«Thing» and «Symbol»: On the Issue of Reading the Symbolism of Shamanic Attributes

The analysis of the shamanic tradition allows finding, along with the later layers, archaic layers belonging to the earlier stages of formation of mythological consciousness. Therefore, the symbolism of many shamanic attributes has an archetypical nature and belongs to cultural universals. The present paper presents the analysis of a symbolic meaning of some - probably most archaic in their origin - sha-manic attributes which are of semantic value in the mytho-ritual tradition of Siberian peoples. One of such attributes is a stick. In many cosmogonies a stick is one of the principal tools, with the help of which the ordering of the initial chaos is carried out. It may be that a stick, as the simplest tool, could constitute the first thing endowed with a meaning for human understanding, the first thing as a symbol. Later on, this meaning was incorporated in the concept of the World Tree that became an all-encompassing universal symbolic complex. Many researchers studying shamanism come to the conclusion that a stick, chronologically and mythologically, preceded a tambourine. Undoubtedly, in the tradition of Siberian peoples, a stick, as many other endowed with a high semiotic status things, primarily fulfilled a meditative function to help people maintain contact with the sacred side of existence. Being part of the cosmogonical process, they allowed a human group to feel their constant relevance and at the same time, to bring their daily life closer to the sacred patterns. Of interest appears to be the idea that a stick could serve as a prototype of the earliest and simplest musical instruments. It may be that another shamanic attribute - a bow with arrows - also goes back to a stick as the oldest ritual and musical instrument. A bow is not only an old musical instrument but also an old magical tool of magicians and prophets which later became an important part of the shamanic practice. Supposedly, the genesis of string musical instruments consisted of a few stages: («sensitive stick») - a musical bow - a string musical instrument. This is confirmed by the similar functions and the single sacred value of these attributes in the ritual practice of various peoples. The universal sacred attributes which got spread in the Siberian area are beater, paddle, spoon, and scoop. These household things have an independent ritual meaning and are broadly used in shamanism. The multifunctionality of these things allows assuming their deep archaism and the possible use in a shamanic ritual long before the tambourine. The high semiotic status of these things brings them to the most sacred event of ancient mythologies. They are the principal tools for the ordering of the initial chaos. Analyzing the most ancient shamanic attributes, we find ourselves in a situation when it is impossible to draw distinct lines as to their functioning. This situation is fixed even at a language level. The thing is that what we have got is a number of archetypical images embodying the single archetype of the oldest creation tool which performs the primary universal cosmogonical action.

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