Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic

Shamanhood and Mythology Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy and Current Techniques of Research In Honour of Mihály Hoppál, celebrating his 75th Birthday Shamanhood and Mythology Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy and Current Techniques of Research In Honour of Mihály Hoppál, celebrating his 75th Birthday Edited by Attila Mátéfy and György Szabados With the assistance of Tamás Csernyei Hungarian Society for Religious Studies Budapest 2017 Hungarian Society for Religious Studies Edited by Attila Mátéfy and György Szabados With the assistance of Tamás Csernyei © he Authors and Editors, 2017 ISBN 978-963-87696-8-8 Cover made by Mónika Kaszta Technical redaction made by Krisztina Fancsek All rights reserved Printed by Robinco (Budapest) Hungary Director: Péter Kecskeméthy Printed in Hungary Content Foreword 9 Tabula Gratulatoria 11 Arukask, Madis: Notes on Finnic Folk Culture from the Perspective of Shamanism 15 Balzer, Marjorie Mandelstam: Broken and Unbroken Drums: he Resonance of Shamanic Regalia, Identity, and the Sacred in Siberia and Beyond 27 Çoruhlu, Yaşar: Double Dragon Motifs or Portraits on Turkish Carpets and Rugs According to Double-Headed Dragon or Double Dragon Iconography 41 Dobzhanskaya, Oksana: Samoyedic Shamanic Drums: Some Symbolic Interpretations 63 Du, Yaxiong: Book and Tea: An Approach to the Question of Hungarians’ Origin hrough Two Chinese Loanwords 77 Frog: Language and Mythology: Semantic Correlation and Disambiguation of Gods as Iconic Signs 85 Geertz, Armin W. : Spiders and Insects in Hopi Indian Mythology and Religion: A Preliminary Study 135 González Torrres, Yolotl: Shamanism in Mexiko 155 Gürcan Yardımcı, Kevser: he Language of Siberian Shamanism: Sacred Shaman Costumes 171 Hasanov Zaur: Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic 185 Horváth, Izabella: A Reevaluation of the Origins and Function of the Garabonciás Diák 203 Kazakevich, Olga: A Vision of a Selkup Shaman of the Past Days 217 Kendall, Laurel: he Old Shaman 223 Kezich, Giovanni: A Child is born Miraculous Births in Old World Myth, Religion and Folklore: Narratizing Shamanhood Kõiva, Mare: Cosmopolitan Medicine: Courses Uniting Naturopathy and folk Medicine 231 243 Krippner, Stanley: A Ten-Facet Model of Dreaming Applied too Shamanhood 255 Lee-Niinioja, Hee Sook: Shamanic-Mystic-Syncretic Islam and Shadow Puppet Shamans in Javanese Traditions and Beliefs 269 Lezsák, Gabriella M.: he Grave of Attila and its River-bed Burial Motif 281 Liu, Pi-chen: Illness, Other and Subjectivity in the Shamanic Healing of the Kavalan (Taiwan) 295 Lyon, William S.: he Reality of Shamanism 305 Magyar, Zoltán: he Archive of the Hungarian Historical Legends he Objective Conditions of a Database of a Scientiic Synthesis 315 Maskarinec Gregory G.: Power, Violence, and Death in Nepalese Shaman Practice 323 Mátéffy, Attila: he Wonderful Deer (ATU 401): A Pre-Buddhist Inner Asian Cultural Substratum Element in Tibetan Cosmology 335 Mulk, Inga-Maria: Máttaráhkka: conceptions and representations of Mother Earth in Sami myths, rituals, rock art and material culture 349 Neumann Fridman, Eva Jane: From Russia to Mongolia: Shamanism Across Borders of Time and Place 371 Oppitz, Michael: On the Ambiguity of the Image 385 Sem, Tat’yana Yur’evna: he Symbolism and Semantics of the Tungus’ Shamanic Ritual Kamlanie 391 Somfai Kara, Dávid: he Tree of Life according to an Altay-kizhi (Telengit) Epic Song 405 Szabados, György: On the origin-myth of Álmos Great Prince of Hungary 413 Szulovszky, János: “Divine and demonic possession”? Farewell to a failed concept 429 Walker, Marilyn: “Oh! You mean you have no balance!” Symmetry, science and shamanism 447 Wilhelmi, Barbara: What to do With the Heavenly Journey of Paul? Some Exegetical Remarks on the Second Corinthian Letter. Another Discovery of Shamanic Traces in the Pauline Tradition in Biblical Texts 462 Yamada, Hitoshi: Bow Playing in Japanese and Neighboring Shamanistic Traditions 471 Zhigunova, Marina: Islam and Orthodoxy in Siberia and Kazakhstan at the Beginning of the 21st Century 481 Zsidai, Zsuzsanna: “Barbarians” on horseback – Turkic peoples and horse training 491 List of contributors 503 Mihály Hoppál: A Bibliography of His Works 507 Foreword he First and Next 75 Years of Mihály Hoppál his volume contains the works of thirty-ive authors who express their esteem to Mihály Hoppál with the occasion of his turning seventy-ive. If this book does not cover the entirety of the jubilee’s important ields of study, well it certainly does cover most of them, with featured studies from the ields of Ethnosemiotics, Folkloristics, Mythology, Narratology, Religious and Ritual Studies, Rock Art Studies, “Academic Research on Shamanism” including their connections with Early History and more. We have contributors who chose to approach their subject from a discipline somewhat alien to Mihály Hoppál’s life-work in a strict sense, but even these areas of research are closely connected to the vast opera of the celebrated one: Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Classics or Classical Studies and Historical Linguistics. What bind all these disciplines in our present endeavour is: the work so far completed and the person of this outstanding and greatly inluential scholar. How did the irst 75 year begin? Mihály Hoppál was born on 31st of October in 1942. hen his place of birth – city of Kassa – belonged to Hungary (nowadays Košice in Slovakia). Ater he had inished his studies in the University of Debrecen (1966) he started to work at the Research Group (later Institute) of Ethnography at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Nevertheless, he did not lock himself into an ivory tower, but he worked in the ield – in Hungary irst, later in Central Asia, Siberia in USSR/Russia, Mongolia, South Korea, Japan, even in the New World and Australia, as well. Nevertheless, he usually sat down behind his working table to mould his issues into the forms of studies and books. here were published his works on many languages, e. g. English, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish, Finnish, Estonian… in this volume a selected bibliography contains his publications on foreign languages. Moreover, he not only made, but organized the science, e. g. as the director of the Institute of Ethnography and the European Folklore Institute, as the editor of the series Bibliotheca Shamanistica… it looks almost incredible, that he is only 75 years old – or rather 75 years young. hirty-ive authors contribute to the celebration of Mihály Hoppál on this illustrious anniversary with their scholarly work. But these researchers not only represent partially diferent scholarly domains, but also are the news-bearers of various geographical regions, and research the contemporary and historical culture of various geographical sites: Finland and the Baltic region, Siberia, Central Asia and the Turkic world, North America with its indigenous cultures, Circumpolar region, Mexico, Caucasus, the Hungarian speaking area, Korea and Japan, Mongolia, Manchuria, China, Tibet and Nepal, the Balkans, East-Central Europe, Central 9 Foreword Eurasia or Trans-Eurasia, Iberia and Catalonia within, Italy, the British Isles, furthermore Java, Taiwan; and the Shamanic Worlds. Diferent ages, geographical and scholarly areas employing diverse methodologies and cultural turns (Cognitive Science of Religion, Pictorial Turn, Comparative Literature, Semiotics and many others) as well as diferent paradigms of various impact, some older, perhaps soon to fade away or reshape, some brand new still just