Shamanism is an essential work on the study of this mysterious and fascinating phenomenon. The
founder of the modern study of the history of religion Mircea Eliade surveys the tradition
through two and a half millennia of human history moving from the shamanic traditions of
Siberia and Central Asia--where shamanism was first observed--to North and South America
Indonesia Tibet China and beyond. In this authoritative survey Eliade illuminates the
magico-religious life of societies that give primacy of place to the figure of the shaman--at
once magician and medicine man healer and miracle-doer priest mystic and poet. Synthesizing
the approaches of psychology sociology and ethnology Shamanism remains the reference book of
choice for those interested in this practice.
