Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 25, 1914.djvu/58

 46 The Religions Ideas and Practices of

people. According to such scholars on Siberia as Jochel- son and Klementz, and such native scientists as Banzarofif and Khangaloft', their shamanistic cult differs, in their con- ceptions about the deities and in ritual, from that of other primitive religions ; though of course, taking it compara- tively, this cult answers to the pre-animistic and animistic cults of other primitives. " One must not lose sight," says Klementz, '' of the fact that in the various beliefs of the Siberian tribes a very close connexion is noticeable, and, likewise, there can be observed an uninterrupted identity in the foundations of their mythology and in their rites, even extending as far as the nomenclature — all of which gives one the right to suppose that these beliefs are the result of the joint work of the intellectual activity of the whole north of Asia."-^ Shamanism, although officially existing only among a small portion of those 750,000 natives, is yet very strong there, under the Buddhistic and Mohammedan surface among Neo-Siberians, as well as in the nominally Christian hearts of Palaeo-Siberians. l^his shamanism is, however, differentiated by the influence of environment into two subordinate types, which may be termed " northern" and " southern."

The " northern " type, however, corresponds not quite strictly to the geographical northern zone. The line dividing the "northern" and "southern" types of shaman- ism forms a diagonal running from south-west to north-east of the Siberian area. As has been said, when dealing with climate, this division corresponds to the two climatic regions, arctic and sub-arctic.

Ceremonials.

In the northern type of shamanism, or among the Palaeo- Siberians, the influence of darkness, cold, and scarcity of food is to be observed in all social and religious ideas.

-^J. Hastings, The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. iii., p. 2.