PSI Vol.33,No.1 December 2011 Data 1. pp.77-81.
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Ainu Shamanism:A Forbidden Path to Universal Knowledge
田中桜子 *
27.2 (summer 2003) Shamanisms and Survival
Sakurako Tanaka *
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The Ainu are the largest indigenous population of Japan. They descended from the first peoples on the Japanese archipelago, commonly referred to as the Jomon, who migrated there more than 10,000 years ago. Some Ainu populations developed large-scale sedentary communities in the northern part of the archipelago that thrived until the migrations and influence from the Asian mainland began to dominate about 1,200 years ago. In Ainu shamanism, classical shaman-type and latter-day mediums once coexisted.
According to oral traditions, ancient Ainu male shamans had characteristics similar to those discussed by Michael Winkelman (see page 12 this issue) in that they were social leaders who provided divination and healing. Ainu shamans, particularly those in Sakhalin1, had primary roles in ceremonies that often lasted all night and involved the entire local community, during which participants danced, played musical instruments, and chanted to produce an altered state of consciousness (ASC). ASC allowed the shamans to perform various types of "miracles," including diagnosis and prophecy. In ancient times, Ainu shamans would fly, transform into animals, have animal kin, control spirits, and assist in hunting, fishing, and wars. In many Ainu epic poems, heaven-sent culture heroes such as okikurumi, considered half-human and half-god, achieve full adulthood and leadership through death-and-rebirth experiences. Sisters or female allies, who also foresee things and perform miracles, often assist these heroes.
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