Shamanic and Mythic Cultures of Ethnic Peoples in Northern China

Description

On the basis of first-hand materials gathered through decades of field research and fleshed out with the author’s insightful religious, cultural, and historical observations extending back to the Qing dynasty, ancient archaeological discoveries, and the legacy of Siberian peoples, this two-volume ethnological study investigates shamanic rituals, myths, and lore in northern China and explores the common ideology underlying the origins of the region’s cultures. Volume I: Shamanic Deities and Rituals Contents Author’s preface and acknowledgements Author’s profile Preface to the 1990 Chinese edition Introduction to the English edition • Daniel Kister Introduction 1 The spirit world of northern shamanism 2 Nature worship 3 Ancestor and fertility worship 4 Blood sacrifice and fire rituals 5 Rituals for nature deities 6 Tangse and jia rituals Bibliography Index Volume II: Shamanic Divination, Myths, and Idols Contents Introduction to the English edition • Daniel Kister Introduction 1 Northern shamanic divination 2 The northern mythic heritage 3 The Manchu creation myth “War in Heaven” 4 Tribal myths and ancestor worship 5 Spirit idols 6 The northern shaman Bibliography Index