Shamans in Ming China (original) (raw)
Shamanism (wushu 巫術) in China can be traced back to the early Shang Dynasty. During the Shang Dynasty, it was common for shamans to hold positions as low ranking state officials, often serving as spirit mediums, fortune-tellers, healers, and exorcists. Shamanism continued to proliferate throughout China until the Sui Dynasty, when Confucianism and Daoism began to take over religious thought and tradition. Daoists saw shamans as a threat since they were often employed to perform similar rituals and exorcisms. Eventually Shamanism declined drastically in the Song dynasty once Daoism became more influential in the Song China's courts. Daoist traditions and rituals gained influence and shamans were seen as false healers who exploited their clients for financial gain. Over time shaman healers,
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| dbo:abstract | Shamanism (wushu 巫術) in China can be traced back to the early Shang Dynasty. During the Shang Dynasty, it was common for shamans to hold positions as low ranking state officials, often serving as spirit mediums, fortune-tellers, healers, and exorcists. Shamanism continued to proliferate throughout China until the Sui Dynasty, when Confucianism and Daoism began to take over religious thought and tradition. Daoists saw shamans as a threat since they were often employed to perform similar rituals and exorcisms. Eventually Shamanism declined drastically in the Song dynasty once Daoism became more influential in the Song China's courts. Daoist traditions and rituals gained influence and shamans were seen as false healers who exploited their clients for financial gain. Over time shaman healers, who were mainly illiterate, were replaced by doctors and medical experts who were trusted for their education and literacy. Eventually, Shamanism was mostly isolated to cults in south-eastern and south-western parts of Ming China. During the Ming Dynasty, Confucianism was at the center of China's philosophy and religion. Unlike their Daoist counterparts, the elite Confucian literati sought to end shamanistic practices through assimilation and suppression. This was important to Confucians because they saw shamans as a lower class and wanted to create a distinct separation from them. This proved difficult because shamanism, unlike Daoism and Buddhism, had no central tradition, ideology, or location. Instead, isolated shaman cults were often established in small, local communities. In these isolated communities, shamans were accepted and continued practicing as exorcists, spirit mediums, and healers. Those who did hire shamans were often either ill-informed or could not afford a medical expert. (en) |
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| rdfs:comment | Shamanism (wushu 巫術) in China can be traced back to the early Shang Dynasty. During the Shang Dynasty, it was common for shamans to hold positions as low ranking state officials, often serving as spirit mediums, fortune-tellers, healers, and exorcists. Shamanism continued to proliferate throughout China until the Sui Dynasty, when Confucianism and Daoism began to take over religious thought and tradition. Daoists saw shamans as a threat since they were often employed to perform similar rituals and exorcisms. Eventually Shamanism declined drastically in the Song dynasty once Daoism became more influential in the Song China's courts. Daoist traditions and rituals gained influence and shamans were seen as false healers who exploited their clients for financial gain. Over time shaman healers, (en) |
| rdfs:label | Shamans in Ming China (en) |
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