Textualism of the shamanistic texts published by A. V. Anokhin: comments on the images, symbols and concepts

The paper gives a textualistic analysis of the Altai shamanic texts published in the book by A.V. Anokhin «Materials on the shamanism of the Altaians» [1924]. The author of the paper identifies important semantic components of a shamanic texts: archetypes, concepts and symbols. Such value concepts as pyyan / kuruy ‘benefit’, ÿlÿ ‘share’ enchu ‘quiet life’ were important landmarks in the minds of the Altai shamans when they were appealing to the deities and patron spirits. The common motif of the deity-thunderer and theonym Karshyt in the shamanistic texts of the Altaians finds its parallels in the Indo-Iranian mythology. This allows us to assume that the shamanism of the peoples of Southern Siberia was an open religious or cult system that had incorporated some elements of other archaic religions.

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