Contemporary Shamanhood, some Literature

    It is very important to me that contemporary shamanhood is no longer considered unimportant or a mere hobby by modern cultural anthropology. Slowly a re-assessment is taking place in science, which is a recent development of the last ten or so years. Not without some more obvious reasons I begin my list of noteworthy literature with three works of cultural anthropologists who did their research in central europe and included me myself in their researches and interviews.

Finding New Cosmologies - Shamans in Contemporary Europe by Florian Gredig.
In the year 2009 this book was published in english language. Gredig did researches on contemporary shamanhood in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and France. His documentation is looking at the more exposed individuals of shamanism in central Europe, who have integrated shamanism into their daily life. A must-read for anyone who thinks that here in our country there is no shamanism. It is published by the Lit-Verlag in Switzerland.

Schamanismus in Deutschland - Konzepte, Praktiken, Erfahrungen by Gerhard Mayer.
This book was published as part of the series "Grenzüberschreitungen" in the year 2003. Mayer is quoting contemporary shamans in Germany by length, thus giving an authentic account on the people that are living modern shamanhood. He also is mentioning some parapsychological phenomenons, but lacking of material this section of his book is not so elaborated.

Spirituelles Heilen - Der andere Weg zur Gesundheit by Ute Moos.
Moos is the first scientist that payed attention to the shamanisms in Austria and Germany. In her book she is limiting herself to the austrian shamans, thus only mentioning the german ones in her list of addresses. Her emphasize lies on the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, which was at that time the best address to start a field-research on us. The book was being published by the Ueberreuter-Verlag in the year 1999.

    Modern shamanhood is topic and main subject of other anthropologic works. The recent "traditional" sorts of shamanisms are also payed attention in some excellent works. I have selected only some works for my list of remarkable literature, knowing that there are many more available.

Schamanismus und Tantra in Nepal - Heilmethoden, Thankas und Rituale aus Himalaya by Claudia Müller-Ebeling, Christian Rätsch, Surendra Bahadur Shahi.
A beautiful illustrated and excellent work on modern shamanhood in Nepal. Besides Oppitz this book is an important analysis of contemporary shamanhood in the Himalaya, covering its iconography as well its rituals. Any work that is (co)-authored by Rätsch includes something on herbs, mushrooms and their utilization in the shamanic contexts of healing and ritual. The book was being published by the AT-Verlag in the year 2000, an CD with drumming-rhythms that belongs to this publication can be ordered at the publishing-house.

Herr des schwarzen Himmels - Zeren Baawai, Schamane der Mongolei of Amélie Schenk.
Schenk accompanied the mongolian shaman Zeren Baawai in Mongolia and wrote this very personal book as an account of her experiences. It offers some personal insights and perspectives on the daily life, thinking and work of this mongolian shaman. It shows that shamans are humans, too - but it also reveals the power these shamans can unleash. The book was published in the year 2000 at the O.W.Barth Verlag.

Der erste und der zweite Ankari Zyklus by Ina Rösing.
If you are interested in the andine traditional healers, the Callawaya, then you must read Rösings works. She published various books on it and the series, the two Ankari-cycles. I consider her works as most important regardig the understanding and documentation of the traditional healers of the Andes, the Callawayas. The documentation of the daily life and atmosphere of the rituals and peoples there does emphasize that the modern plastics that exploit the south-american spirituality really do nothing have in common with the traditional healers of the Andes. The first Anakari-cycle was published in the zweitausendeins-verlag and the second one is being published in the Reimer-Verlag.

    I have decided to limit my list to only a few noteworthy books and publications. The main topic is contemporary shamanisms. I am aware of many more publications, some on siberian shamanhood - but I do not possess all of them, and some of I cannot afford or need to buy and read. I also think that it is not my job to publish a complete list on literature and bibliographical references.