THE EFFECTS OF SHAMANISM ON BIRTH RITUALS IN KARS

Abstract

Shamanism is a belief system that centers around shamans, who are considered to act as intermediaries between spirits and people in primitive tribes and have the power to heal the sick. This belief system prioritizes respect for nature. The emergence of shamanism begins to be seen in the Stone Age. Because even before the first man lit the fire, he was directly connected to it, with the mysterious forces of nature and the ability to control them. Unity with nature emerges as people come into contact with nature and shamanism itself serves as a method of merging with and subjugating nature. Everything that is natural in the shamanism-nature unity has a sacred side; Since there can be nothing more important than birth, which is the beginning of life, it can be said that for shamanism, all kinds of birth-related rituals are the starting point of all shamanic beliefs. For this reason, the effects of shamanism come to the present day. These effects are also seen in the birth rituals in Kars. In this article, the practices and traditions of shamanism, which were applied to women and children in the postpartum period in Kars, are discussed.