From: Paul Reilly (paul@minerva.phyast.pitt.edu)
Date: Sat 11 Jul 1992 - 09:56:33 EEST
Paul Reilly here, to contribute a short note about shamanism and fetches. On
Earth, many shamans go on spirit journeys while simultaneously describing them
or performing a psychodrama for their audience/clients/tribespeople. Thus,
one might speculate that on Glorantha (where magic actually works and myths
become reality) that shamans' fetches will animate the body while the shaman
is on a spirit journey and describe or act out the journey as the shaman goes
forth in search of healing or enlightenment or whatever on behalf of his or
her tribe.
I am basing this account more on the way of Siberian shamans (the ones who
are actually called shamans in their own language) more than anything else.
Shamanistic rituals vary a lot from culture to culture and even (especially
among North Americans) from individual to individual.
Another thing missing from the RQIII description of shamanism is that
shamans will often take along fellow-travelers on the spirit journey. The
Gloranthan auxiliary material such as Trollpak often describes various
rituals of this general nature, but rules for it seem to be lacking.
Well, all for now. Hopefuly I will send in more material before too long...
- paul
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