Shanar: Dedication Ritual of a Buryat Shaman

This rare firsthand account, accompanied by 175 photographs of the setting, sacred tools, and costumes, follows each step of the shanar-a Siberian shaman dedication ritual. The Buryats are indigenous people of eastern Siberia, an area which gave rise to the languages from which the term "shaman" is derived. Shamanism is dependent upon intimate connections to specific places and cultures, and this account of a ceremony celebrates that relationship, while using the ritual as an entry point to explore the living culture of a people obscure to most Western readers. This accessible and authentic guide to true shaman practice reveals the personalities involved and respects the complexities of the Buryat community, thereby achieving greater depth than conventional anthropological studies.

Author Biography: Virlana Tkacz, Sayan Zhambalov, and Wanda Phipps have published their translations of traditional and contemporary Buryat poetry in Agni Review, Terra Nova, Two Lines, and Shaman's Drum. They all live in New York City.