Yakut shamanism contains pronounced dualistic features that divide the spirit world into good and evil, reflected in the distinction between 'white' shamans (associated with upper deities and fertility) and 'black' shamans (linked to lower, destructive forces). Drawing on G. Ksenofontov's theory that this dualism arose from a transition from bull to horse cults alongside class processes, the paper uses field data from 2022–2024 expeditions to rural Yakutia. Christian conversion caused white shamanic roles—especially ancestor and deity worship—to decline while black shamanic practices survived. The Ysyakh holiday ritual culture still displays both fertility and destruction symbols. Shamanic healing methods further illustrate this dualism. The authors argue for an integrated approach that includes both traditional shamanism and neo-shamanism to understand Sakha cultural heritage.
Healing in Buryat shamanic tradition is primarily a ritual and magical activity rather than a therapeutic one. Shamans do not perform medical treatments but instead use spells and semiotic rituals to propitiate or neutralize mythological disease spirits, relying on word magic and communicative connection with the other world. Analysis of archival verbal materials from Western Buryats shows that these healing practices are monotypic in ritual basis, rooted in belief in the magical power of word and ritual, and incorporate rudiments of earlier folk methods. The rituals correspond to main calendar and life-cycle ceremonies, serving to eliminate perceived causes of illness.