Shamanism - Nordic - The way of the Shaman

What is a Shaman?

The word shaman comes from the Turkic – Mongolian language and is a term for a religious figure who performs several functions similar to the healer in other cultures. The shaman’s function as the healer is to provide medical care and various other functions in times of crisis, via supernatural means. The concept of the supernatural is generally identified with religion, however people of a European culture might have regarded it as magic, a concept which has it’s roots in the magi of Persia.

The role of a shaman is to communicate with entities ( something which has a distinct, separate, existence, that need not be material) on the spiritual plane and to secure their aid for the needs of the community. Shaman were never gender-specific, a male or female could fill the role, depending on the cultural tradition.

Shamans are analogous to other cultures healers, such as those who have come to be known by the English as the Native American “medicine man”. The primary function of the “medicine men”, is to secure the help of the spirit world, for the benefit of the community. Shamans have existed in most of the world. The ancient shamans of Europe are more likely known as druids, who were magic- users most comfortable in natural settings. The Baal Shem is a Jewish rabbi miracle worker. It was the name given in the middle ages of a person who could bring about cures and healing, as well as having mystical powers with which they could interpret events and personalities.

Among the Norse, and Germanic people, the practice of seid (shamanism) was regarded as unmanly and were relegated to females, who depending on the community were called volva, vala, or seidhkon. In Anglo Saxon England they were called wicce. The word witch is a modern form of wicce. Even wizards have (which by most are considered fantasy) have vague historical roots in Shamanism.

In the western world many of the roles of shamans have been replaced by (or rather evolved into those of) priests, scholars, and doctors. Some shamans encourage the belief that they possess supernatural qualities that transcend human nature. Shamans are usually credited with the ability to speak to spirits and perform feats of magic such as astral projection, and healing. Shamans are usually found in tribal cultures with nature religions and beliefs in ancestor spirits. The shaman's position is frequently hereditary and his ancestral spirits may act as his chief guides for spiritual aid. However, the most powerful shamans are those who have a natural aptitude for the calling. These individuals easily enter into the separate reality of the spirits, and do so without the need of drugs or other artificial support. Tradition also holds that the spirits choose the shaman, not people, as in those initiated via a serious illness or a near-death experience.