ardently claiming consideration. Naturally the co-authors of the volume here, as on any scientiic forum oten nuance, challenge or refute each other’s results and conclusions, shaping the future of studies and scholarly debates. herefore, we like to believe that this volume not only touches on the past (Archaeology, Classical Studies, etc.), the present (pictorial turn) but has its say on the future too. In a matching spirit the researchers gathered hereby are not merely honouring Mihály’s researches and scientiic organising activity of more than half a century but wish him further successful researches as well. According to the decimal system this calls for celebration; Mihály is ive times iteen years old (formulaic number!), and we all wish him good health and undiminished passion for the next ive times iteen years of studies too, to discover and adopt new domains of research, subjects and methodologies. God bless you Mihály, and for your birthday we wish you many more studies, expeditions and conferences and of course we wish all that to ourselves – your pupils, from you. hese articles, this book is a celebration to us no less, thank you for the guidance and inspiration! Attila Mátéfy (Bonn) and György Szabados (Székesfehérvár) 10 Zaur Hasanov Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic he article examines and compares similar themes in the variations of the Turkic peoples’ epic Koroglu (see also Koroğlu, Köroğlu, etc.) on the one hand, and in several versions of the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles, on the other. he research has concluded that the Koroglu epic addresses the same set of images and symbols present in the “Scythian” Heracles myth, both the epic and the myth providing powerful examples of ancient shamanic mythology. In order to trace the shamanic legacy in the epic and the myth, we used a method consisting in “breaking down” myths or legends to their smallest “constituent units” or mythemes, analyzing each individual unit, and comparing them. he recurrent themes that will “seep to the surface” in the course of comparison will reveal the archetypal layers of the myth. Identiication of the Storylines in the Koroglu Epic and in the Myth of the Scythians’ Descendance from Heracles he Koroglu epic is an All-Turkic epos that was preserved in the languages of many contemporary Turkic peoples. Various Turkic versions of the Koroglu epic have been written down and published for the irst time in translation into Russian and English languages during the irst half of 19th century (Derevnia Ogrudzha 1830; Chodzko 1842). he Koroglu epic combines two storylines – historical and mythological. he historical line of the epic, describing a military confrontation of two kindred peoples – “Royal Scythians” and Cimmerians in the 7–6th centuries BC, was investigated in the corresponding paper (Hasanov 2006). In this article we will examine the (more ancient) mythological line of the epic in the light of shamanism. While examining various versions of the Koroglu epic, we discovered parallels between the epic’s storyline and the myth of the Scythians’ origin from Heracles. When relecting on the image of the “Scythian” Heracles, we did not refer to the Greek myths about Heracles. Although it was in the Hellenes dwelling of the northern Black Sea region that Herodotus heard the myth of the Scythians’ descent of Heracles, we have all grounds to believe that the myth actually originates from the Cimmerian-Scythian mythology. First of all, the myth can be found in the Greek sources only in contexts referring to Scythians. Second, the theme of Heracles’ belt with a golden goblet attached to its clasp has its archaeological conirmation in the Scythian burial mount known as Arzhan-2 (Parzinger 2002: 77). 185 Zaur Hasanov Before we describe the parallels examined in this paper, we would like to present three versions of the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles: Herodotus’ version, the version recounted in the “Greek epigraphic source,” and the version of Diodorus Siculus. Here is Herodotus’ version of the myth, remarkable for the extensive details it provides. Driving the cattle of Geryon, Heracles arrived in Scythia, which was still an uninhabited land then. As he was caught in cold rough weather, he wrapped himself in a skin and fell asleep. Meanwhile his horses that were grazing disappeared. When he woke up, Heracles set of searching for his horses throughout the entire land of Scythia. Eventually he arrived in a cave where he found a serpent woman (her upper part the body of a woman, and the lower part that of a snake). he serpent woman promised that she would return the horses to Heracles if he mated with her. Heracles complied with the demand, and they conceived three sons: Agathyrsus, Gelonos, and the youngest Scythes. Even before his sons were born, Heracles departed from Scythia, leaving his bow and belt with a golden goblet attached to its clasp to the serpent woman and telling her to give them to the son who would be able to stretch the bow and engirdle himself with the belt. his son was to stay in the land of Scythia, while the others, who failed the task, were to be sent away. Only the youngest son, Scythes turned out to be capable of achieving the requirements and stayed in Scythia, becoming the founder of the genetic line of all Scythian kings. As a memory of Heracles’ golden goblet, Scythians would wear golden cups attached to their belts (Herodotus IV: 8–10). Another version of the legend is laid out in the “Greek epigraphic source”: “Having gone from here to Scythia, Heracles defeated Araxes in a battle and engaged in an intercourse with Araxes’ daughter Echidna becoming by her the father of two sons, Agathyrsus and Scythes” (Raеvskii 1977: 25). he third version of the legend is told by Diodorus Siculus: “…Consequently, the Scythian legends say, there appeared an earthborn maiden with the upper part of her body that of a woman and the lower part that of a serpent. Zeus copulated with her producing a son named Scythes. Scythes surpassed all his predecessors in his fame and dubbed his people by his own name, Scythians” (Diodorus II: 43). he storyline in all versions of the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles remains unchanged. However, the image of the “Scythian” Heracles and some other aspects of the myth vary. Let us examine these variations. – In the legend told by Herodotus the serpent woman copulates with Heracles and bears three sons: Agathyrsus, Gelonos and Scythes, the youngest son that becomes a king (Herodotus IV: 10). – he Greek Epigraphic Source refers to the image of the serpent woman that is presented in this case as the Echidna of the ancient Greek mythology, but at the same time referred to as Araxes’ daughter. Unlike in Herodotus’ version, two sons are born instead of three: Agathyrsus and Scythes. 186 Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic – In Diodorus Siculus’ variation, Zeus replaces Heracles. he image of the serpent woman is preserved; however, she bears only one son, Scythes. he image of Araxes is not presented, while the serpent woman is referred to as born by the earth (Gaea). Based on these premises and in order to elicit the storyline of the myth of Scythians’ descendance from Heracles in the Koroglu epic, we have used a methodological principle suggested by Claude Lévi-Strauss. he method in question consists in involving as many variants of the same myth as possible with the purpose of bringing forth the archetypical version of the myth. According to Lévi-Strauss’ methodological principle: “If a myth is made up of all its variants, structural analysis should take all of them into account”. He ofers to analyze variants by reducing the myth down to its smallest “constituent units” (so called “gross constituent units” or mythemes), and examining each of them separately (Lévi-Strauss 1955: 431, 435; 1963: 211–213). Let us try to break down the myth of the Scythians’ origin from Heracles into small “mythemes” in order to bring forth the key storylines and images. 