SHAMAN MEDICAL PRACTICE OF KAMCHATKA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (THE SECOND HALF OF XIX – BEGINNING OF ХХ CENTURIES)

Abstract

Traditional medical knowledge of Kamchatka’s indigenous peoples is the cultural and historical heritage of the Northeast of our country. The main carrier of this knowledge in the second half of XIX – early ХХ centuries was a shaman. The main shaman’s function of Kamchatka’s indigenous peoples was healing. In shamanic practices, there were animistic ideas about the causes of the disease, the treatment process, safety measures. In a medical process three parts – a shaman- healer, spirits, a diseased person were involved. A favorable outcome of treatment depended on the skill of a shaman, on his skills to interact with the spirits of sickness and guardian spirits with the help of common and therapeutic techniques. The article involves the family and professional types of shamanic healing. The author paid the main attention to the actions of a professional shaman, because he was in demand as a physician in the archaic societies and possessed a specific set of healing tools. The medical side of shaman’s activity consisted of the treatment and prevention of disease. The author describes the elements of shamanic techniques, with an emphasis on the techniques of healing.

Keywords

• history of Russia
• history of the Far East
• Kamchatka
• shamanic medical practices
• treatment