Daur Shamanism Customs Of Cultural Studies

This study is based on specific region and specific ethnic group, which intend to grasp the development of Shamanism in history through the analysis on forms & content of Daur Shamanism. It is our intention to find out the curx of the social problems on region inhabited by ethnic groups, through analysis of the relations between Shaman and social groups, revelation of internal relations between Shamanism and traditional Daur social sturcture.It illustrated the defination of culture, and laid the theoretical framework for study of customs and culture of Daur Shamanism in Introduction. I also introuduce the background and significance, the overseas and domestic trends, and the goal and methods of the research.The first part:I summerize the history origin, the distribution of Daur, and basic components. Daur origins from the Khitans who had northward moved in Liao Dynasty, Daur means large ethnic group, it formed a new united ethnic communist during the process that Khitans and local ethnic group defensed from invasion. Language change and language contact are regarded as main clue to analyse the development of Daur social culture.According to the differences of geografic distribution, Daur can be divided into five social groups:Butaha group, Qiqihar group, Hailar group, Sinkiang group and Aigun group.All natural lives are reviewed as gods, and equal in Shamanism. Shamanism is a natural religion comed from the hunting life of forest peoples, and it based on the tribal society and public ownership economy. Shaman has played an important role in ancient Daur social lifes, only he can fulfill the communications between human, ghosts and gods. Different gods have different work and function.The second part:Understanding the meaning of Shaman is important to realize the origin and function of Shamanism, all Daur wizards are called yadegen, yadegen means prophet or soothsayer in Daur.Shaman has special traits influenced by his ecological enviroment and life style, he will suffer from torments mentally and physically if one wants to be a Shaman. under guaidance and training of Shaman master, he can be accepted as a Shaman. Succession of Shaman follows two different ways-hereditary and nonhereditary, and the two different successive forms are dream and inspiration. Peoples belived in that Shaman could revive after their death, they take some mysterical funeral ceremony-wind burial and tree burial, and hold annual ritual activities. I have mainly introduced religious activities-such as medical ceremony, Aominan ceremony, purifying bath, divination,religious tools and dress.The third part:Shamanism is of importance in viarious fields as the soul of clan society. Shaman has been different position in different periods, who had evolved from tribal leaders to cooperator with authorative and ordinary people.Shamanism is an important power to maitain social order, it is also an important source for moral ideas which sanctified people's life and activity through religious ceremony. This mainly expressed in it's family or marriage view based on ancestor worship and ecological perspective based on nature worship and zoolatry, and virtues and vices based on demonolatry.The fourth part:Shamanism is the Daur inherent religion. It experienced the full bloom period in ancient, the period of declination in mordern time, and the cultural reconstruction period in contemporary age. In current situation, rescue and pretection of Shamanism culture have been put in the catogory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which draw the attention of society. Preparation for museum of Shamanism culture stimulated the development of turism in those areas. Treatment taken by Shamanism could not been seen as the feudal superstition completely, it has positive function in psychological adjustment of the balance and psychotherapy, and its some functions can not be substituted by the mordern medicine, therefore Shamanism can not be eliminated completely in a shot time, that is the main reason why Shamanism still suvives.