Eskimo shamanism

Authors

• Erik Holtved

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67021

Keywords:

Shamanism, Eskimos, Arctic regions, Greenland, Shamans, Spirits

Abstract

Shamans and shamanistic performances have been described from almost all parts of the Eskimo world, from the Pacific Ocean and Bering Strait to East Greenland, and to judge from the records it seems that the position and traditional functions of the shaman in general have had a rather uniform stamp all over this vast area. Apparently shamanism has been narrowly connected with Eskimo culture far back in time. Nevertheless certain characteristic differences found in the shamans' ways of exercising their practise indicate that the development has not proceeded along the same line in all cases. The task of the Eskimo shaman is to take charge of the relations to the supernatural powers that are supposed to interfere with human life.