Classification of Mongolian Shamans: The shaman hierarchical structure

Shamanism is a common fundamental religion for many ethnic groups around the world. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between shamans and supernatural beings, even though the shaman names may be different. Most previous studies have tended to classify shamans according to their ecstatic trances or spiritual possessions. In this article, however, I examine shaman classification from the viewpoint of the people living in local shaman communities. I analyze the Mongolian shaman classification in the Horqin region of Inner Mongolia in China and elucidate the main classification criteria for these Mongolian shamans as Shaman guardian spirits. The Mongolian shamans in the region were classified into eight categories, and the various types of shamans were arranged on a seven-stage hierarchical ranked system. The shamans were also found to have internal networks; in other words, shamanism was not a personal behavior but was interpreted and ordered by the local community. The complex shaman network illuminated the continuous transformations of the internal Shaman structure. Mongolian shamanism in the research region was found to be a successful but constantly changing faith system