Ethnographic Perspectives on Differentiating Shamans from other Ritual Intercessors

Abstract

Shamanism has captivated the imagination of Western scholars since the seventeenth century. The literature on the subject is varied and voluminous; however, several intractable problems beset the field of shamanic studies. One of these is a disagreement over the nature of the phenomenon in question. This has led some anthropologists to conclude that reliable criteria for diagnosing shamanism cross-culturally do not exist. Drawing upon ethnographic data on the thriving and dynamic shamanistic tradition in Nepal, this paper explores the reasons why seemingly insoluble problems exist in this area of study and demonstrates how, through careful ethnographic scrutiny and ethnological analysis within and between cultures, it is possible to generate dependable criteria for setting shamans apart from other types of ritual intercessors.

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