What is the shaman culture of Manchu? Can you elaborate on it?

Shaman culture is the general name of folklore and culture closely related to Shamanism, including Shamanism itself.

Shamanism is a relatively primitive religious belief, which came into being in the Neolithic Age. Its basic theory is animism, which mainly worships the ancestors of clans or tribes, and has the content of nature worship or totem worship. Shamanism doesn't have the same written classics, but only the words that are recited during sacrifice, that is, "hymns". Shamanism has no religious organizations and professional clergy, few specific temples and few unified and standardized religious ceremonies. It is the earliest religious system in the world.

Shamanism was once widely distributed in all continents in the northern hemisphere, and its belief content was quite different due to different nationalities, regions and clans. But basically there is a common feature, that is, I believe that soul and body can be separated, and God and man can communicate directly. Therefore, shamanism believes that God can be attached to the selected clergy (shaman) to communicate with people, and the shaman's soul can also communicate with God without the body.

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Manchu shamanism is a branch of shamanism in the world. It is the most unique shamanism in the world, which transcends the old clan concept and gradually combines with the class social model. It has the characteristics of combining nature worship with ancestor worship, and also uses hero worship.

The natural god of Manchu shamanism is called "Great God" in Chinese, and "Enduli" in Manchu is the god who dominates the laws of nature and the world. Mainly include: mother Afka (God), mother Frodo (God of health and fertility), mother Yuelou (God of the earth), mother Uxiha (God of the stars), mother Biya (God of the moon), mother Instant (Sun God), mother Modry (God of the Sea), mother Song Ali (God of the Songhua River) and mother Sahel Modiri (Mother). The gods are in charge of nature respectively, but they have the same obligation, that is, through the meeting of the gods, they take turns to be the mountain owners of Changbai Mountain. Therefore, Manchu people have a special interest in Changbai Mountain and regard it as a holy place for gods to meet. This is also the root of Manchu custom of worshipping Changbai Mountain.

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The next category is the animal gods, that is, the beasts that dominate the animal kingdom are commonly known as' wild gods', such as Brandon, the mother of the eagle, Tasha, the mother of the tiger, Agu, the mother of the wolf, Helen, the mother of the water tower, Asher, the mother of the flying tiger, the mother of the snake, and Mudiri Mafa, the mother of the dragon. This is a religious expression of respecting nature in Manchu culture.

Another kind of god is called' Manni', which is the hero god. This kind of god is generally a war hero or a person who has made outstanding contributions in the real society. After his death, he returned to Changbai Mountain according to shamanism and was named a god. For example: Zhu Lumani, Ambamani, Charamani, Mankachin Manni, Outer Mary. ...

There is also an ancestor god who is the ancestor and shaman of his family. After his death, he was revered as a god by the descendants of his family, collectively known as' Ma Fali', and his shaman ancestors were commonly known as' grandfather gods'. This kind of god is strictly family private. Every Manchu family has its own ancestor god, and at the same time, each family can only sacrifice to its own ancestor god, but never to the ancestor god of others. This is also the source of the custom that Manchu people respect their ancestors very much (except for national heroes Nurhachi and Huang Taiji, but they must not be possessed by gods).

The above-mentioned animal gods, mani gods and grandfather gods are collectively called' in the nest', that is, most of these three gods can enter the shaman's body from the possessed gods in the shaman ceremony, temporarily dominate the shaman's body to talk with believers, help people answer various questions and bless people. Therefore, the sacred board enshrined on the west wall of Manchu traditional houses is called "nest garage". When Manchu people get married, or when there are important events at home, they should burn incense in the garage and pray for success.

It is worth noting that N'Dori, the first natural deity, can't communicate directly with people at all, that is, you can't be possessed by a deity. Here, I have to mention the special ceremony of being possessed by a spirit. When shamanism sacrifices, its main clergy are divided into two categories. One kind is' Shaman', commonly known as' Great God'. This position is available to both men and women. They are living media, dedicated to the voluntary possession of the gods in the ceremony. Before they became shamans, they often suffered from diseases in their childhood or adolescence, and for a long time, their conditions were strange and incurable. Only after being forced to learn shaman techniques from the older generation of shamans will the illness be alleviated and gradually disappear. The task of shaman sacrifice is to respectfully invite the gods into their bodies. After their successful possession, they will temporarily lose their self-awareness, act in God's way of thinking, speak in God's tone, and their voices and voices will change until God leaves. Another kind of clergy is called Zailing, commonly known as Er Shen. They are the key to the whole sacrifice. Their main task is to assist shamans to possess gods. When the possession is successful, they are responsible for direct dialogue with the gods, conveying everyone's intentions to the gods, and protecting the unconscious shaman from falling or being injured. After talking and entertaining with the gods, the leader should help the shaman regain consciousness and send the gods away. This process is crucial. If the shaman can't wake up in time, the consequences are likely to be abnormal because of mental stress, and even lead to acute myocardial infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, and the shaman will be in danger. Therefore, people in Northeast China often say that it is easier to ask God than to send him away. (About the unconscious performance of shaman in the process of deification, this is a hot topic in the fields of international folklore, religion, psychology, physiology, etc., and it has not been explained by * * * knowledge at present. The mainstream view holds that shaman's apotheosis coma is an emotional self-hypnosis reflex, which in turn forms physiological and psychological cooperation under the control of the subconscious. In addition, shaman and Zailing must be selected by their own families, and generally only provide religious services for their family members. Although he is a full-time clergyman, he is not professional. They usually do their daily work like ordinary family members, and only go out for religious activities as clergy during sacrifices, festivals and family activities.

From shamanism to Manchu cultural life, it is listed as follows: dogs are animals given by God and cannot be killed at will. They can only be used for worship, not for eating. When Manchu people catch and train eagles, they should first pray to Brandon Min, the eagle. When digging ginseng, you should also pray to Changbai Mountain. At the sacrificial ceremony, shaman often sang hymns containing the typical musical features of Manchu folk songs. Various rice cakes, yellow rice cakes and meat are also typical representatives of Manchu cuisine.