1. Heracles’ horses disappear; 2. Heracles is asleep when the horses disappear; 3. he serpent woman takes the possession of Heracles’ horses; 4. Heracles inds the serpent woman (Echidna) that has seized his horses; 5. Before inding the serpent woman, Heracles defeats Araxes in a battle; 6. Heracles engages in intimate relations with the serpent woman; 7. he serpent woman conceives a son (sons) by Heracles; 8. According to various versions, Heracles becomes the father of one, two or three sons; 9. Heracles’ sons are conceived in a cave; 10. Heracles departs before the birth of his son (sons); 11. Heracles leaves his belt to his son; 12. Heracles leaves a golden goblet attached to the clasp of his belt for his son; 13. Heracles’ son Scythes engirdles himself with his father’s belt; 14. Heracles’ son Scythes stretches the bow that no one apart from his father and himself can stretch; 15. Heracles’ son becomes the king of his land. Let us irst examine the north Azerbaijan version of the theme regarding the birth of Koroglu’s son in comparison with Herodotus’ interpretation of the myth about Heracles’ sons. 1. In the chapter “Koroglu and Aypara,” Koroglu’s son is born. Before leaving his new-born son, Koroglu puts a bracelet on his wrist. hen the child is lost and found by a dog that suckles him. Subsequently, an old woman, the dog’s owner, adopts Koroglu’s son (Abbaslı 2000: 260–261). 187 Zaur Hasanov 2. Chapter “Agjaguzu” recounts as Koroglu settles in a cave with his wife. His wife bears his son there. As in the previous chapter, the child gets lost and is found by a she-wolf that suckles him. hen an old woman inds the child, adopts him and sees Koroglu’s bracelet on his wrist. he child is named Agjaguzu. On hearing of the old woman’s adopted child, the ruler that is Koroglu’s adversary decides to adopt the child. he old woman gives the child to the ruler asking never to take of the memorial bracelet from the boy’s wrist (Abbaslı 2000: 294–298). 3. Chapter “Parzad hanum’s Arrival to Chenlibel” contains the following story. Koroglu’s son has grown up. His adoptive father, ruler of an alien land and Koroglu’s adversary, lets him go for long travels. Passing by Chenlibel, Agjaguzu encounters Koroglu in a hard-fought combat, which results in a truce between the two warriors (Abbaslı 2000: 300–308). In this same chapter Koroglu encounters a maiden that reads out a spell trapping him in the ground as if in a vise and sending snakes to entwine around him, eventually turning into a snake herself (Abbaslı 2000: 313–314). 4. Chapter “he Derbent campaign of Koroglu” also tells the story of the birth of Koroglu’s son. Koroglu leaves his wife before his son is born, bequeathing his bracelet to the child. Koroglu’s son grows up in a king’s palace. Koroglu’s wife puts the bracelet around her son’s wrist once he grows to manhood. Koroglu’s son sets of for a long journey and, on reaching Chenlibel, encounters Koroglu in an embittered battle. he ight of the two heroes lasts long with neither side winning. Eventually the father and the son conclude a truce (Abbaslı 2000: 366–378). In the north Azerbaijan version of the epic, the following parallels with the Scythian Heracles’ myth can be traced back. – he theme of Heracles’ leaving his belt to his son corresponds to the theme of the bracelet bequeathed by Koroglu to his son. – he storyline of the conception of Heracles’ sons in a cave parallels the storyline recounting the conception of Koroglu’s son in a cave. – he theme line of the claims to royal power formulated by the sons of Heracles in their country is parallel to the theme presenting Koroglu’s son as the hereditary prince of his land. – he story of Heracles’ parting with his sons before their birth corresponds to the story of Koroglu’s parting with his son before the son is born. – One of the chapters about Koroglu’s son refers to a woman that grips Koroglu in the ground as if in a vise with her spells and sends snakes entwining around him, eventually turning into a snake herself. his image from the Koroglu epic is similar to the image of the serpent woman of the Scythian myth. – he storyline about the upbringing of Heracles’ sons by the serpent woman parallels the story of Koroglu’s son being brought up by a she-wolf, whose 188 Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic image is subsequently replaced by the image of an old woman. In both cases, we appear to be dealing with an image of a half human half animal. In order to establish the implications behind the old woman’s image, let us turn to the Turkmen variant of the epic and juxtapose it with the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles. 1. An old woman steals Koroglu’s horse. he old woman lures Koroglu to her place in a rather bizarre manner: she undresses and slithers on the ground like a snake so as to leave a trace for Koroglu to follow her. Later she sends him to sleep. Ater waking up, the epic hero sets of in search for his horse. He crosses the river of Araz (Araxes) and inds the old woman. hen Koroglu makes an attempt to engage in an intercourse with her, subsequently killing her and inding his horse (Karrıеv 1983: I, § 834, 825, 835–841, 921–922, 927). 2. Koroglu gets old and, being cursed by spirits, departs for the underworld. Koroglu gets married in the underworld and has a son. hen Koroglu leaves the underworld, returns to Earth, where he encounters an old woman that kills him and sucks out his blood. he old woman is conceived with Koroglu’s son by his blood she had sucked out (Karrıеv 1983: 27). 3. Koroglu uses a spell to stretch a bow that nobody else is able to stretch (Karrıеv 1983: I, 89; XII, 1145). 4. Koroglu’s father bequeaths a golden cup to him (Karrıеv 1983: I, 38; III, 224.). As we see, the two Turkic versions of the epic retained various aspects of the same storyline. he irst part of the story is about Koroglu’s horses being stolen by a creature that slithers on the ground (the old woman), while the second part deals with the subsequent birth of a son of Koroglu by the old woman. Beyond doubt, the image of the naked slithering old woman can be seen as equivalent to the image of the half human half serpent creature. he old woman here is presented as a human transforming into a reptile. Heracles 1. – Heracles falls asleep before his encounter with the serpent woman. 2. – he serpent woman takes possession of Heracles’ horses while he is sleeping. 3. – Heracles starts his search for his steeds ater waking up. 4. – Heracles receives his horses back ater copulating with the serpent woman. 5. – he “Greek epigraphic source” says that Heracles defeats Araxes in a ight, subsequently engaging in an intimate intercourse with his daughter Echidna. 