritual of building a pyramid of stones ovaa in habitat particularly powerful spirits. At the top of the pyramid, the tour is set pole, which as an offering to hang colored ribbons. Such structures can be seen throughout Tuva and Khakassia passes, mountain tops and in a particularly beautiful places, for example, with unusual trees or springs. Everyone passing by to add his stone pyramid and hang the ribbon on a pole, often divorced from their own clothes, as well as perform strike and make offerings: food, tobacco, horse hair from the mane of a horse or figures carved from wood and depicting animals, for their reproduction or for a successful hunt for them.

In the future, the spread of Buddhism, this custom in Tibet and Mongolia, was transformed into the construction of stupas and putting up multi-colored flags lungta.

In these areas the most respected places are the mountains with the flat treeless peaks, which have a special name taiga and are considered sacred, especially there are many similar facilities, and it was there conducting the ritual shamans. Ordinary people in these places try not to walk only in cases of great public exclamations, and the women there do try not to let.

Another object of worship is a special shaman’s tree, which is a pine or larch, which has several stems growing from one root and fantastically strong izognuty.Osobo are trees, where the larch and spruce grow from the same root. These trees are the property as in individual families, genera, and in some shamans who go there kamlat “for themselves. Each shaman has such a tree, where he conducts an annual ritual. If during the life of the shaman is a tree dies, it is believed that he had lost his shamanistic gift. By branches such trees tied ribbons to fumigate artyshem , Local mozhevelnikom, analog Tibetan Sanga and sprinkles it with milk and Arak.