Mongol Shamans

Mongol shamans are not all alike. In fact there are a number of shamanic traditions in the Mongol Cultural Region that spans the borders of three countries, Mongolia, Russia, and China. The region comprises Kalmykia, Buryatia, Mongolia, Inner-Mongolia and certain parts of north west China (mainly Xinjiang and Qinghai provinces) that are inhabited by Mongols. In this vast territory there are three major areas or regions where different shamanic traditions are practiced. Shamans from these regions differ greatly from each other. These regions are the following:

1. The Darkhat or north western region inhabited by the Mongol Darkhats and the Turkic Dukhas (also known by their Mongolian name Tsaatans). Darkhat and Dukha shamans practice a south siberian turkic type of shamanism, which is very similar to that of the Tuvans.
2. The north eastern region is populated by the Buryats, Bargas and Daurs. Their shamanism shows similarities with the shamanism of the Tungus.
3. The south eastern region or the Khorchin region is situated at the south eastern periphery of the Mongol Cultural Region north east from Beijing. The shamanism of the Khorchin Mongols has much proximity with that of the Manchu and Sibe ethnic groups.

Here is a map of the above-mentioned regions of Mongol shamanism:

A Tuvan shaman

A Buryat shaman



Khorchin shamans