Shamanism

This is a photograph of a shamans dress and an arm ornament worn by shamans in South America of the Akawaio tribe. It is made from strings of duck down, trade beads and coloured wool, ornamented with beetle elytra, orange feathers of the rock bird and pink and white feathers of the talega bird. The armband has shells.

The streamers connecting the two armbands are worn down the back and the arms are slipped into two wool loops and made secure above the elbow by adjustment of the shells. I studied this in the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, from their reserve collection.
Through all ages the practice of Shamanism has remained vital adapting itself to the ways of all cultures. Today the role of the shaman takes many forms - healer, ceremonialist, judge,sacred politician, and artist to name a few.

The shaman lies at the heart of some cultures, while living on the shadowy fringes of others. A common thread seems to connect all shamans, an awakening to the other orders of reality, the experience of ecstasy and the opening up of visionary realms from the essence of the shamanic mission.