6. – he serpent woman bears Heracles’ sons. Koroglu – he old woman is represented as a reptile that sends Koroglu to sleep. – While Koroglu is asleep, the old woman steals his horse. – Koroglu sets of to look for his horse ater waking up. – Koroglu engages in an intercourse with the old woman, ater which he inds the horse. – Setting of to search for his horse, Koroglu crosses the river of Araz (Araxes), and then he engages in an intercourse with the old woman. – he old woman bears Koroglu’s son. 189 Zaur Hasanov hus, we have elicited the key storylines of the Turkmen and north Azerbaijan versions of the Koroglu epic that parallel the storyline and images pertaining to the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles. As we have seen, there are many themes in the epic that recur in multiple variations. Claude Lévi-Strauss explains recurrent sequences in myths as follows: “repetition has as its function to make the structure of the myth apparent”. He concludes that “a myth exhibits a ‘slated’ structure which seeps to the surface, if one may say so, through the repetition process”. (Lévi-Strauss 1955: 443). In other words, myths expose a structure, which – by way of numerous repetitions – allows iltering down the archetypal layers of the myth. he analysis of the repetitions that we have discerned has allowed us to reconstruct the archetypal mythological layers of the Koroglu epic and to discover their parallels to the myth of the Scythians’ origin from Heracles. We have identiied the following parallels between the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles and the Koroglu epic: Heracles 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 190 Koroglu – Heracles’ horses disappear; – Koroglu’s horse disappears; – Heracles is asleep when his horses – Koroglu is asleep when his horse disappears; disappear; – Heracles’ horses are taken by the serpent – Koroglu’s horse is stolen by the old woman woman; (slithering on the ground naked, resembling a snake); – Heracles inds the serpent woman – Koroglu inds the old woman that has taken (Echidna) that has seized his horses into his horse; her possession; – Heracles’ encounter with the serpent – Koroglu inds the old woman that has taken woman is preceded by a ight with Araxes, his horse ater crossing the river of Araz in which Heracles defeats the other; (Araxes); – Heracles engages in intimate relations – Koroglu engages in an intercourse with the old with the serpent woman; woman; the magician maiden casts a spell on Koroglu sending him into a vise-like grip of the earth, the maiden herself turning into a serpent and entwining Koroglu with other snakes; – he serpent woman is impregnated with – he old woman bears the son of Koroglu; the son (sons) of Heracles; – According to various versions, Heracles – According to various versions, Koroglu becomes the father of one, two or three becomes the father of one or two sons; sons; – Heracles’ son (sons) are conceived in a – Koroglu’s son is conceived in a cave; cave; – Heracles departs before his son is born; – Koroglu leaves before his son is born; – Heracles bequeaths his belt to his son; – Koroglu bequeaths his bracelet to his son; – Heracles leaves a golden goblet attached – Koroglu inherits a golden cup from his to the clasp of his belt for his son; father; – Heracles’ son Scythes stretches the bow – Koroglu stretches the bow that no one else that no one apart from his father and can stretch; himself can stretch; – Heracles’ son becomes the king of his – Koroglu’s son is the hereditary prince of his land; land. Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic We believe that the research of the Turkic epic legacy should be continued with the prospect of discovering themes and images parallel to those contained in the myths about Heracles. New indings will help construct a comprehensive conception of Heracles’ image in the ancient Turkic tradition. Elements of Shamanism in the Koroglu Epic In the course of our search for the elements of shamanism in the Koroglu epic, we examined the following issues: the initiation of a shaman, a shaman’s journey into the centre of the world, a shaman’s descent to the underworld, a shaman’s symbolic death, shamanic poetry, attributes and qualities of a shaman. Shaman’s Initiation he ceremony of a shaman’s initiation in the Turkic peoples’ folk narratives includes the following key rites: a symbolic death of a candidate shaman, which involves the dissection of his body and renewal of his inner organs; and the candidate’s communication with gods or souls of the dead shamans. We will give a short account of the key rituals included in the initiation ceremony, which have been described in the literature, and compare these rituals to corresponding themes from the Turkmen version of the Koroglu epic: Shamanism 1. 2. 3. Koroglu – he candidate shaman sets of for a – Following the instructions given to him by his symbolic journey into the centre of grandfather, Koroglu is to set of for a trip to the world, to the sacred tree, where he reach a tree. Koroglu spends an entire day and encounters spirits. night by the tree. By dawn, Erens (spirits) and the prophet Hizir gather and take a decision: “While everybody is here, and no one has let yet, let us see him (Koroglu) of to his destination” (Karrıеv 1983: I, 62–64). – he candidate shaman receives a drink – he Erens (spirits) deprive Koroglu of his that causes loss of consciousness or senses, or, in other words, send him into a hypnotic sleep (Eliade 1972: 65). hypnotic sleep (Karrıеv 1983: I, 65). – he candidate shaman is being – he Erens (spirits) dismember the body of symbolically buried, and carried to a Koroglu, take out his liver, purify the inner symbolic underworld. he candidate organs with light, eventually putting the organs shaman’s body is subjected to a symbolic back into the body and returning the hero into dismemberment (Eliade 1972: 65). his original condition. Ater that they bestow their blessing upon the hero. When the epic hero wakes up, the Erens give him a cup of wine, which intoxicates him and sends him into an unconscious state again. Erens bless him, and then Koroglu rises again (Karrıеv 1983: I, 65–66). 191 Zaur Hasanov 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Shamanism Koroglu – he candidate shaman learns a new language (Eliade 1972: 65). – he candidate shaman acquires new robes and a symbolic lying steed (Alеksееv 1984: 118). – Shamans that have already undergone the initiation would acquire a special “feature of the body.” here was a spot on a shaman’s body that could be pierced with a knife without causing harm to the man. According to N. A. Alekseev, experienced shamans would have up to nine spots protected in this way (Alеksееv 1984: 121). – As a conclusion of the ceremony, the candidate shaman acquires a new name (Eliade 1972: 65). – “Forgetting the previous life is the goal pursued in all these rituals.” On his return home, the candidate shaman “pretends to have lost his memory” (Eliade 1972: 65). – Koroglu asks the Erens to teach him new languages (Karrıеv 1983: I, 71). – he Erens give Koroglu new garments and a lying horse (Karrıеv 1983: I, 67). – Koroglu asks the Erens to teach him how to heal his multiple wounds in the light of stars (Karrıеv 1983: I, 70). – Eventually, the Erens give a new name to the hero of the Koroglu epic (Karrıеv 1983: I, 72). – When Koroglu returns home, he appears to his grandfather in an absolutely new, “humble” image (Karrıеv 1983: I, 74). he Shaman’s Journey to the Spring in the Centre of the World he north Azerbaijan version of the epic cites the following theme. Koroglu is endowed with poetic power and with an immense strength in the course of his journey to the “centre of the world.” In the “centre of the world,” there are “dual springs” located on the top of an insurmountable clif by a “bizarre tree” near a “milky lake” formed by the waters of the “dual springs” (Abbaslı 2000: 64). In the perception of Siberian shamans, the Cosmic Mountain, “sacred tree,” and “milky lake” represent distinct markers of the “centre of the universe” or the “cosmic umbilical cord” (L’vova-Oktiabr’skaia-Sagalaеv-Usmanova 1988: 123). A journey towards