as a rule only those belonging to a shaman family assume that office. 1

African and American races provide us with similar instances. It is a Galla belief that magicians obtain their powers by inheritance or by being endowed by God. 2 In Eastern Africa the calling of the Mganga, or rain-doctor, is hereditary, the eldest or cleverest son succeeding to his father's functions. Among the Eskimo. a shaman often transmits his vocation to his son, but anybody who feels himself to be inspired by the spirits may become a shaman. Of the Waraus in British Guiana we are told that the office of the Piai, or medicineman, runs in the family and is assumed by the eldest son; but if the Piai has no son, he chooses a friend for successor, who has to undergo a long preparation. 5 How among the ancient Hebrews an hereditary priesthood originated has been described by Dr. Maybaum. “

4

6

Among certain peoples who have an hereditary priesthood, the sacerdotal dignity is not assumed by the son of a priest, but by one of the next generation. The Rev. J. Shooter mentions it »a principle understood throughout every tribe of a Kafir-land that none of the children of a prophet can succeed their parent in that profession.» It is believed that the requisite discernment and power are denied to them, but may frequently reappear in their descendants of the second generation."

Михайловскій, ’Шаманство,'in Извѣстія Общ. Лю

бителей Естествознанія, etc., lxxv. 74.

p. 637.

10 sq.

2 Paulitschke, Ethnographie Nordost-Afrikas, ii. 62.

4 Jacobsen, 'Leben und Treiben der Eskimo,' in Ausland, 1891,

Among the Tshi-speaking peoples in West Africa »>the children of a priest or priestess are not ordinarily educated for the priestly profession, one generation being usually passed over, and the grandchildren selected.» 1 Cruickshank wrote regarding the natives of the Gold Coast: >>It is also customary for a Fetishman to bring up his grandchild to his own calling. He passes over his own children, rightly judging that one of a family at a time is sufficient for all the purposes of a fraudulent livelihood; and he concludes that his grandchild will be ready to carry on the game of deceit by the time that his own age will preclude him from taking a very active part in the Fetish ceremonies.» 2

Of other peoples we learn that the priesthood is hereditary, but that the aspirants must, in addition, be qualified by certain necessary endowments. Among the Thlinkets the profession of a shaman is almost always hereditary, being transmitted with all its apparatus to the son or grandson of the shaman. But not everybody who feels so inclined may assume that vocation even though he be the descendant of a shaman, as only those are qualified who can converse with the spirits. It may happen that the children of a shaman in spite of all their efforts cannot get to see a single spirit, while others even against their will are bound to become shamans, as the spirits never leave them in peace. If it happened that a Sioux saw the god of Thunder, or some other mysterious object, he was after some further trial made a member of the order of Thunder shamans and was entitled to wear their peculiar robe. »He could give his son the right to wear such a robe, but unless that son

3

1

Ellis, Tshi-speaking Peoples, p. 121.

2 Cruickshank, Eighteen Years on the Gold Coast, ii. 142.

3

Веніаминовъ, Записки объ островахъ Уналашкинскаго Отдѣла, ііі. 61 sq.

had a similar vision he could not transmit the right to one of the next generation.» 1

1

Among these two peoples, besides hereditary succession, the faculty to »see» the spirits was a condition for assuming the priesthood. The like qualification is also required of the priests where priesthood as a strictly hereditary institution is not heard of. As the principal duty of the priests with exclusion of the magicians is to mediate between mankind and the higher powers, so the chief qualification requisite for entering the priesthood is the faculty of communicating with the gods. This faculty, however, may be proved in different ways.

Mr. Warner states that when certain wonderful things befall a Kafir, he is thought to be under the influence of the spirits of the dead. His case is then investigated by the priests and if they find that he is really in the state presumed, and not guilty of imposture, they perform the rites connected with the initiation of a neophyte into the priesthood. 2 The idea entertained by the Ama-xosa Kafirs is that anybody, while in a state of ecstacy, is under the direct influence of the spirits, and, consequently, is competent to become a priest. Among the Congo tribes, a man who distinguishes himself »by reason of his superior mental capacity, or by virtue of his individual courage and prowess, --

3

is forthwith regarded as one favoured by the spirits. Availing himself of the opportunity afforded by such a distinction, he constitutes himself a professional N'ganga N'Kissi (charm-doctor), and professes to be endowed with the power of communication with the spirits.» The

1

xi. 395.

