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Siberia, the ancient heartland of shamanism, is no longer forbidden territory -- to travelers or to the spirits. But the spirits never left, as these writings from Russia reveal. Russian and native experts, and an American cultural anthropologist who has done fieldwork in Siberia, introduce us to Siberian shamans as the poets, therapists, and even leaders of their communities. Among the special features of this collection are remarkable transcriptions of shamanic exhortations and a path-breaking study of shamanic tales and rituals.
"Well-chosen selections, with an outstandingly knowledgeable introduction by anthropologist Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer, one of the few Americans to have done ethnographic research in Siberia. A welcome addition to the library of anyone seriously interested in shamanism". -- Michael Harner, author of The Way of the Shaman