Siberian Shamanism

Virlana Tkacz, the recipient of two Fulbright Fellowships, is director of the Yara Arts Group in New York. Since 1996 she has worked with Buryat artists to create theater pieces based on Buryat stories, poetry, and songs. Sayan Zhambalov is a Buryat writer, actor, and singer. He performed with the Yara Arts Group and heads Uragsha, a traditional music ensemble that has performed at the World Music Institute in New York. Wanda Phipps is a poet, translator, and founding member of the Yara Arts Group. A recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Poetry Fellowship, her work has appeared in more than a hundred literary journals and anthologies.

• Foreword by Itzhak Beery Foreword by Dashinima Dugarov Introduction by Virlana Tkacz PART I THE PREPARATION Bayir Rinchinov My beautiful homeland Great Mother Earth Great Father Sky Listen to me, hear me well. The Sacred Grounds On a good day At a good time Mountain trees were pulled out with their roots. Mountain trees were cut at the root. Each leaf was made golden. Each branch was silvered. The Ritual Objects The beautiful instrument that I hold Was crafted, made by The heavenly white smith. The Cleansing I ask for White cleansing waters strong as a storm For this Golden Shanar. The Offering It is a great offering. I give breath to it and silver it With white mother's milk I chant and give breath to it. Part II CALLING THE SPIRITS The Ongon Spirits Great ancestors of my family tree Descend and thunder Volodya's Shanar Great, uh . . . ancestors . . . of my family tree. Listen to me . . . hear me well. (Volodya: What comes next?) August 20, 2000 The Fading Light of a Golden Afternoon August 21, 2000 The Fog Rolls In August 22, 2000 A Cold Wind Blows Breakthrough Bringing up the Dust Giving Thanks Blessings and happiness have descended! Descended! Joy and happiness have descended! Descended! May the children live beautifully forever. The ritual is complete! The ritual is complete! Thanks Glossary Credits Suggested Readings About the Authors

“. . . we see that shamans are ordinary people with extraordinary perception of the world. The same can be said for the book itself. . . . This most certainly is no ordinary book. It is unique, in some respects more experience than narrative, a place where form and content merge, where the story becomes the message and the message is the reason for telling the story.”