Bolat Bayrisev and Arjan Kezerekov who will make the shaman ceremony are not musician, they are shamans who live in Republic of Altay.
It is unclear when and how shamanism was born or what changes it has been through. However, it is assumed that it arose around North Asia for about 40,000 years depending on recent scientific work.
According to shamanist belief, the world consists of three parts: sky, underground and earth. In the sky (in other names God of Sky), there lives Ulgen, a God of Light, and good souls committed to him. Erlik is a God of Darkness who lives underground. He lives there with the bad souls committed to him. On earth, there are earth and water gods. These gods protect them against bad souls.
In the shamanist order which is organized around gods, souls and people, the most prominent figure is the Shaman, the religious person. The Shaman stands between gods, souls and people; thus ensuring that the diseases are cured, the sacrifices reach gods, protective souls are brought and the bad souls are exorcized.
It is not possible for everyone to be a shaman. A shaman is the person who comes to world once a century and has power like curing and prophesying. Only the people who are called by souls could be shaman. Those persons may be exposed to some physical changes like dizziness and fainting, and come through some mystical events like see and talk non-physical existences. The shamans are divided into two as White Shamans and Black Shamans. The White Shamans represents Ulgen whereas those who represent earth and underground are known as the Black Shamans.
Group Members
Bolat Bayrisev
Arjan Kezerekov
Their Music
The shaman reaches up to the sky in the ritual and takes the necessary things from Ulgen for people on the ground. The clothing and drums carry special meanings. The white clothes that the White shamans wear symbolize goodness and purity. The hat symbolizes the peak of the snowy Altai Mountains. There is a sun figure on his chest representing the sun that is the source of life and its eternal cycling. The blue stripes symbolize the sky and the water. Also, there may be some animal figures on the clothes like bird, eagle, bear, deer as well as paw and feather. The shaman sometimes gets help from these animals in order to reach up to the sky, and sometimes transforms into the animal’s shapes. As a whole, the shaman clothing shows harmonization and integrity of man and nature. Through the drum used in the ritual, it is easier for a shaman to go into a trance, to elevate to the sky and to proceed to the world of souls.
Instruments
Soor
It is like the flute, which is long blown.
Topsur
It has two strings. A carved pine tree is covered with leather. The two strings which are made of horse tail are tightened over it.
Komus
It is made of wood or methal.
Image Gallery
