The Study Of Kazakh Shamanism Culture

This paper consists of six parts, including: Preface, the first chapter: The Customized Shamanism Belief in Kazakh, the second chapter: The Function of Kazakh Shaman, the third Chapter:The value of Shaman Belief in Kazakh, the fourth chapter: the Present situation and future of Shaman Belief in Kazakh, and the Conclusion. Chapter1,2,3and4comprise the paper's main part, which is followed by the bibliography and afterword.In the Preface part, I introduces the reason for taking this topic as the theme of my master thesis. Personally my identity as a Kazakh and my personal interests in my background culture give rise to the motivation of this study. Shamanism, as a world-wide ancient primitive belief, exerted great influence in cultural history. Furthermore, as an ethnic group speaking in a language belonging to the Turkic language branch of Altaic Family, Kazakh is an unalienable part of the study of the Shamanism culture in the Chinese northern minority groups. Practically, this study will help Kazakh people understand their history and cultures. In the second part of preface, I also introduces some important academic achievements in Shamanism studies both domestically and internationally.The first chapter: The Customized Shamanism Belief in Kazakh, discuses some symbols of shamanism in Kazakh's traditional customs, such as wedding customs, funeral customs, taboos, art expressions. It indicates that Shamanism culture, as an integral part of Kazakh culture, is still significantly influencing Kazakh's life in the current society.The second chapter: The Function of Kazakh Shaman, is made of two subchapter, namely "the inheritance of Kazakh Shaman" and "the function of Kazakh Shaman". The first subchapter discusses the ways to become a new shaman, such as "shaman god","shaman dream" and "shaman illness". The second subchapter introduces the roles Shamans take in Kazakh society. The multifold roles include the inheritors of Kazakh traditional cultures, libators of sacrificial rituals, fortune-tellers, spiritual leaders of tribes, and doctors. Among all these, doctors are the main role.The third Chapter: The value of Shaman Belief in Kazakh, places emphasis on the value of Kazakh Shamanism culture. I hold that there must be some rationality supporting the shamanism culture surviving for thousands of years. The first three subchapters talk about the positive factors of shamanism culture in maintain harmonious relationship between human and nature, human and human, and human and animals. The last subchapter analyzes some strange methods shamans adopt in healing illnesses, such as praying, announcing curses and dancing in a trance. I suggests that these special methods contain some physical and psychological therapies and can be references for modern medical science.The fourth chapter: the Present situation and future of Shaman Belief in Kazakh, also has two subchapters. The first one is named "Shamanism with Islamic characteristics". Though having converted to Islam, Kazakh people show the Shamanism traces in many aspects of their life, which are definite indications of continuity of this old culture in Kazakh people. The second subchapter,"the protections and reconstruction of Shamanism", discusses the Nation's policies toward traditional cultures of minority groups. It is necessary to protect and reconstruct this ancient culture under the principle of taking the positive factors of this culture.The conclusion summarizes the main content of this thesis, and my ideas about development of Shamanism in Kazakh society, and gives a brief summary of current Shamanism in Kazakh society.