2

3

4

Dorsey, 'A Study of Siouan Cults,' in Smithsonian Reports,

In Maclean, Kafir Laws and Customs, p. 80.

Fritsch, Die Eingeborenen Süd-Afrika's, p. 99.

* Ward, 'Ethnographical Notes relating to the Congo Tribes,' in

Jour. Anthr. Inst. xxiv. 286.

Samoyeds, Castrén informs us, believe that the power of a shaman consists in putting himself in communication with the spirits.1 It sometimes happens among the Wotyaks that a man gives himself out to be a sorcerer, pretending to intercourse with the gods. 2 The Yakuts regard their shamans as especially endowed persons, through whose mediation they are able to hold communion with the gods. 3

Among certain peoples the supposed connection between the priests and the spirit-world more particularly appears in the belief that the priests have one or more tutelary deities of their own, who always give them assistance when such is required. In certain cases it is even stated to be a necessary qualification for priests to have such gods at their disposal. We are told that an Eskimo, before he became an acknowledged Angakok, had to show his power by calling forth his Tornak, or helping spirit, and that, if he failed ten times in succession to call forth the spirit, he had to give up his claims to become an Angakok. To become a »mystery-man» among the Algonquian Indians, it is necessary to receive instruction from some one of well-known skill, but the power of the neophyte is furthermore dependent upon the reputed power of his personal Maʼnido, or tutelary demon. 5

4

Very generally we meet with the mere statement that tutelary or helping deities are attached to the priests. The medicine-men of the Eastern Tinneh are reported to hold communication with tutelary spirits.

1

Castrén, Nordiska resor och forskningar, i. 199.

2 Buch, 'Die Wotjäken,' in Acta Soc. Scient. Fenn. xii. 591.

6

3 Приклонскій, ’Три года въ Якутской Области, in

Хивая Старина, і, 3. р. 73.

6

Rink, Tales and Traditions of the Eskimo, p. 59.

5 Hoffman, "The Menomini Indians,' in Smithsonian Reports, xiv. 62.

Ross, 'The Eastern Tinneh,' in Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1866, p. 307.

1

2

Each shaman of the Thlinkets, too, has some familiar spirits of his own, whom he can summon. The Ojebway Pow-wow, or conjurer, has likewise his personal gods, and among the Patagonians a wizard »is supposed to have two demons in constant attendance, who enable him to foretell future events; to discover what is passing, at the time present, at a great distance; and to cure the sick, by fighting, driving away, or appeasing, the other demons who torment them.»> 3 The shamans of the Buryat are believed to be endowed with the faculty of foreseeing the future with the assistance of their tutelary deities, and the Lapps thought that their shamans always had at their disposal a fish or a bird from the world of the dead. The Syâna or »cunning man,» of the Golapûrabs in India, »generally has a private devil or two of his own, which he lets loose to pursue the evil spirit that is afflicting his patient.» Tutelary spirits. of a similar description are said to attend the sorcerer of the Malays in Malacca, and the same is stated with regard to the regular Manang, or medicine-men, of the Sea Dyaks. Similarly the Chema, or benevolent sorceress of the Lolos, has a génie particulier, and the Dahomean priest adopts for life the fetish that has »come to him.» 10

1

8

5

7

9

Веніаминовъ, Записки объ островахъ Уналаш

кинскаго Отдѣла, ііі. 55.

2 Jones, History of the Ojebway Indians, p. 87.

3 Falkner, Description of Patagonia, p. 116.

4

Агапитовъ and Хангаловъ, Шаманство у Бурять, іn Из

вѣстія В.-Сиб. Отд. Геогр. Общ. xiv, 1. р. 41.

• Crooke, Tribes and Castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, ii. 428.

7

Blagden, 'Folk-lore and popular Religion of the Malays,' in Jour.

of the Straits Branch of the Roy. As. Soc., 1896, p. 4.

Ling Roth, 'Natives of Borneo,' in Jour. Anthr. Inst. xxi. 116.

8

10 Burton, A Mission to Gelele, King of Dahome, ii. 151.