Japanese Shamanism: trance and possession: trance and possession

By Daniele Ricci

The present work examines the controversies inherent to the issues on shamanic practices, by comparing the different outlooks of the scholars and their methodological approaches, Then, applying to the case of Japan, it will give a theoretical systematization of trance and possession going through the figures of the ascetic and that of the medium to demonstrate that none of them can be associated to the Eliade's Siberian type of shaman, with the former experiencing a different kind of “state of mind”, and the latter lacking the ability to master the spirits.
Contents:
The term “shamanism”
The case of shamanism in Japan
The gyōja
The miko
Dai and yuta
The character “fu” 巫

• Language: English
• Publisher: Volume Edizioni
• Release date: Nov 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9788897747086

Book preview

JAPANESE SHAMANISM

TRANCE AND POSSESSION

DANIELE RICCI

Volume Edizioni

TITLE

Japanese shamanism: trance and possession

AUTHOR

Daniele Ricci

COLLECTION

Imago Mundi

ISBN  978-88-97747-08-6

First published : March 2012

© Volume Edizioni s.r.l.

Volume Edizioni s.r.l.

Via G. Ricci Curbastro, 7 – 00149 Rome - Italy

[e-mail]

Cover by: Volume Edizioni

Copyright © Volume Edizioni s.r.l.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduce, stored in a retrieval system, or trasmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, the copy buyed is only for the personal use of the buyer, any violation can be sue according italian penal code (L. 633/1941) .

Premise

The phenomenon of shamanism in Japan has begun to receive attention from foreign scholars in the last few decades. However, the issues related to the validity of the term shaman have influenced the approach to the supposed corresponding Japanese phenomenon, causing it to be deprived of its own identity. This does not follow Eliade’s suggestion that shamanism tends to adapt to a pre-existent religious structure¹, for in Japan the components of the main type to which the term refers - that of the Northern-Central Asia - appear to be missing.

In the present discussion I will examine the controversies inherent to the issues on shamanic practices, by comparing the different outlooks of the scholars and their methodological approaches. Then I will give a theoretical systematization of trance and possession, which I apply to the case of Japan, going through the figures of the ascetic and that of