Humor – Shamanic initiation and work can be deadly serious, but it can also employ considerable humor. Elements of bear ceremonialism and of sexual encounters within shamanic performance illustrate this. Some shamanic initiation and healing accounts insist on the need to make otherworld persons, especially aggressive ones, laugh in order to gain mastery of the spirits. The link between shamans and tricksters can also involve considerable humor, while combative shamanism may include satirical comedy.
SOURCE:
Historical Dictionary of Shamanism by Graham Harvey and Robert J. Wallis 2007