Introduction -- 1. Male and female shamans -- The making of a shaman -- Transvestism -- Androgynous male and female shamans -- Dragonfly shamans -- Secret language -- Visualization of one's skeleton -- Yakut shamans -- Shamanic performances -- Hungarian shamans -- Chinese shamanesses -- Korean shamanism -- Evenki shamaness -- Lapp shamanism -- Shamans and smiths -- 2. Trance, ecstasy and possession -- The ecstatic flight or journey -- Descent to the underworld -- Ecstatic religions -- Forms of possession -- 3. Shamans' paraphernalia -- Drum decorations -- Ket drum-making ceremony -- Lapp, Sà„mi and Tatar drums -- Mirrors -- Shaman's staff -- 4. Deities and spirits -- Vairgit spirits -- Tailagan ceremony -- Koryak spirits -- Samoyed deity -- Vogul deities and Khanty and Mansi spirits -- Shadow spirits -- Good and bod spirits -- Yakut and Enet deities -- Important female spirit -- Khanty goddess, Vut-imi -- Animal sacrifices -- Chukchi 'prayer paddle' and Koryak whale festival -- Tungus spirits and animals -- Werewolves -- Mongolian spirits -- Womb goddess in the sky -- 5. The shaman's costume -- Shaman's skeleton -- Metal ornaments -- Bird and animal images -- A Tuva shamaness -- Headgear -- A Yukaghir and Chulym shaman -- 6. Divination and healing -- Divination -- Healing -- 7. Soul, ancestor cults and death -- Soul -- Ainu underworld -- Ancestor cults -- Death and funeral rites -- Death caused by women -- 8. Images and idols -- 9. Were-animals
