[expand]The shamans served as professional intermediaries when direct ancestral communication was required but difficult to achieve. The typical family member could make offerings and speak prayers, hoping ancestors heard and responded favorably, but lacked techniques for reliable two-way communication. The shaman’s training included methods for contacting specific dead individuals, entering trance states allowing conversation with spirits, and interpreting signs indicating ancestral attitudes.
The séance-like rituals brought living and dead into direct contact. The family gathered in tent or at kurgan, the shaman entered trance through hemp vapor, drumming, or other techniques, his consciousness traveled to realm where ancestors dwelt, he located specific deceased relative, engaged in spiritual conversation, then returned reporting messages or advice. The process was not always successful—sometimes ancestor couldn’t be found, occasionally malevolent spirits interfered, rare individuals were trapped in confused post-death state unable to communicate clearly. But successful séances provided invaluable information and reassurance that dead remained concerned with living descendants’ welfare.
The dream interpretation utilized shamanic expertise when ancestors communicated through dreams but meaning was ambiguous. A tribal member who dreamed of deceased grandfather might consult shaman for explanation: was this genuine ancestral contact or merely psychological processing? If genuine, what was ancestor attempting to communicate? Did dream contain warning, advice, or simply greeting? The shaman’s interpretation could determine major decisions, his authority deriving from specialized knowledge of spiritual symbolism and ancestral communication patterns.
The curse removal addressed situations where ancestors became angry, usually due to neglect or violation of taboos, and inflicted punishment on living descendants. The symptoms varied—persistent bad luck, unexplained illness, military defeats, herd losses—but pattern of misfortunes suggested supernatural rather than natural causes. The shaman would diagnose ancestral curse through divination, determine which specific ancestors were offended and why, prescribe appropriate offerings or behavioral changes to appease them, and perform rituals breaking curse and restoring harmony.
[/expand]