Definition of Shamanism

1. Noun. Any animistic religion similar to Asian shamanism (especially as practiced by certain Native American tribes).

Generic synonyms: Faith, Religion, Religious Belief
Geographical relationships: America, The States, U.s., U.s.a., United States, United States Of America, Us, Usa
Derivative terms: Shamanistic

2. Noun. An animistic religion of northern Asia having the belief that the mediation between the visible and the spirit worlds is effected by shamans.
Exact synonyms: Asian Shamanism
Generic synonyms: Faith, Religion, Religious Belief
Derivative terms: Shamanistic

Definition of Shamanism

1. n. The type of religion which once prevalied among all the Ural-Altaic peoples (Tungusic, Mongol, and Turkish), and which still survives in various parts of Northern Asia. The Shaman, or wizard priest, deals with good as well as with evil spirits, especially the good spirits of ancestors.

Definition of Shamanism

1. Proper noun. a range of traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the spirit world ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Shamanism

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Shamanism

1. An intermediate stage between polytheism and monotheism, which assumes a "great spirit", with lesser deities subordinated. With the beginnings of shamanism there was the advent of the medicine man or witch doctor, who assumed a supervisory relation to disease and its cure. Formally, shamanism is a religion of ural-altaic peoples of northern asia and europe, characterised by the belief that the unseen world of gods, demons, ancestral spirits is responsive only to shamans. The indians of north and south america entertain religious practices similar to the ural-altaic shamanism. The word shaman comes from the tungusic (manchuria and siberia) saman, meaning buddhist monk. The shaman handles disease almost entirely by psychotherapeutic means; he frightens away the demons of disease by assuming a terrifying mien. (12 Dec 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Shamanism

sham
sham-movement vertigo
sham Abram
sham feeding
sham marriage
sham marriages
sham rage
shama
shamable
shamably
shamal
shaman
shamanesque
shamanic
shamanise
shamanism (current term)
shamanisms
shamanist
shamanistic
shamanistically
shamanists
shamanize
shamanlike
shamans
shamas
shamata
shamateur
shamateurism
shamateurs
shamba

Literary usage of Shamanism

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Embracing by Johann Jakob Herzog, Philip Schaff, Albert Hauck (1911)
"shamanism, sha'man-izm: The name for a complex of practises and beliefs connected in some ... shamanism is often denned as the "religion" of certain tribes, ..."

2. Universal Geography: Or, a Description of All Parts of the World, on a New by Conrad Malte-Brun (1826)
"... and Lama« Distinct, n shamanism has the honour of being the »j' ™ ° between the ,1,,-ee ... Extension shamanism has given rise to the superstitious op. ..."

3. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"... as much as of morale, have no difficulty in proving that many of these country folks practise real shamanism under the cloak of Greek Christianity. ..."

4. The Province of Burma: A Report Prepared on Behalf of the University of Chicago by Alleyne Ireland (1907)
"The more powerful faith is that of shamanism, which was the general belief of the people of ... The difference between shamanism and Taoism is very slight. ..."

5. The Province of Burma: A Report Prepared on Behalf of the University of Chicago by Alleyne Ireland (1907)
"The more powerful faith is that of shamanism, which was the general belief of the people of ... The difference between shamanism and Taoism is very slight. ..."

6. Korea and Her Neighbors: A Narrative of Travel, with an Account of the by Isabella Lucy Bird (1905)
"Without claiming any degree of scientific accuracy for the term shamanism, as applied to this cult in Korea, it is more convenient to use it, ..."

7. Arctic Searching Expedition: A Journal of a Boat-voyage Through Rupert's by John Richardson (1851)
"shamanism. — SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CULTIVATION.—ORIGIN.—LANGUAGE. ... shamanism. OF THE MONGOLIAN STOCK. To keep the interruptions of the narrative within ..."

8. Natives of Northern India by William Crooke (1907)
"CHAPTER XIV MAGIC, shamanism, WITCHCRAFT Magic: its origin: its relation to Religion. ... shamanism. Devil-dancing. Exorcism of disease. The village witch. ..."

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