What does a Shaman wear? | Shamanism In India | ShaGuru’s Shamanism

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    0 Likes | 3 Views | Sep 12, 2024

    Shamans wear special costumes for religious rituals or healing ceremonies. These costumes are made using various decorations and accessories chosen in accordance with their status. A traditional shaman wears a regalia of which generally represents a bird, deer or an animal. Some tribes use sable, wolf and bear skin for their costumes. In some places, this clothing is decorated with representation of human bones, ribs, arms and finger bones whereas others use representation of snakes, frogs, lizards and other animals. In certain cultures, the skins and claws of helping spirits such as squirrels, rabbits etc. are also hung on the costumes. The belief that makes these costumes important and valuable is that it has a sacredness which symbolizes the spirit helpers, which leads to the connection between the spirit and sky gods apart from their spiritual abilities.

    Shaman Costume Shaguru Shamanism In India

    Headdress:

    Usually made up of a band into which feathers of various birds are pierced. Some shamans also use beaks of birds to decorate their headdresses. The bird is the most commonly used figure in these costumes and it is identified with the rise of the spirit. The eagle owl is especially one of the most powerful motifs and its feathers are used for the decoration of the headdresses. Skins of the birds such as eagle owl etc. are used to make leather headdresses and their wings remain as an ornament.

    Footwear:

    Shaman wears boots made of buck leather. Sometimes claws of birds or hooves of deer, sometimes paws of bears are used for decorating it.

    Mask:

    A mask can really be almost anything; a physical object to hide one's face and be used as a sort of spiritual medium, or even the use of a specific attitude or persona in a certain setting. In some places masks are representations of their guardian spirits, and they believe that they can induce a state of trance by wearing these masks and establish a ‘link’ with the said guardian spirit, and some believe Masks can also be used as a form of protection against supernatural dangers, such as to avoid recognition by the spirits of the dead. Various figures and symbols are drawn on the masks which are made using wood, leather and metals besides animal skin. Hides of the strong animals such as bear, wolf etc. are both designed as masks.

    Drums: 

    A traditional shaman always carries his most important device, the drum. Donkey skin is commonly used for the drums according to research & historical archives. This drum is usually decorated with drawings representing the Upper and Lower worlds and sometimes with human and animal figures. The drumstick is made of wood or horn of animals.

    Mirror:

     Also known as Toli, is a copper or bronze plate the shaman wears. The mirror is typically round and ornamented on one side but polished on the other, Toli are traditionally worn as part of a shaman's attire around the shaman's neck, Shamans use mirrors for two major purposes: for divination and as part of their

    costume for performance, they are also used to protect the wearer from curses and evil spirits. Tolis have additional purposes, they are used for a variety of practices, including purifying and empowering water, collecting and trapping hostile spirits, and providing a home for helper spirits. They also act as vessels for the shaman's spiritual power. They can also collect and store the power of blessings, or power given from the sun, moon, stars or other parts of the world, all of which can be given to a sick person, or which can be added to the shaman's own power.

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