Mention the word “soul” and you’re likely to elicit a wide variety of responses. For contemporary Americans, for example, the term may conjure up images of popular African-American music, a festive Halloween celebration, or even delicious Southern-style food. And for people with a religious bent, ideas about personal salvation and life after death are likely to come to mind.
In Mongolia, however, the term has a unique history of its own. Its meaning is similar to the contemporary English word, but there are very specific ideas about the relationship of souls with the state of health of individuals.
Like the medieval ideas about the existence of evil spirits that were part of many European communities, the Mongolian tradition provides detailed examples of malevolent forces that can enter the body and cause physical harm in the form of disease. Elaborate religious devices for the exorcism of these evil spirits were common in many parts of the world. However, Mongolia has a very intriguing ritual that is perhaps separate from these traditions and has had a lasting impact on many of its inhabitants to this day.
Not only can malevolent spirits infiltrate the body, but also an individual’s soul can be summoned by evil spirits to leave the body, as in the case of death. As a means of countering these threats, local shamans perform elaborate religious rituals to call the soul back into the person’s body.
Spiritual Remedies
In a fascinating account of this activity, a British anthropologist, CR Bawden, documented a shaman’s attempt to call the soul home. The shaman said:
“In your wisdom, go no further but come here. Why will you go to Erlig*?
Come leaning on the arms of the demons and goblins of the south. Don’t let your soul sink into the ground.
Take and partake of this pure wounded water.
Qung** You… is here. Your mother is here.
Your country is here. Your older brother is here. Your little brother is here.
Don’t go further, further. Come here, here.
What will you go to the kingdom of Erlig for? Oh dear, come here!
Qung! Your sister is here. Your father’s older sister is here. Your good clothes are here. Don’t go further, further.
Come here, here. Oh darling, come listen.
Good clothes of yours are here. Your loved ones are here. Why will you go to the kingdom of Erlig?
Don’t go further, further. Come here, here.”
The social meaning of summoning souls
A. Amarsanna, a cultural anthropologist at the National University of Mongolia, says of the process:
“The invocation of souls is a very important social phenomenon since it is the product of an ancestral culture. The soul is tied to a person’s relationship with their ancestors. This is highly significant, as there is a widespread belief that departed souls, and particularly the souls of ancestors, can have a tremendous influence on daily life.
When evil spirits cause the soul to leave the body, a shaman will perform various rituals not only to restore health, but also to reduce any fear that the onset of disease may cause. From a psychological point of view, this is very important for the mental state of individuals and also for the well-being of the community in general.
These rituals are performed because there is a belief that illnesses are caused by spirits or malevolent forces. This contrasts with modern scientific theories about the chemical and molecular causes of disease. And because Mongolia is influenced by a great diversity of ideas, both traditional and modern, concepts like these often co-exist.”
A contemporary shaman at work
B. Zorigtbaatar, a local shaman, explains his attempts to summon the soul back into the body of a sick person: “The soul can escape when someone is shocked or frightened. This can cause great harm to the person or even death. death. And because I have special powers, I can call the soul back to the body to restore the person’s health. I receive my abilities from heaven… I can see the soul in a person’s eyes. And I can see the souls of our ancestors… my special power comes from the moon, the stars, and the sun.”
While Zorigtbaatar spoke in a rambling and even incoherent voice, he certainly seemed not to lack conviction about his ability to communicate with souls, spirits, and a variety of celestial bodies. During a packed ceremony, he acted like a man possessed by some kind of supernatural power. He beat his drum and shouted in a deep, gravelly voice, “Spirit, please come back! Come back to our home and home! Again, spirit, please come back! Come back to our home and home!”
Perhaps the most striking feature of Zorigtbaatar’s performance was his imposing, even intimidating appearance. The robust bearded shaman weighs perhaps 140 kilos. And as he performed a series of short dance steps, someone with an active imagination might even claim to have heard thunder.
However, it was Zorigtbaatar’s emotional intensity that left the deepest impression. While his raspy voice rose and fell with tremendous differences in volume, hers was accompanied by a trembling tone that seemed to be related to some kind of religious fervor. And as he watched the alternating facial grimaces that perhaps indicated excruciating pain and blissful ecstasy, I wondered if this shaman was in touch with some kind of deep magical experience.
I also wondered about the people who had come to witness this surreal event. Were they in serious trouble? Were they simply trying to bring good fortune to themselves? Or were they simply drawn in by the sheer spectacle of this colorful fluke?
Summoning souls in the 21st century
When I left the shaman’s suffocating ger after witnessing this dramatic event, my feelings were quite difficult to describe. I wondered about the meaning of such a ceremony in our very modern world. I was also wondering about its impact on the local people, be it good or bad. And I also wondered to what extent this ceremony coincided with similar rituals that had been performed elsewhere in the very distant past.
With all this in mind, it is fascinating to consider the thoughts behind this ancient ritual. Ideas about the material existence of humanity are surely part of this event. A tendency to apply supernatural causes to explain ordinary everyday events would seem to be part of this process. Perhaps they are just ancient rituals performed as a means of providing concrete answers to various human problems, in a world that can be too puzzling.
And for modern people who enjoy the prospect of trying to understand the psychology behind these behaviors and, more importantly, the ancient traditions of a nomadic people, the opportunity to witness such a ceremony is truly rewarding. At the same time, it is somewhat ironic that such activities are once again becoming more prevalent as Mongolia enters the 21st century. We can only reflect on what these activities could mean in the not too distant future.
Font:
Bawden, CR, Calling the Soul: A Mongolian Letany, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 25, no. 1/# (1962), pp. 81-103.
Footnotes
* Erlig: a) king of the underworld, the underworld, die, kill; b) a demon from the underworld, angel of death; C) enemy, ruin.
** Qung: There is uncertainty about the transcription of the term “Qung” in the mentioned text. There may have been an error copying the term from the original transcript. The author believes that it is most likely an exclamation.
