The Tree and Its Image in the Cultic Practice of the Khakass Shamans (Late 19th – Mid 20th Century)

Among the Khakass people, trees serve as both an essential economic resource and a central symbol with a broad semantic range, perceived as objects belonging simultaneously to the profane and sacred worlds. In shamanic practices of the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, the birch tree played a dual role: it embodied the concept of the world tree and the shaman's personal tree. Shamans traveled across the universe and conveyed sacrifices through the birch, which was called "Sacred birch with golden leaves." The shaman's attributes, vitality, and supernatural abilities were directly tied to this tree, which he received from patron spirits during his formative years.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In the culture of the Khakass people trees are not only the most important economic resource, but also a key structuring symbol. The tree has extremely wide semantic field. In the traditional consciousness of the Khakass people, the symbolic status and functions of the tree are determined by its perception as an object endowed with special properties, belonging simultaneously to the profane and sacred worlds. Therefore, the tree has the highest practical and mythological importance in the life of the people. Image of the tree plays a special role in shamanism. The choice of the chronological framework of the study, covering the late 19th – mid 20th centuries, resulted from the set of available ethnographic, linguistic, and folklore sources which also include unpublished archival ethnographic evidence. The study follows the methodological principle of historicism. Historical and ethnographic methods of cultural relics and structural-semantic analysis are used. The study has revealed that cultic activities of the Khakass shamans were inextricably linked with trees. In the ritual practices of shamanism, the image of the tree had a dual function, embodying the concepts of the world tree and personal shamanic tree. It has been established that birch invariably played this role in the rituals. In shaman’s prayers, it is called Altyn pirlig pai Khakas – “Sacred birch with golden leaves.” Through this tree, the shaman traveled across the worlds of the universe and passed on sacrifices to various deities and spirits. In addition, the “sacred birch” was identified with shaman’s personal tree which he “received” from patron spirits during his formative years as a shaman. All shaman’s attributes, his vitality and supernatural abilities were directly connected with this tree.