Chinese Wu, Ritualists and Shamans
An Ethnological Analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3247355 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael James Winkelman (0000-0002-9936-348X, Arizona State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 852 |
| Publication date | 2023-06-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel14070852 |
| OpenAlex | W4382724154 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 27 |
The relationship of wu (巫) to shamanism is problematic, with virtually all mentions of historical and contemporary Chinese wu ritualists translated into English as shaman. Ethnological research is presented to illustrate cross-cultural patterns of shamans and other ritualists, providing an etic framework for empirical assessments of resemblances of Chinese ritualists to shamans. This etic framework is further validated with assessments of the relationship of the features with biogenetic bases of ritual, altered states of consciousness, innate intelligences and endogenous healing processes. Key characteristics of the various types of wu and other Chinese ritualists are reviewed and compared with ethnological models of the patterns of ritualists found cross-culturally to illustrate their similarities and contrasts. These comparisons illustrate the resemblances of pre-historic and commoner wu to shamans but additionally illustrate the resemblances of most types of wu to other ritualist types, not shamans. Across Chinese history, wu underwent transformative changes into different types of ritualists, including priests, healers, mediums and sorcerers/witches. A review of contemporary reports on alleged shamans in China also illustrates that only some correspond to the characteristics of shamans found in cross-cultural research and foraging societies. The similarities of most types of wu ritualists to other types of ritualists found cross-culturally illustrate the greater accuracy of translating wu as "ritualist" or "religious ritualist
Archaeology · China · Consciousness · Emic and etic · Epistemology · Ethnology · Shamanism · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Geographies of human-animal interactions · History · Philosophy
Shamanic and Mythic Cultures of Ethnic Peoples in Northern China
Shamanism
The Image And Status Of Shamans In Ancient China
Shamanism as a biogenetic structural paradigm for humans’ evolved social psychology
Reflections on the Political Role of Spirit Mediums in Early China
Witchcraft and the Rise of the First Confucian Empire
The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology
The Shamanic Paradigm
A cross-cultural study of the elementary forms of religious life
Shamanism and the Origins of Spirituality and Ritual Healing
The Shaman or Chinese Wu
When Red Pigeons Gathered on Tang's House”
An Ethnological Analogy and Biogenetic Model for Interpretation of Religion and Ritual in the Past
The Social Significance of the Shaman among the Chinese Reindeer-Evenki
Magico-Religious Practitioner Types and Socioeconomic Conditions
Ritual Exposure in Ancient China
Debating the Spirit in Early China To Become a God
Old Sinitic * M γ ag , Old Persian Maguš , and English “Magician”
Shamanism Theory and the Early Chinese Wu
Magicians, Magic, and Shamanism in Ancient China
Two Faces of the Manchu Shaman
Can Wu and Xi in Guoyu Be Categorised as Shamans
The Evolution of Chinese Shamanism
Wu and shaman
Shamans and Other "Magico-Religious" Healers
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |