Genesis and Evolution of Shamanism in the Ancient Turkic-Turkic-Kazakh Steppes: Historical and Cognitive Orientations

Abstract

In this article analysis of shamanism is carried out, which is formally divided into the following stages: 1. the emergence of world shamanism; 2. its entry into the Turkic-Kazakh steppe; 3. the era of the Revival of shamanism; 4. the competitive (parallel) coexistence of shamanism and Islam; 5. the destruction or revival of shamanism in the Kazakh steppe; 6. «an attempt of Neo-Shamanism». Each stage was given brief characteristics, and finally conclusions were made about its viability. The chronological time of the emergence of shamanism can be determined only approximately, it was told about the wide spread, de-ployment of shamanism in the Turkic-Kazakh steppe, about conflicts and convergence in the context of dialogue with Islamic culture. The destruction of shamanism in the Kazakh steppe is associated with the ideology under the Soviet government and examples and analogies were given by archetypal elements of shamanism in the modern art of the twentieth century, especially in music. As a result of the research, the author drew attention to the appearance of shamanism, which can be called an integral culture, and came to the conclusion about its viability, in which remnants are preserved in the spheres of public life. But shamanism as a whole was limited to being considered as a sacred, occultistic, mystical phenomenon.