VISITING DEAD ANCESTORS: SHAMANS AS INTERPRETERS OF RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS |
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Authors: | Lyle B. Steadman Craig T. Palmer |
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Affiliation: | Lyle B. Steadman is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281.;Craig T. Palmer is Instructor of Anthropology at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. |
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Abstract: | Abstract. Religious traditions enable ancestors to encourage proper social behavior in their distant descendants. Although traditional myths and rituals can provide basic values, these values must be interpreted in light of the specific circumstances encountered by later generations. In tribal societies the task of interpreting religious traditions falls upon religious leaders known as shamans. Shamans, perhaps universally, are claimed to obtain instructions from dead ancestors on how to deal with social disruptions. This paper argues that a focus on the more exotic aspects of shamanism has kept previous studies from realizing the crucial role of shamans as interpreters of religious traditions. |
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Keywords: | cooperation evolution religious traditions shamans |
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