The Societal Function of the ‘Songhun shaman(Shaman of soul’ funeral)’ through the Lens of the Hezhen Narrative

The role of shamans in the Manchu-Tungus tribal communities was very important. Within their societies, the shamans were in charge of ancestor worship, treating illnesses, and solving social problems. The Hezhen community, the Songhun shanman (of soul's funeral)was a guide who led spirits through the underworld, having the ability to visit Buni—the world of the dead. The Hezhen viewed that the problems within their communities were not spontaneous, but rather connected to the spiritual world organically. In this respect, they believed that life and death were linked to each other, and thus in order for their communities to be in peace and flourish, the spirits of the dead had to enter buni smoothly. Therefore, showing these spirits the right place held a special place in the Hezhen society; performing such a task, the Songhun shaman was a communicator who was between life and death—the earthly world and the Buni. In the Hezhen way of thinking, the Songhun shaman was recognized as the mediator who preserved the balance of space by communicating with it, and the person who managed risks among individuals and their communities.