Illiteracy and shamanism

[le Redoutable]

well-educated people ( for example in rich countries ) often lack ( ?? ) a good sensibility in spiritism/shamanism
is that ( at least ein bischen ) portable ??

 

[Wicht]

well-educated people ( for example in rich countries ) often lack ( ?? ) a good sensibility in spiritism/shamanism
is that ( at least ein bischen ) portable ??

Portable, as in "able to be used as a concept for individuals in a fantasy setting?"

Assuming that's what you mean, then the answer is, "sure; it's your world... tell the kind of stories you want in it."

Though, to the original assumption, its not so much a matter of education as culture, in my opinion. One might argue that a certain kind of education would make one more sensible as to the theories and practices of spiritism. If there is no overt spiritism in the culture for people to be exposed to, then education is the only way to learn of it.

 

[Blue Orange]

Saying a group isn't 'well-educated' carries a negative valence in English, BTW, so I'd stay away from that. But the original question is valid.

They have shown people in nonliterate cultures have better mnemonic ability; ancient Hellenic poets would memorize the Iliad, Odyssey, etc. So you do lose something when you invent writing.

There are all kinds of debates over the term 'shamanism' (the word refers originally only to the spiritual practitioners of the indigenous peoples of Northern Europe and Siberia), but anthropologically, there does seem to be a move from interacting directly with spirits to a sort of priesthood that has a religious bureaucracy as cultures become more stationary and involve larger groups. One step of the process of moving from nomadic bands and tribes through chiefdoms to states often involves the development of a written language (helps to keep accounts and it's hard to keep big bulky books with you when you're moving around all the time), so there is some correlation there.

 

[le Redoutable]

I was confronting Astrophysics with Chamanism ( lol )

 

[Sir Brennen]

I was confronting Astrophysics with Chamanism ( lol )

The Tao of Physics was a popular book many years ago, and movies such as What the Bleep to I Know try to merge spiritualism with physics.

Naively, at best, IMO.

 

[le Redoutable]

then, Barbarians ( 1E UA ) , Illiteracy , and shamanism ( ?? )

 

[aramis erak]

then, Barbarians ( 1E UA ) , Illiteracy , and shamanism ( ?? )

the best documented "shamanistic"/"Spiritualist" faith is from a literate culture - Shinto is a spiritualist faith, and Japan's literacy goes back a long way - rather ironic, given the difficulty of learning the 1850 idiograms...

.AD&D's barbaria is an artefact of fantasy novels, not anthropological reading.

 

[le Redoutable]

that's not what I was pointing;
Barbarians ( 1E UA ) had some form of hatred about magic ( like in gaining xp for crushing magic items )
and shamanism is ( isn't ? ) a kind of magic, no ?

...

 

[Bilharzia]

then, Barbarians ( 1E UA ) , Illiteracy , and shamanism ( ?? )

I don't get what (or why) you are talking about, or asking? As Aramis Erak has indicated, Japan has been a literature culture for hundreds of years and also maintained animist beliefs.

If you are looking for a more general term, Animism is more appropriate to describe belief in spirits and a spirit world. "Shamanism" is specific to Siberia.

 

[Bilharzia]

that's not what I was pointing;
Barbarians ( 1E UA ) had some form of hatred about magic ( like in gaining xp for crushing magic items )
and shamanism is ( isn't ? ) a kind of magic, no ?

...

Shamanism describes a role, someone who communicates with spirits. Animist in general is a better term, as it covers anyone who believes in and interacts with spirits. For example, Celtic Druids are a type of animist.