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objects surrounding us.” In summoning these spirits the
Shaman imitates with wonderful cleverness the various sounds
of nature and of animals. You hear the low whispering
of the wind in the forest, its sighs and moans among the
tops of the trees, the howling and roaring of the storm on
the tundra, followed by a feeble tap of the drumstick,
signifying that the spirits of the winds are now captured in the
drum. After a short pause you hear the shriek of the
owl, the bleating of the snipe, the curious laughing note
of the ptarmigan, the growling of the bear, the howling
of the wolf, etc., followed by a fresh beat of the drum.
The “lower spirits” being thus captured, the Shaman now
goes to work to conquer the “stronger spirits.” To this end
he puts on the “volshebnaya odjeshda,” the magic kaftan,
hung with numerous symbolical pieces of metal of different
shapes and sizes, and taking hold of the drum, repeats
some prayers and formulas of exorcism in an old language,
seldom understood but by the oldest Shamans. Then the
beat of the drum increases, until it culminates in loud claps
of thunder, accompanied by the pattering and beating
of rain and hail. At length the Shaman throws the drum
away and begins dancing and jumping, uttering the while
—half singing and half shrieking—various prayers and
formulas of exorcism. By this time the congregation, who
have hitherto been sitting awe-struck and silent, have become
excited too, and now loudly join in the chanting and
exorcisms, until together with the Shaman they fall into
a swoon of ecstasy. During this ecstasy the Shaman is
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