Oroqen Shamanic Witchcraft Culture

The deities led by Oroqen shamans are collectively called "Siwen". Among all Tungusic-speaking peoples, this group of cognate words with similar pronunciations, such as "Siwen", "Juewen", and "Se Weng", all carry meanings like "deity", "the god led by the shaman", and "the shaman's assistant deity". Only with the help of "Siwen" can a shaman possess extraordinary divine power. The Siwen led by a shaman is not just one, but several, even dozens. The more gods a shaman leads, the greater their magical power. The Siwen of Oroqen shamanism includes deities of nature worship, such as: Mountain God, Sun God, Wind God, Thunder God, as well as deities of movement worship like the Badger God, Fox God, and Ancestor Worship deities like Ani Ran and Kuli Jin. Most of the deities led by Oroqen shamans have idols, which are carved from pine wood, stitched from reindeer skin, bound with wild grass, woven from horsehair, or directly painted on animal skins, cloth, and paper. These idols are mostly placed in boxes made of birch bark and hung on trees behind the "Yurt" (conical tent). In 1980, when demolishing old houses in Xinsheng Township, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, a set of idols and divine figures were unearthed by some Oroqen people. Among them, there were 24 idols carved from wood slices, all wearing reindeer skin around their waists. There were 37 idols carved from wood slices depicting the sun, moon, stars, fish, and small birds; and 17 watercolor paintings made of cloth or paper. These divine figures were respectively placed in four birch bark deity boxes. The main deity of Oroqen shamans is "Ajia Rupi Kan". The idol is carved from pine wood, or sometimes painted on cloth. Shamans often pray to it for the prosperity, peace, and happiness of their clan members. Next are "Malu Bukan" (Family Protection God), "Chuka Bukan" (Horse God), and "Aomao Simoukou" (God specifically protecting children). In addition, there is a series of gods governing diseases. In short, no one can accurately answer how many gods the Oroqen shaman leads. With social and historical development, some gods have disappeared due to being gradually forgotten, but many new shamanic deities have emerged, such as the "Jiyaji" (God of Wealth) and "Aolü Bukan" (Fox Immortal) introduced from other ethnic groups. From the various gods led by Oroqen shamans, we can see that the gods believed in by the Oroqen people are closely linked to their hunting life. The shamanic dancing rituals of the Oroqen people are generally conducted in three situations: treating illnesses, holding sacrificial rituals, and teaching shamans to dance. Treating patients is mostly done in the evening. Before the dance, the host lights a bonfire in front of their house, and onlookers sit in a circle around it. When night falls, the shaman puts on the divine robe and ritual hat, holds a drum in the left hand and a mallet in the right, walks to the bonfire, and sits cross-legged on the "Taraolan" (a mat exclusively used by shamans). Closing their eyes, they begin to slowly beat the drum to invite the gods. At this time, someone uses burning "Shen Kai Lu" (mountain pine branches, which emit a strong fragrance when lit) to fumigate the surroundings of the shaman. It is said that this clears the turbid air so that the deities can attach quickly. Soon, the drumbeats intensify, and the shaman begins to tremble all over, their jaw quivers, teeth grind loudly, eyes tightly closed, showing the painful state of being possessed by a spirit. At this time, someone brings a piece of red-hot charcoal and places it in front of the shaman's feet, indicating the path for the deity. The shaman suddenly stops drumming, indicating that the deity has officially possessed them. At this point, the possessing ancestor god asks through the shaman's mouth: "What do you want me to do?" The "Zhali" (Second God) sitting behind the shaman answers on behalf of the sick person: "Because someone is ill, you are invited to cure them." Here, the shaman beats the drum and chants again, respectfully inviting each of the led deities through the spirit to find out which deity has been offended by the patient. When the patient suddenly trembles, the shaman knows they have offended a certain deity. At this time, the shaman becomes furious, beating the drum and chanting with high emotion and dense beats. Meanwhile, the Zhali also echoes, not only matching the tone but also fluently answering the questions posed by the shaman. The people sitting around the bonfire watching sometimes also echo. Occasionally, sounds of "Zhe! Zhe!" are heard. Sometimes, to subdue demons, the shaman performs magic on the spot to show the struggle with ghosts, such as swallowing needles, eating fire, stepping on fire, etc. The duration of the shaman's dance for treatment varies. Generally, depending on the severity of the patient's condition, it lasts from half an hour to 1-2 nights. New shamans learning the dance rituals hold them inside the "Yurt" in winter and on open grounds outside in summer. Before the dance, the idols and offerings are placed on the altar table. Offerings are mostly the heart's blood of swans, wild ducks, reindeer, and various birds and beasts. The new shaman's first learning of the dance ritual usually lasts three days. The first day starts at night. After the new shaman is equipped, they slowly beat the drum near the "Taraolan". Ten minutes later, they gradually enter a trance state. At this time, the old shaman leads the dance in front, and the new shaman learns the movements behind. The old shaman first invites their main deity, then recites the names of all the deities. After all the deities arrive, the new shaman pours the heart's blood of various birds and beasts from the offerings into wine cups to worship the gods, and the old shaman drinks it on behalf of the deities. Then, the new shaman dances while recounting the history of their clan's shamans. The new shaman's learning activity continues until the next morning. At that time, all the供奉 offerings must be cooked thoroughly. The Second God "Zhali" sings the sacrificial song once, and then the people participating in the ritual eat the offerings together with the old and new shamans. That night, people gather in the same place again. The old shaman teaches the new shaman all the dance movements that night. On the third day, the ritual is held during the day. On this day, the new and old shamans send off the invited deities one by one. After this, two more learning dance rituals are held within 2-3 days, completing the task of the old and new shamans. The sacrificial rituals of Oroqen shamans are held every 1-2 years, mostly in spring. The author had the honor of participating in the spring sacrificial ritual hosted by shaman Meng Jinfu in Shibazhan Township, Tahe County, Heilongjiang Province, China in the spring of 1990. At that time, the venue was built on a beach by the Hun River. After Meng Jinfu selected the site, people built a large "Yurt" on the ground. In the center of the "Yurt", two wooden poles were erected, called "Turu" in Oroqen, meaning "Divine Ladder", which is where the deities descend. At the top of the two poles, a red cloth strip and a yellow cloth strip were tied respectively to symbolize auspiciousness. Between the two poles, about one foot above the ground, a small pole was tied horizontally, which means the divine chair, where the shaman receives and welcomes the deity. During the spring sacrifice, many people participated in the ceremony. People were not only enthusiastic but also brought fresh swans, geese, wild ducks, and other offerings. At that time, Guan Kouni, the last female shaman of the Oroqen people, also participated in the spring sacrifice. The position of each participant was arranged in advance, with men above and women below. Children could sit anywhere but were not allowed to play or fight. The divine figures brought by shaman Meng Jinfu and shaman Guan Kouni were hung on trees, including: Ani Ran Ancestor God, Sun God, Moon God, Wind God, Thunder God, and Badger God, etc. Various offerings brought by people were placed in front of the divine figures to show worship.