the “centre of the universe” is also included in the symbolic journey ritual that constitutes a part of the shaman initiation (Eliade 1972: 119). Some aspects of Koroglu’s journey to the “centre of the world” are of primary interest. For example, the epic says that many made attempts to reach that place (the centre of the world) but never managed (Abbaslı 2000: 63). here is a parallel to this statement in the story of one shaman from Altai, who departs for a journey to the centre of the world, and – while on his symbolic ascend to the summit of the sacred mountain that reaches the Heavens – he sees the bones of other shamans that “did not have enough strength to reach the summit” (Eliade 1972: 202). he epic says that “every seven years two stars from the east and west move towards each other until they meet in the sky. hen the water in the “dual springs” starts frothing. One that will immerse himself in the foam will become invincible, while one that will drink the water will be endowed with poetic power and become 192 Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic a bard with a mighty awesome voice (Abbaslı 2000: 63). Ater immersing himself in the waters of the “dual springs,” the epic hero acquires his musical instrument: kobuz or saz. hat kobuz is one of the instruments used by shamans is a well-known fact in the dedicated academic ield. For example, the Kyrgyz bakšī (bakšï; shaman) use a kobuz rather than a drum for entering trance states (Eliade 1972: 173). he theme of the spring’s miraculous power can be traced in the beliefs of the Tuva shamans too (Van Deusen 1998: 70). he “milky lake,” a place where benign deities dwell, is analogous to the miraculous spring (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 123). We can see, therefore, that the Turkmen version of the epic describes the process of the shaman initiation, which involves the hero’s communication with spirits along with the candidate’s symbolic dissection, while the north Azerbaijan variant of the epic deals with the candidate’s journey to the “centre of the world” and his acquiring particular features of the body, and poetic power. he Shaman’s Descent to the Underworld he Tashauz-Chovdor version of the Koroglu epic [an unpublished Turkmen version] contains the following story. Koroglu gets old and – since he has been cursed by spirits for impaling seven trees with an arrow – has to descend to the underworld together with his horse. here he appears to the underworld king as a “giant hero,” ater which he returns to Earth. 1. In this part of the epic, Koroglu descends to the underworld with his lying horse (Karrıеv 1983: 27), which has direct parallels to shamanism, since a horse is one of the transport means used by shamans in their ecstatic travels to another world (Eliade 1972: 149). 2. he trees that Koroglu impaled with an arrow are an unmistakable allusion to the “sacred tree.” We should note here that the sacred tree of shamanic mythology is located in the “centre of the world,” constituting the cosmic axis and piercing all the way through Earth, heavens and the underworld (Hoppál 2001: 85–86). he sacred tree is in essence the door to other worlds, including the underworld. 3. Koroglu is represented in this epic as a “giant hero.” “his is a hyperbolic portrait of Gёr-oglı” (Karrıеv 1983: 27). We are faced here with mythological concepts of the Turkic peoples of Siberia, in which the “heavens” and the “underworld” are represented as copies of the matrix of the “middle world.” he diference, however, is that the upper and lower worlds are modelled according to the principles of either hyperbolizing or reversing the features of the middle world, i.e. of the world where human beings dwell (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 16, 28). 193 Zaur Hasanov Consequently, the story about the descent of Koroglu with his lying horse to the underworld, combined with Koroglu’s hyperbolic embodiment and the image of the tree, clearly refers us to the epic’s shamanic roots. he “life journey of a human” in the folklore of the Turkic peoples of Siberia “is bound to involve a return” (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 72). Based on the fact of Koroglu’s return to Earth from the underworld in the above-mentioned epic story, we can conclude that this is about a shaman’s journey to the underworld, rather than about the death of the epic hero. he Comparison of Koroglu’s Death and a Shaman’s Symbolic Death One of the Turkmen versions of the epic describes Koroglu’s death. Koroglu’s wife takes the hero to a cave in the mountains, where they observe “a miraculous appearance of a hundred white birds” and a spring. Koroglu’s wife tells him: “You have now joined the Erens” (spirits and shamans’ protectors). Before parting with her, Koroglu gives a “magic mirror that can show anything happening in the world” to his wife, and then the wife “departs to her mountain of Kap” (Karrıеv 1983: 26). In this part of the epic, the hero leaves this world and joins the Erens. Besides, he parts with his shamanic attribute, the “magic mirror.” According to M. Eliade, the shamans believed that a mirror helped them see the world. he mirror did play a signiicant role in the shamanism of the Mongol, Tungus and Manchu peoples (Eliade 1972: 153; Alеksееv 1984: 155–156). his part of the Turkmen version of the epic contains a reference to a miraculous emergence of a spring, a parallel to the life-giving foam of the “dual springs” in the north Azerbaijan version of the epic; and to a miraculous appearance of a hundred white birds, a parallel to the Yakut legends, in which the mother of shamans, a huge predatory bird with an iron beak, will appear during the shaman’s spiritual birth and in the time of his death (Eliade 1972: 34). Koroglu’s entering the cave and the links of this part of the story to shamanic mythology will be discussed below. Koroglu’s Poetic Power and Shamanic Poetry Poetic power and the git of a bard are among special abilities possessed by shamans. According to E. V. Revunenkova, it was precisely shamans in many cultures that were poets, singers and narrators of legends and epics. She emphasizes that the functions of a shaman and a poet have been uniied among the Turkic peoples of Central Asia until recently (Revunenkova 1989: 393). M. Hoppál states that a similarity of motives was traced in the shaman songs and epics of the western Tuva people, Buryats, and Mongols (Hoppál 1984: 203–213). Yakut researchers identiied a close relation between shamanic rituals and the epic poetry of the Yakut people (Balzer 1993: 79). M. B. Kenin-Lopsan believes that the Tuva shamanic poetry and 194 Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic epics are closely related (Van Deusen 1998: 69). A. L. Siikala, who reconstructed a broad range of shamanistic concepts in the Kalevala epic, thinks that the epic could have been created by a shaman (Siikala 1986: 223–237). In all parts of the Koroglu epic, the main epic hero himself is the author of all the poems he performs. Koroglu possesses two qualities at the same time. First, he is an invincible warrior. Second, he is a great poet, bard and narrator with an unrivalled powerful voice. J. Pentikäinen remarks that shamanic actions are typically described as poetic contests between epic performers. He refers to the “singing competition” between Joukahainen and Väinämöinen from the Kalevala epic as an example (Pentikäinen 1989: 99). he theme of poetic contest between Koroglu and other warriors and poets runs through the entire Koroglu epic. he Elements of Shamanism in the Myth of the Scythians’ Descent from Heracles As a result of this research, we