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Spirits from the Edge of the World
Spirits from the Edge of the World is a compilation of oral shamanic history gathered from 1994 to the present. The Ulchi are Manchu-Tungus speaking peoples who gave the word “shaman” to the world. These people have inhabited the regions of the Amur River since the Neolithic epoch. Their oral histories recount their earliest beginnings in the midst of the Pleistocene landscapes of southeastern Siberia. This book reveals the essential and comprehensive teachings of Classical shamanism. Wonder tales of enchanted animals, legends of the first ancestral shaman, creation stories, ways of nature, and the intimate relationship between humans and spirits are explored and discussed from in-depth conversations with the elders and last remaining shamans of the Ulchi people.
489 pages, Paperback
Published August 11, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 27, 2021
Beautiful book about a tradition that was on the verge of extinction when it was being written (and I believe is currently hanging by a thread, if it hasn't passed over already.)
The Ulchi are one of several peoples in the Amur River region of Southeast Siberia with a strong animist tradition that made its way onto the bookshelves and yoga studios of the Western world. This is a relatively deep dive into the practices, beliefs, traditions, and history of their shamans ("sama," in their language), significantly provided IN THEIR OWN WORDS and presented in the way THEY WANTED (am I dreaming?). That's right, not a single Walter Benjamin or Foucault quote!
The author comes from a place of very patient and thorough learning over the course of decades - she apprenticed with one of the shamans, had spent significant time in their home villages, and was fluent in the language. Her own interpretations are respectful, but not in a way that shuts down intellectual rigor. It holds up as scholarship - a primary source. That is a rare balance, and I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in shamanic practices or human cultures in general.
The last 80 or so pages of the book are transcripts from chants during particular singing sessions, which the shamans permitted Van Ysslestyne to translate and publish. This is a unique treasure, making this book all the more worthwhile.
The Ulchi are one of several peoples in the Amur River region of Southeast Siberia with a strong animist tradition that made its way onto the bookshelves and yoga studios of the Western world. This is a relatively deep dive into the practices, beliefs, traditions, and history of their shamans ("sama," in their language), significantly provided IN THEIR OWN WORDS and presented in the way THEY WANTED (am I dreaming?). That's right, not a single Walter Benjamin or Foucault quote!
The author comes from a place of very patient and thorough learning over the course of decades - she apprenticed with one of the shamans, had spent significant time in their home villages, and was fluent in the language. Her own interpretations are respectful, but not in a way that shuts down intellectual rigor. It holds up as scholarship - a primary source. That is a rare balance, and I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in shamanic practices or human cultures in general.
The last 80 or so pages of the book are transcripts from chants during particular singing sessions, which the shamans permitted Van Ysslestyne to translate and publish. This is a unique treasure, making this book all the more worthwhile.
November 7, 2023
This book has been incredibly interesting! It details the lives and beliefs of the Ulchi people (who live in the Russian Far East) and gives a really interesting insight into pre-Christian indigenous beliefs.
One of the most interesting things from this book is the talks on shamanism, which are both different from and similar to shamanism from cultures all across the world.
One of the most interesting things from this book is the talks on shamanism, which are both different from and similar to shamanism from cultures all across the world.
October 7, 2021
This magnificent book documents the last generation of shamans in the group that served as the type study for the term "shamanism" by Eliade and later writers. The late Jan Ysslestyne spent decades with the shamans in Bulava and surrounding regions. The connections between their art, spirit worlds, and their difficult lives are discussed with copious quotations from the last few generations of shamans.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews