Manchu Shamanism

Manchu traditional religion is the ethnic religion practiced by most of the Manchu people, speakers of the Tungusic Chinese language group. It is alternately named Manchu shamanism. The word "shaman" is derived from Tungusic šamán and was later applied by Western scholars to similar religious practices in other cultures. It is an animistic and polytheistic religion that believes in several gods and spirits who are led by a universal sky god called Abka Enduri (Sky God or God of Heaven). This god is also called Abka Han (Sky Khan or Khan of Heaven) and Abka Ama (Sky Father). Akba Han is the source of all life and creation. Male Akba Han was originally female Abka Hehe (Sky Woman orSky Mother). Deities inhabit and animate every aspect of nature. The worship of these gods is believed to bring favour, health and prosperity. Many of the gods were originally Manchu ancestors. People with the same surname are descendants of the same god. The shamans are persons of unusual ability, strength, and sensitivity, and are capable of perceiving and predicting the actions of the gods. Shamans oversee the social function of conducting sacrificial ceremonies and the spiritual function of approaching the deities to ask them for intervention or protection. Because of these abilities, shamans enjoy great authority and prestige. Every Manchu kinship group possesses its own shaman. Manchu folk religious rites were standardized by a manual published in Manchu in 1747 written in Qing Mandarin. Subsequently, the Manchu began to abandon the Tungusic language, adopted the Mandarin language, and became assimilated into the Chinese religion, although Manchu folk religion persists with a distinct character within broader Chinese religion. Today, Manchu shamanism has between 700,000 and 900,000 followers. Descriptions of Manchu religion usually distinguishes two types of ritual, domestic and primitive, which can be performed in two cultic settings, imperial and common. The domestic ritual primarily involves sacrifices for the progenitors of lineages and is most important. The primitive ritual involves sacrifices for zoomorphic gods. The ancestral ritual is the same in the common and imperial cults and is composed of three components: the dawn sacrifice (chaoji), the sunset sacrifice (xiji), and the "light-extinguishing" sacrifice (beidingji) held at midnight. Both common and imperial rituals make use of a spirit pole, or gods' pole (shéngān, shénzhù, or šomo) as a means of establishing a connection with Heaven. The Qing Dynasty erected a spirit pole in the women's quarters of the Forbidden City to conduct shamanic ceremonies. The domestic ritual is bright and harmonious, but the primitive or (wild) ritual is associated with darkness and mystery. With its reliance on techniques of ecstasy, the primitive ritual had long been discouraged by the court. Jin Dynasty Emperor Hong Taiji proscribed it as early as 1636. Manchu religious cults originally took place in shrines called tangse, but by the late seventeenth century all communal tangse were prohibited with the exception of the imperial cult building. Households continued to practice their rituals at private altars called weceku.