have established that the plot of the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles, along with the parallel storylines in the Koroglu epic has distinct shamanic roots. Many archaic attributes present in the myth give us grounds to date its early archetypal rudiments back to the time of the formative stage of shamanism. his idea is suggested by the combination of four components in these narratives: cave, bow, belt, and serpent. All of these, as we will demonstrate below, belong to the earliest attributes of shamanism. Let us examine these components one by one. Cave he cave plays a signiicant role in shamanism. here is ample evidence of shaman initiation ceremonies held in caves, or of the image of a cave playing an important part in the ceremony. his evidence can be found in the shamanic rituals of the Araucans in Chile, Eskimos, North American tribes (Eliade 1972: 52), and the Avam peninsula Samoyeds (the Nenets people) (Popov 1936: 84 f.). In shamanism, a cave is a clear symbol of a shaman’s descent to the underworld. M. Eliade, who relates the irst archaeological evidence of shamanism to the Palaeolithic period, believes that the cave did play a considerable role in the religion (Eliade 1972: 51, 501). Å. Hultkrantz believes that some shamanistic myths date back to the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. At the same time, he warns the reader against dating all shamanistic myths back to the archaeological periods in question, since many shamanic stories pertain to the culture of developed shamanism (Hultkrantz 1995: 147, note. 7). We agree with this view and consider it necessary to examine all components of each individual shamanic myth and compare these components 195 Zaur Hasanov before drawing conclusions regarding the period when the myth appeared. It was based on this principle that we addressed the issue of studying the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles. he presence of the image of a cave (along with a bow, snake and belt) in the myth is a direct indicator of the myth’s roots in a very ancient period. herefore, we have concluded that: – he cave is one of the earliest features of shamanism; – he cave plays an important role in the shamanism of many peoples; – In shamanism, the cave represents a speciic symbol of a shaman’s descent to the underworld. Bow he bow has a special signiicance in shamanic rituals and mythology. A bow and an arrow are oten used to strike spirits. A bow with an arrow is also a metaphor for an “impregnated womb of nature” (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 134). Å. Hultkrantz makes a note that there is an enigmatic link between a shamanic drum and a shamanic bow among Siberian shamans (Hultkrantz 2001: 6). Shamans of the Sagay tribe oten used a drum as a magic bow (Alеksееv 1984: 167). In the sacral vocabulary of the Turkic peoples of South Siberia, the same word is used to refer to the metal rim of the drum and a bow-string (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 108). M. Eliade states that a bow represents a onestring musical instrument employed by a shaman to enter into a trance state with the help of a magic tune. he Lebed Tatars’ shamans use a bow, rather than a drum, as a magic musical instrument (Eliade 1972: 180). here is another sphere in the Turkic people’s shamanism where a bow has a special meaning. Namely, the practices of divination and sorcery. he shamans of Western Siberia used a bow for fortune telling and sorcery exclusively among their relatives. Based on this and many other facts, E. L. Lvova, I. V. Oktyabrskaya, A. M. Salagayev, and M. S. Usmanova concluded that the bow and arrow belong to the mythologemes that “had a special signiicance in shamanic myths and rituals” being the oldest attributes of genealogical shamanism (Lvova – Oktyabrskaya – Salagayev – Usmanova 1988: 134). We have concluded therefore, that: – he bow has multiple functions in shamanism; – he bow belongs to the oldest attributes of genealogical shamanism. he Serpent Based on the fact that the image of the serpent was widely spread geographically since early times, R. Heinze relates references of this image to the mythological or proto-religious period (Heinze 2002: 39, 53). 196 Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic he meaning of the serpent in shamanism is rather controversial. A serpent can feature as a shaman’s means of transport (Eliade 1972: 149), a shaman’s protector (Alеksееv 1984: 155–156), or sometimes even a shaman’s adversary (Hultkrantz 1995: 148). As we can see, there is some ambivalence in the interpretation of the serpent’s mythological image in shamanism. Let us try to examine the essence of this ambivalence and its possible origins. According to M. Hoppál, “mythopoetic thinking” has the tendency of juxtaposing objects or polarizing them into two extremes. He refers to the shamans of tundra. hey see the upper world as an embodiment of the male principle, while the lower world or underworld, or the lower part of the body for that matter, is construed as an epitome of the feminine, or – in traditional Nenents terms – of the impure (Hoppál 2001: 75, 84). his is apparently the source of the myth about the serpent woman, whose lower body part symbolizes the underworld. he Belt M. Hoppál suggests that various elements of the shaman’s robes symbolize diferent levels of the universe. For example, the footwear of Siberian shamans symbolizes the lower world; the headwear stands for the upper world; and the belt represents the borderline between the lower and upper worlds. M. Hoppál writes that shamans cannot practice “in ordinary clothes, and at least a belt must be put on.” For example, the Nenets shamans used a belt for travelling to the underworld (Hoppál 2001: 84). In other words, a belt performed the function of a drum. Among the Altai shamans, a belt was used for a shaman’s protection. he Tuva shamans used a belt with small pendant bells along with other objects attached to it, serving as protection against evil forces (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 182). M. Hoppál concluded that metal objects attached to a shaman’s belt perform a protective function during his ecstatic travels (Hoppál 2001: 84). Heracles’ goblet attached to his belt must have performed a similar protective function. he goblet embodies the milky lake (a vessel of nature) located in the centre of the world in Turkic peoples’ tradition. N. A. Alekseev suggests that the milky lake represents a mythical object of the middle world (Alekseev 1984: 169). he shaman’s belt is also a symbol of the middle world (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 182), since it stands for the dividing line between the lower and upper worlds. It appears that the reason why these two objects, the belt and the goblet were united is that they both represent the middle world. According to Turkic peoples’ tradition, the ability to wear a belt on their waist was the “key distinctive feature of the people of the middle world; inhabitants of the heavens would wear it under their arms, while dwellers of the underworld would wear it on their hips.” In Turkic folklore, the acquisition of a belt by a hero would signify that the hero reached adulthood and it would also serve as an indicator of the hero’s social status (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 182, 183). 