During
the rituals Shamans dressed in the special costumes. It was very unusual. Shaman cloak
certainly was embroidered by a set of every possible ribbons and pendants. Each details of
the costume had the special purpose. The metal pendants represented figurines of animals,
birds, or even the men, it were the symbols of the mane spirits - helpers. Long metal
plates on sleeves and the breast denoted Shaman's bones, round disks of different sizes
denoted the heart, the mirror or the board of Shaman. There were images of the sun and the
moon, stars. There were even jingles and bells. It was considered, that the pendants
during the ritual could transform into the real subjects or entities and help Shaman. The
ring of jingles and clank of metal pendants during the ritual created additional sound
effect. It was considered, that the evil spirits were afraid of the metal and would not
came nearer to Shaman.
A cloak itself was sewed so that the person looked like the animal or the bird. For
that leather bands and ribbons were sewn to sleeves and to lower part of the dress. Throwing
his hands out and dancing Shaman turned into the mythical animal or bird in eyes of the
observers. Probably it is the response of that time, when Shamans dressed skins of animals
to execute the ancient hunting rituals.
Shaman headings also are very original. For example, the Even Shamans put on their
head the metal crown with horns similar to deer. Travelling to the spirits world Shaman in
case of danger transformed into the deer and were protected from evil spirits by horns.
Shamans from Altai and Tuva put on their head the bandage with fillets and fithers.
The eyes and the mouth were embroidered on this bandage. It was considered, that it was
the head of the holy bird, which Shaman became during the ritual.
As well as the tambourine Shaman dress was produced only from the sanction of
spirits. And only in some years, after the man already became Shaman, the spirits allowed
him to make the cloak. And the pendants occurred on it gradually. Shaman met with new
spirits during traveling, and if they became his helpers then appropriate pendants
appeared on his cloak.
Peoples of the South Siberia nations after they got help from Shaman sewed to the
shaman cloak colored fillets as the sign of gratitude. If Shaman had a lot of fillets on
his cloak then he was powerful.
Not every Shaman had the complete shaman dress. The many beginner shamans had not
neither the special dress, nor the tambourine with the rattle. The old but weak shamans
could not have the ritual dress, and realized his rituals with a daily clothes using only
the sacred subjects. |
The ritual dress coat and plastron of Even shaman at
the beginning of 20 century.
The ritual cloak of Yakut shaman (the
beginning of 20 century).
The dress of Altai shaman (the beginning of
20 century).
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