Hamayon, Roberte

1 min read

Hamayon, Roberte – French linguist and ethnologist. Hamayon has conducted extensive research on Mongolian peoples and shamanism in Mongolia, Siberia, and China. She has drawn attention to the negative connotations of isolating trance, ecstasy, and altered states of consciousness as defining features of shamanisms in Siberia, these having been used to demonize shamans in the past, and argues that in consequence these terms are of little use in informing our understanding of what shamans do. Hamayon theorizes about shamans, sex, and gender in Siberian shamanism, arguing that shamanic séances among the Evenk (Tungus) and Buryat are themselves “sexual encounters.” As such, she argues that the “marriage” between shamans and their helpers is more significant in understanding what these shamans do than the ecstasy, mastery of spirits, or journeying emphasized by other scholars. Hamayon’s work has also clarified the relationship between shamans and community in pre-Soviet Siberia: shamans secured “good luck” for hunters, and the ceremony at which this is effected involved the interplay of “game” (hunted animals) and “games” (entertainment and contests), enhancing our understanding of relationships, especially reciprocity, in shamanistic communities. Hamayon was a researcher (1965–74) at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and since 1974 she has been director of studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, Science of Religion Section. She is the founder of the Centre for Mongolian and Siberian Studies and its journal, Études mongoles et sibériennes.

SOURCE:

Historical Dictionary of Shamanism by Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis 2007

BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ IN OUR LIBRARY:

Previous Story

Hallowell, A. Irving “Pete”

Next Story

Harner, Michael

Latest from Blog

Eugène Deloncle

Eugène Deloncle was a French businessman and far-right political activist who lived from 1890 to 1944.…

Thixo

Thixo is a creator god in Xhosa mythology. In Xhosa culture, Thixo is considered the highest…

Aziza

In Tuareg mythology, Aziza are protective spirits or genies that are believed to inhabit natural features…

Irikuden

Irikuden is a legendary hero in Tuareg mythology, who is revered as a symbol of strength,…

Tin Hinan

Tin Hinan is a legendary figure in Tuareg mythology, who is considered the mother of the…