197 Zaur Hasanov We can therefore make the following conclusions regarding the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles: – he belt symbolizes the border between the upper and lower worlds; – he belt is one of the earliest constituents of a shaman’s ritual robes; – he goblet attached to the clasp on Heracles’ belt, and the belt itself stand for the middle world; – he goblet attached to the clasp on Heracles’ belt functions as a shaman’s protector during his ecstatic travels. he Cult of a Hero he version of the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles represented in the “Greek epigraphic source” construes Heracles as a progenitor hero that defeats Araxes in battle (Raеvskii 1977: 25). When describing Heracles’ encounter with the serpent woman, Herodotus depicts the hero as a forefather that sets conditions for his sons (Herodotus IV: 8–10). Further on, when referring to Scythia, Herodotus speaks of Heracles as a giant hero, recalling Heracles’ gigantic footprint that was shown to him near the Tiras river (Herodotus IV: 82). In the version of the myth recounted by Diodorus Siculus, the character of Heracles as a forebear is replaced by that of Zeus (Diodorus II: 43). In other words, Heracles is depicted as a deity. How can we explain this process of gradual hyperbolizing and deifying Heracles’ image? Å. Hultkrantz believes that tendencies towards exaggerating the hero’s qualities and ascribing special features to him are typical of the cult of a hero. Incidentally, the longer the time passed since the hero’s death, the more powerful and enigmatic his epic image will become. Å. Hultkrantz examines the cult of a hero within a shamanic context, coming to the conclusion that the cult of shamans is a form of the cult of ethnic heroes, widely spread among the Siberian peoples and the peoples of the Volga region (Hultkrantz 1995: 149, 150). J. Pentikäinen suggests that it is mythical heroes that are oten seen in shamanic cultures as proto-shamans (Pentikäinen 1989: 98). he Yakut myths represent the irst shamans as sons of the God of Heavens. In Buryat myths the irst shaman is born by an earthly woman and by an eagle, an envoy of gods. In many myths of the Altai peoples, the irst shamans are of divine origin (Hultkrantz 1995: 150–151). Comparing these observations with the information we have about Heracles, we can conclude that the deiication of Heracles its into the framework typical of the mythology of the Altai and Yakut peoples. In the above-cited ancient sources, Heracles is identiied with the God of Heavens (Zeus). He and an “earthly woman” (the earthborn serpent woman) conceive a child, to whom he bequeaths shamanic attributes: a bow, belt and goblet. hus, comparing the myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles with the Siberian peoples’ myths (in which the irst shaman is typically conceived by an earthly woman and a deity), we can infer that the image of Scythes conceived by Heracles is nothing else but the image of the irst shaman (ancestor of the irst shaman). 198 Traces of Shamanism and the Scythian Mythology in the Koroglu Epic he Herodotian description of Heracles’ gigantic footprint parallels the part of the Koroglu tradition, in which the epic protagonist is described as a giant hero when he descends into the underworld (Karrıеv 1983: 27). he Siberian Turkic peoples’ mythology provides an explanation for this storyline, too. As we have already mentioned, objects of the “heavenly” world and “underworld” are constructed by means of either hyperbolizing or reversing the qualities of the objects existing in the “middle” world (L’vova – Oktiabr’skaia – Sagalaеv – Usmanova 1988: 16, 28). Needless to say, that the gradual alteration and contortion of Heracles’ image should be explained based on Å. Hultkrantz’ suggestion concerning the tendency of hero cults to hyperbolize and ascribe special qualities to the hero (Hultkrantz 1995: 150). On the other hand, however, M. Eliade’s argument that a shaman’s “ecstatic experience” is subjected to contortions to a greater extent than any other religious experience (Eliade 1972: 11) should also be taken into consideration as a factor that contributed to the change of Heracles’ image over time. As a conclusion: – he myth of the Scythians’ descent from Heracles is one of the earliest samples of shamanic mythology we have today. – he myth dates back to the early formative stages of shamanism. – he myth represents the story of Heracles’ bequeathing shamanic power and attributes to his son. – Heracles is construed in this myth as a shaman progenitor, this image later transformed into the image of a deity. – Heracles’ son is represented as the proto-shaman. – he image of the “Scythian” Heracles and the corresponding mythical storyline are relected in the most comprehensive way in the Turkic Koroglu epic, the latter simultaneously representing one of the most encompassing epics associated with shamanism. References Abbaslı, İsrail (ed.) 2000. Koroğlu. Baku: Sada. Alеksееv Nikolai A. 1984. Shamanizm Tiurkoiazychnykh narodov Sibiri: opyt arеal’nogo sravnitеl’nogo isslеdovaniia. Novosibirsk: Nauka. Balzer, Marjorie Mandelstam 1993. 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Shaman 6: 1: 63–72. 201 List of contributors Arukask, Madis: Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at the University of Tartu, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Estonia Balzer, Marjorie Mandelstam: Georgetown University, Dept. of Anthropology, and Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Afairs; Editor of the journal Anthropology and Archeology of Eurasia; Co-convener, indigenous studies network https://indigeneity.georgetown.edu/ Çoruhlu, Prof. Dr. Yaşar: Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Faculty of Sciences and Literature, Department of History of Art, Istanbul, Turkey – retired Dobzhanskaya, Oksana, Prof. Dr.: Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts, Yakutsk, Russia Du, Yaxiong: Professor of Musicology, Department of Musicology, Conservatory of China, Beijing, China. Frog: Adjunct Professor, Academy of Finland Research Fellow, Folklore Studies, University of Helsinki Geertz, Armin W.: Jens Christian Skou Senior Fellow, Professor – Aarhus University, Denmark González Torres, Yolotl: Professor Emeritus Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Mexico, National Institute of Anthropology and History, Ciudad de México, Mexico. Gürcan Yardımcı, Kevser: Assistant Prof. Dr. at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey Hasanov, Zaur: Senior Research Associate, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Horváth, Izabella: Visiting Professor at the Research Institute of Yangtze Delta Intangible Cultural Heritage, Hangzhou, China. Kazakevich, Olga: Laboratory director, Laboratory for computation lexicography, Research Computer Centre, Moscow State Lomonosov University 503 List of contributors Kendall, Laurell: Curator of Asian Ethnology and Division Chair, Division of Anthropology, Professor, Richard Gilder Graduate School Kezich, Giovanni: Ph.D., Director of the Museo Degli Usi e Costumi della Gente Trentina, San Michele All’Adige (TN), Italy Kõiva, Mare: Ph.D., Faculty Member, Estonian Literary Museum, Department of Folkloristics, Tartu, Estonia. Krippner, Stanley: Alan Watts Professor of Psychology, CSS Humanistic and Clinical Psychology, Saybrook University, Oakland, CA, USA Lee-Niinioja, Hee Sook: Ph.D. artist/designer/journalist/scholar; She is ailiated at ICOMOS-ICICH. Her contribution of bridging Scandinavia-South Korea and humanitarian work brought awards/appreciations, including the Civil Merit Medal from the President of South Korea. Lezsák, Gabriella: Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Research Centre for the Humanities – Early Hungarian History Research Group; Budapest – Hungary Lyon, William S.: Ph.D. University of Missouri, Kansas City – retired Maskarinec, Gregory G.: Professor of Medicine, Department of Native Hawaiian Health Director, Oice of Global Health John A Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Mátéffy, Attila: University of Bonn, Institute for Oriental and Asian Studies (IOA), Department of Mongolian and Tibetan Studies Mulk, Inga-Maria: Ájtte Museum, Jokkmokk, Sweden Neumann Fridman, Eva Jane: Ph. D., psychotherapist, independent scholar Oppitz, Michael: Emeritus Professor at the University of Zurich and former Director of the Zürcher Völkerkundemuseums. Pi-chen, Liu: Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan Qu, Feng: Professor in Anthropology and Archaeology, Director of Arctic Research Center, Liaocheng University. 