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Definition:
The core word, etymologically speaking, of shaman is sramaNah, a word from the
Siberian Tungusic language meaning a "religious exercise."
Scholastically the definition is: members of tribal societies who act as doorways between the ordinary world, the totality, and the extraordinary world, the unseen. Such beings practice magic or sorcery for a distinct, well-defined purpose: to heal, to divine, or to exert control over natural events.
The first shamanistic enclaves developed in northern Asia, but it is only within the last 300 or so years that shamanism has had a universal usage in spoken language - coming into lexicographic usage in the 1780s.
A contemporary definition of shamanism is: "a religion of the Ural-Altaic peoples of northern Asia and Europe that is characterized by the belief that the unseen word of gods, demons and ancestral spirits is responsive only to the Shaman" or: "a religious practice similar to the shamanism of the Ural-Altaic peoples of northern Asia and Europe followed especially among Indians of North America and characterized by the use of mediumistic trances."
A simpler definition might be: "The animistic religion of certain peoples of northern Asia in which mediation between the visible and spirit worlds is effected by shamans."
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.
