CHINESE SHAMANS AND SHAMANISM IN THE CHIANG-NAN AREA DURING THE SIX DYNASTIES PERIOD (3RD-6TH CENTURY A.D.)
Fu-Shih Lin, PHD, Princeton University, 1994, pp.375.
(Ying-shih Yu)
Abstract
This is a study of Chinese shamans and shamanism in the Chiang-nan area during the Six Dynasties period (3rd-6th centuries A.D.). As defined in Chapter Two, Chinese shamans, known as wu, were persons of both sexes who served as intermediaries between humans and spirits. Most of them were of humble origin, poor, and not well-educated. Chapter Three focuses on shamanistic rituals. I divide them into three types: rites of communication, of exchange or contract, and of antagonism. I also describe the general features of the ritual performance. In Chapter Four I examine the beliefs related to shamanistic practices. Their fundamental idea was that there is a spirit-world that interacts closely with the human world and is accessible to humans, especially the shaman. This spirit-world was composed of six categories of spirits, and was conceived of as a disunited empire with several co-existing kingdoms, each kingdom having its own lord, hierarchical bureaucracy, and social structure.
In Chapter Five I explore the shaman's social functions. With shamanistic techniques, especially possession, shamans helped people to resolve various life-crises. Hence they attracted a great number of followers who belonged to all social strata and were present in every segment of society. However, as Chapter Six shows, frequently they were attacked and criticized by Taoists, Buddhists, literati officials, and even emperors. Finally, I conclude that the basic features of Chinese shamanism did not change dramatically during the Six Dynasties . But their relationship with state power and their social functions changed, and their monopoly of unofficial religion was broken by Taoism and Buddhism. At any rate, shamanism stayed alive in this period.
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