504 List of contributors Sem, Tat’yana: Candidate of historical Sciences (Ph.D.), Leading Researcher of the Department of Ethnography of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Ethnographic Museum Somfai, Kara Dávid: Ph.D., Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Research Centre for the Humanities – Institute; Budapest – Hungary Szabados, György: Ph.D., King St Stephen Museum; Székesfehérvár – Hungary Szulovszky, János: C.Sc., Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Research Centre for the Humanities – Institute of Historical Science; Budapest – Hungary Walker, Marilyn: Professor, Department of Anthropology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B., Canada Wilhelmi, Barbara: Academic degrees in heology, Philosophy, Cultural sciences, degree in Art-therapy/psychotherapy and Supervision DGSv; Dekanat Wetterau: heologian, part-time projects with Philipps-University Marburg/L. (D), Art-therapist in clinics of rehabilitation, Artist. Yamada, Hitoshi: Dr. phil., Associate Professor, Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. Zhigunova, Marina Aleksandrovna: Associate Professor, Senior Research Associate of Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Zsidai, Zsuzsanna: Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Research Centre for the Humanities – Early Hungarian History Research Group; Budapest – Hungary 505 Tabula Gratulatoria (not an ordinary one with greetings) Liubov L. Abaeva, Prof., Institute of Mongol, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ulan-Ude, Lake Baikal, Republic of Buryatia Veikko Anttonen, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion, University of Turku. Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Debrecen Madis Arukask, Associate Professor, University of Tartu, Estonia Dezső Benedek, Ph. D., Associate Professor, University of Georgia, USA Tamás Csernyei, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, Department of Turkish Language and Literature Oksana Dobzhanskaya, Prof. Dr., Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts, Yakutsk, Russia William W. Fitzhugh, Ph. D., Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center, USA Frog, Adjunct Prof. University of Helsinki, Finland Dmitriy Funk, Prof. Dr., Dept. of Ethnology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia Armin W. Geertz, Prof. Dr., Jens Christian Skou Senior Fellow, Aarhus University, Denmark Zaur Hasanov, Ph. D., Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Azerbaijan Helena Helve, Ph. D., Professor Emerita, Faculty of Social Sciences (SOC), University of Tampere and Adjunct Professor (Docent) at the Helsinki University, Finland Gilah Yelin Hirsch, Artist/Professor of Art, California State University, USA Tamara Ingels, Ph. D., Zaakvoerder INTRO Cultuur en Media Tim Jensen, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Study of Religions, University of Southern Denmark Olga Kazakevich, Ph. D., Laboratory director, Laboratory for computation lexicography, Research Computing Centre, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia Laurel Kendall, Ph. D., Chair, Division of Anthropology, Curator, Asian Ethnographic Collections, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA Valentina Kharitonova, Ph. D., C. Sc., Center of Medical Anthropology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, RAS, Moscow, Russia William Koolage, Ph. D., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada Liu Pi-chen, Associate Research Fellow. Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan William S. Lyon, Ph. D., University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA (retired) Attila Mátéfy, University of Bonn, Department of Mongolian and Tibetan Studies, Germany György Szabados, Ph. D., King St Stephen Museum; Székesfehérvár – Hungary 11 Tabula Gratulatoria László Veszprémy, D. Sc., Director of Institute and Museum for Military History; Budapest – Hungary Danuta Penkala-Gawęcka, Ph. D., Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Diana Riboli, Ph. D., Assistant Professor, Department of Social Anthropology, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, Greece Alessandro Saggioro, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy Tatiana Sem, Ph. D., Candidate of Historical Sciences, leading researcher of the Department of Ethnography of the peoples of Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Ethnographic Museum, St.Petersburg, Russia Yuri Sheikin, Prof. Dr., Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts, Yakutsk, Russia Yolotl González Torres, Prof. Dr. Emeritus, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia Mexico, National Institute of Anthropology and History, Ciudad de México, Mexico Marilyn Walker, Professor, Department of Anthropology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B., Canada Marina Aleksandrovna Zhigunova, Ph. D. (history), Associate Professor, senior research associate of Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian oice of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia *** Mihály Hoppál is the best teacher who taught me to value the legacy of the Shamans’ world. As long as the saint’ spirits of the Shamans are on the earth, you will be in my heart. Sincerely, Kevser Gürcan Yardımcı, Ph. D. Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul, Turkey *** Dear Mihály, Please accept my best wishes for your 75th birthday. I wish you all the best on this happy occasion, and hope you will continue your important research in the ield of shamanic studies in Eurasia. Sincerely in friendship Yaxiong (Bátor) Du, Professor, Conservatory of China, Beijing *** 12 Tabula Gratulatoria Dear Mihály, Few scholars can boast of the magnitude and quality of research and contributions to the ield of shamanic and ethnographic studies of which you can be rightfully proud. he next generation of scholars can be grateful for having such wealth of data available to them. It is gratifying to realise that our acquaintance goes back a decade or more in the exciting ield of Hungarian and Asian shamanic studies. Your publications and personal communications on the topic have been instrumental in my own research direction. I owe you many thanks for your scholarly support and encouragement. Knowing you, your research activities are by no means over and I wish you strength, health and energy for many more years of fruitful work. With sincere collegiality, Izabella Horvath Visiting Professor at the Research Institute of Yangtze Delta Intangible Cultural Heritage, Zhejiang, China *** Dear Mihály, hank you for your great work in developing folkloristics and ethnosemiotics, for building the bridges and encouraging young researchers in many countries. Many happy returns, and happy returns to Estonia! Congratulations on being nominated the honorary doctor of the University of Tartu! Ülo Valk, Department of Estonian and Comparative Folklore, University of Tartu, Estonia 13