Neoshamanism, National Identity and the Holy Crown of Hungary

Abstract

This article analyzes state, national identity and religious revivalism by focusing on Hungarian neoshamanism and its connection to Hungary’s prized national symbol, the Holy Crown. In contrast to neoshamanic practices in the 1990s, the newly emergent forms of neoshamanism in Hungary have been incorporated into mainstream celebrations and major national holidays. How this happened and the underlying causes deserve serious scholarly scrutiny. By analyzing recent trends, new forms of state and alternative religious spheres are identified as coalescing into a new neoshamanistic religion in Hungary.