F. Georg Heyne

On the Symbolism of the Shaman’s Costume among the Reindeer Evenki in Manchuria

О символизме шаманского костюма олённых эвенков в Маньчжурии

The present essay is the first authentic description of the paraphernalia of shamans of the Manchurian Reindeer Evenki. For the details of his description, the author draws on the costumes and experiences of the two last traditional shamans of the Reindeer Evenki in the Greater Hinggan. He pays special attention to the symbolism of the elements constituting the shamans’ outfit. At the same time he elucidates the parallel between the careful attitude taken by the members of the social group during the process of producing the costume’s various elements and the training of the candidate shaman after his or her initial vocational experience.