doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
So, one of the magic skills in my game is currently Shamanism, and an archetype is The Shaman. I feel that most people immediately get that a Shaman will be a character who deals closely with spirits, who can enter the spirit world, who can heal and bless and curse. The problem is, it isn't actually clear that Shaman is rightly a generic anthropological term for ecstatic holy people, because there are somewhat compelling arguments that have been made that the term essentially "belongs" to the Tungusic and/or Mongolian peoples.
On the other hand, as a generic anthropological term, several scholars and activists have criticised the term on the grounds that it implies that ecstatic and spirit-calling traditions around the world are simple and similar, ie that they are "all basically the same thing", which is reductive, as well as on the grounds that it is a term with roots in colonialism and that due to it's history in western scholarship and rhetoric, it perpetuates ideas of the "noble savage", and contributes to the marginalization of indigenous peoples.
In short, it's a contentious term.
Now, "Shaman" is easy to replace for a game term. Spirit Caller springs immediately to mind.
But what are some terms that can be used to refer to the act of contacting and negotiating with spirits, calling upon them to aid you or others, driving out evil spirits, healing spiritual ailments, and the people who specialize in these practices?
Anyone got any good latin or greek words that have a good ring to them? What would the greek -mancy terminology be?
Please note that this is a + thread, and remember the forum rules. We aren't here to argue about politics, the value of inclusion, or whether it's worth thinking through this sort of thing.
On the other hand, as a generic anthropological term, several scholars and activists have criticised the term on the grounds that it implies that ecstatic and spirit-calling traditions around the world are simple and similar, ie that they are "all basically the same thing", which is reductive, as well as on the grounds that it is a term with roots in colonialism and that due to it's history in western scholarship and rhetoric, it perpetuates ideas of the "noble savage", and contributes to the marginalization of indigenous peoples.
In short, it's a contentious term.
Now, "Shaman" is easy to replace for a game term. Spirit Caller springs immediately to mind.
But what are some terms that can be used to refer to the act of contacting and negotiating with spirits, calling upon them to aid you or others, driving out evil spirits, healing spiritual ailments, and the people who specialize in these practices?
Anyone got any good latin or greek words that have a good ring to them? What would the greek -mancy terminology be?
Please note that this is a + thread, and remember the forum rules. We aren't here to argue about politics, the value of inclusion, or whether it's worth thinking through this sort of thing.
