Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: April 19, 2022 | 
| 中文
A Shaman in Gilgit-Baltistan
Shamanism is considered the oldest form of spiritual healing, many of the archeologic artefacts depict that it roots lie in the Paleolithic era (40000 to 50000 years old). Neanderthals are believed to be the followers of Shamanism and it remained mainstream till the scientific and religious ideologies warded off the Shamanic practices.
Although there is no consensus on the origins of Shamanism, its roots lie in Tungusic word ‘Saman’, which means ‘to heal’. Shamanism is being practiced in almost all parts of the world with little alterations, the central goal of spiritual healing, however, remains constant. Shaman (Danyal in Shina and Bitan in Brushushki) is a person who is thought to have special powers and access to bad and good spirits, making him a go-to person for spiritual healing, discovery and remedy of illnesses and to ward off bad luck.
Traditional Shaman Festival in Bagrote Valley, Gilgit
Shamanism in Gilgit-Baltistan is as old as the region itself. According to the well-reputed historian of GB, Syed Yahya Hussaini, Shamanism originated in the Pamir region, an area consisting of Gilgit Baltistan and some areas of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, and later on it spread out to other parts of the world. The rationale behind Syed Yahya’s argument is that the Shamanic songs in other parts of the world have Shina words in them. He argues that since the Shamans in those parts of the world repeat Shina words, even though they do not understand them, it is logical to deduce that Shamanism originated here. Moreover, the role of fairies is central to the whole construction of Shamans, and the Pamir region is the abode of myths related to fairies and djinns. The famous mountains known for fairies like Rakaposhi, Diran Peak, Tirch Mir etc are located in Gilgit-Baltistan.
A painting depicting a fairy
Shamanism was practiced as a religion in GB until Buddhism overtook it. Later on, Hinduism and Islam also spread rapidly, resulting in the diminishing role of Shamans. Though the intensity with which Shamanism was practiced in earlier times is not common these days, it is still practiced in all parts of Gilgit Baltistan. It is, however, a fact that many people pretend to be Shamans because of the financial benefit they derive from the role.
There are many mythical fables attached to famous Shamans, elevating their status to demigods. One of them is ‘Danyal Taali’ (Shaman Taali) of Bagrote Valley. He is believed to have access to the world of fairies residing in the Diran Peak, and he married a fairy and had a daughter from her. Shamans of this area believe that Taali has ascended to the world of fairies when his wife left this world for the abode of Pixies in the Diran Peak. Shamans eulogies him in their Shamanic songs to the present day.
A Shaman dancing in trance
It is argued that Shamans are selected by the fairies; one can not become a Shaman by choice. An aspiring Shaman is afflicted by ailments, like muscle cramps, and tells people about insights that he has about their lives, which they are oblivious of.
He is bound to undergo certain conditions set out by the Pixies in order to purify his Shamanic characteristics. The prospective Shaman first takes his oath of allegiance to the world of fairies, and in return, the fairies provide him with the knowledge of metaphysics, which our five senses are unable to comprehend. A person has to have certain prerequisites in order to become a Shaman, like he cannot go to funerals or to homes where a child is born, and he cannot stay dirty. A Shaman who revolts or breaks the protocols gets muscular disorders until he reverts back to the Shamanic mold.
A musician playing music so that the Shaman enters trance
In order for an aspiring Shaman to enter into trance, a situation where he can decipher the metaphysical realities and communicate them to other people, he has to sniff the burned leaves of juniper trees, which acts as a catalyst for the Shaman entering a state of trance. There are seven kinds of juniper trees, of these two are useful for Shamans. A special music is played, which further enhances the Shaman’s chances of entering a state of ecstasy and runs around dancing. The music is played for over 40 minutes, during which the Shaman dances and starts singing Shamanic songs, in which he tells what is happening in the world of fairies. Fairies are of two kinds: Makhakhar, the fairy of milk, and Rathas, the fairy of blood. When the Shaman sings the songs, it is believed that the two above mentioned fairies come to him, and ask him to drink milk and blood. The Shaman first drinks milk and then an animal, usually a goat, is sacrificed and the Shaman licks blood from its head. This whole process is known as ‘Shattoki’ in Shina. It is recommended that loud noise should be made and music be played during the time of Shattoki. The Shaman completes this whole custom (shattoki) in around 40 minutes, which is equal to 9 months in the world of Pixies. He remains with the fairies for this whole time and becomes a part of their family. Upon his return he becomes a true Shaman, who can heal people and forecast future.
Shamanism is not an isolated practice, as it is still practiced in many of the countries with few changes. It is practiced in Nepal, Turkey, Romania, America, Russia, Afghanistan and Central Asia. It is recorded in the annals of history that Ganghis Khan used to keep Shamans with his expeditions and used to act on their advices.
100 Shamans attended a Shamanic festival in Siberia
Shamans, known as the primitive spiritual healers, are slowly and continuously diminishing from the world due to the spread of religions and scientific knowledge. However, these primitive practices need to be preserved, in order to further our research about our forefathers and their practices. The Shamanic practices now seem outdated, but they have helped people deal with their issues, and many people still believe in them. It is, therefore, required that Shamanism is preserved in the region to study and observe, and the methods of their spiritual healing are recorded in GB.
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