The Sacred Shamanic Complex of the Northern Altaians in the Altai Republic
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6119-2026-3-118-128
This article analyzes ethnographic material containing authentic data on ritual practices in the shamanism of the northern Altaians living in the Altai Republic (Tubalars, Chelkants, Kumandins) (hereinafter referred to as Altai shamanism). The sacred complex of Altai shamanism is examined. The research problem is the lack of systematization of the sacred values of Altai shamanism. The “sacred focus” method is used within anthropological and ethnographic research frameworks. The novelty of the work lies in the development of the concept of the sacred complex of shamanism, an attempt to systematize sacred values related to the world of things and events. Altai shamanism is considered in terms of its role in sacralizing the daily life of cultural participants. The main results of the study are as follows: the sacred complex of Altai shamanism is formed on the basis of cultural representatives' ideas about the relationship between the natural and material spaces of everyday life. These ideas enable Altai shamans to maintain adherence to traditional religion and appropriate rituals. They also expand the range of sacralized values associated with shamans' daily lives. In general, the sacred complex reflects values significant for each person's life, correlated with birth, adulthood, and other important events, such as the change of seasons. In Altai shamanism, the sacred complex influences the maintenance of the cult and, from a functional point of view, ensures the continuity of shamanic practices and restrains the process of their modernization, which naturally occurs in worship.
Keywords: shamanism of the northern Altaians, sacred complex, sacred values, eventfulness, attributes of existence, rituals and prayers of shamans
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Issue: 3, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: ANTHROPOLOGY
Pages: 118 — 128
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