05-25-2008, 06:54 PM
Kretol asked for this one...sorta. Here is a collection of information I've gathered concerning Shamanism. As Blizzard has avoided in-depth discussion on the nature of some magical abilities, I have drawn some information from real-life shamanic beliefs, with the intention of enriching roleplay.
I encourage discussion in all of my articles. If you have something you want to add, feel free to do so.
What are Spirits?
Before we can know who and what shaman are, we have to know what spirits are. If you look up "spirit" in the dictionary, you're likely to come up with more than thirty different definitions. Indeed, discussion what a spirit is can get rather confusing, as spirits are a number of different things.
In the shamanic world-view, all living things have a spirit. This spirit is often what makes us who we are and truly alive. Our spirit selves are usually merged with our physical form until we die. Spirits of living beings that leave the body are the ghosts and spectres that we see commonly in fantasy games.
It's not just animals that have spirits, though. In some views, the trees and plants can also have spirits. Even nonliving things, such as places and objects can have spirits. In most real life cultures, this includes typically "fey" creatures, such as dryads, nymphs, and elves, as well as what in fantasy games have been termed as elementals. For example, a spirit of a given mountain might be an earth elemental, while the spirit of a river could by a water elemental or a nymph. If you ever wondered why shaman have such a strong tie to the elements and elementals, this is why.
As most "fey" creatures do not exist in the World of Warcraft, we'll simply state that, in context, a spirit is most incorporeal undead and elementals, as well as the intangible part of all living beings.
What are Shaman?
A shaman is not just a member of a religion that believes in the spirits of the natural world. A shaman is much more than that. He is like the priest of such a religion, but even that is not quite accurate.
A shaman is one who communicates with, deals with, or controls spirits. The actual nature of the relationship varies from faith to faith, but in the context of WoW the relationship is more one of communication and bargaining.
Shaman act as mediators and communicators. For most, speaking with the spirits (especially the spirits of the dead) may be impossible, but something that some may wish to do. Shaman may be able to see into a "spirit world" where spirits may exist, or they may have other means of communication. How shaman are chosen for this task is varied. For some, there is a sign that the spirits have chosen this person, while another it may involve tests to attain the proper initiation and training.
(An aside I found interesting: in some cultures, there are beliefs of some shaman possessing two spirits, hence possessing a particularly intimate link with the spirit world. Obviously, at times the different spirits would manifest themselves in different ways. Particularly among some Native American tribes, it was not uncommon for such shaman to be a bit more...fluid with their gender identity, if it was believed that the other spirit was of the opposite gender.)
Dealing with Spirits
Dealing with spirits can be a tricky business, because of how spirits generally are. While in many cases spirits can be seen as good or evil, they are more accurately described as being alien in thought and complex in their moods and attitudes.
Spirits almost always hold traits similar to what they represent. The spirit of a fox may be cunning and fanciful, while the spirit of a bear may be characterized by its strength and maternal instinct. The spirit of the earth may be stoic while the spirit of air may be whimsical and chaotic. In all cases, spirits tend to be primarily concerned with what they represent. The spirit of a hawk would only know what the hawk sees and is concerned with. The earth spirit on a mountain would only know (and indeed, only be interested in) what happens on his mountain.
Spirits are often viewed as chaotic, or at least following rules that only they understand. This can lead to some rather strange dealings. Vengeful spirits that wish to kill or destroy something can be suddenly appeased by something as simple as a burned offering of herbs and charms. The opposite is true, and it may be easy to offend a spirit if one is not used to dealing with them.
It's therefore important to know the etiquette of the spirits, which is what many shaman work to perfect their skills in. A shaman's power and purpose is being able to successfully bargain with these beings in order to attain power or favor.
Shaman in WoW: Magic
Shaman in WoW bargain not only for the spirits favor, but for the ability to use their own special powers. However, shamanistic powers are not magic in the traditional sense. Instead of terming their individual powers as "spells" like mages, they instead use "calls."
When a shaman bargains with a spirit, he can call upon that spirit to aid him when he needs it. A shaman is very careful not to abuse this power, however, as it can lead to him losing the spirits' favor. Shamanic power is derived from a positive relationship with the various spirits, especially the elemental spirits that drive the shaman's power.
In Warcraft, magic tends to be a corrupting force, slowly changing those who use it. Shaman, however, get around this by not being in contact with the "magic" that they use. A shaman requests something, and a spirit answers. Indeed, the shaman himself is powerless, and all of the "magical" power that he supposedly unleashes is instead done by the spirits at his or her request.
End
That's it for now. Any comments, reply here!
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
I encourage discussion in all of my articles. If you have something you want to add, feel free to do so.
What are Spirits?
Before we can know who and what shaman are, we have to know what spirits are. If you look up "spirit" in the dictionary, you're likely to come up with more than thirty different definitions. Indeed, discussion what a spirit is can get rather confusing, as spirits are a number of different things.
In the shamanic world-view, all living things have a spirit. This spirit is often what makes us who we are and truly alive. Our spirit selves are usually merged with our physical form until we die. Spirits of living beings that leave the body are the ghosts and spectres that we see commonly in fantasy games.
It's not just animals that have spirits, though. In some views, the trees and plants can also have spirits. Even nonliving things, such as places and objects can have spirits. In most real life cultures, this includes typically "fey" creatures, such as dryads, nymphs, and elves, as well as what in fantasy games have been termed as elementals. For example, a spirit of a given mountain might be an earth elemental, while the spirit of a river could by a water elemental or a nymph. If you ever wondered why shaman have such a strong tie to the elements and elementals, this is why.
As most "fey" creatures do not exist in the World of Warcraft, we'll simply state that, in context, a spirit is most incorporeal undead and elementals, as well as the intangible part of all living beings.
What are Shaman?
A shaman is not just a member of a religion that believes in the spirits of the natural world. A shaman is much more than that. He is like the priest of such a religion, but even that is not quite accurate.
A shaman is one who communicates with, deals with, or controls spirits. The actual nature of the relationship varies from faith to faith, but in the context of WoW the relationship is more one of communication and bargaining.
Shaman act as mediators and communicators. For most, speaking with the spirits (especially the spirits of the dead) may be impossible, but something that some may wish to do. Shaman may be able to see into a "spirit world" where spirits may exist, or they may have other means of communication. How shaman are chosen for this task is varied. For some, there is a sign that the spirits have chosen this person, while another it may involve tests to attain the proper initiation and training.
(An aside I found interesting: in some cultures, there are beliefs of some shaman possessing two spirits, hence possessing a particularly intimate link with the spirit world. Obviously, at times the different spirits would manifest themselves in different ways. Particularly among some Native American tribes, it was not uncommon for such shaman to be a bit more...fluid with their gender identity, if it was believed that the other spirit was of the opposite gender.)
Dealing with Spirits
Dealing with spirits can be a tricky business, because of how spirits generally are. While in many cases spirits can be seen as good or evil, they are more accurately described as being alien in thought and complex in their moods and attitudes.
Spirits almost always hold traits similar to what they represent. The spirit of a fox may be cunning and fanciful, while the spirit of a bear may be characterized by its strength and maternal instinct. The spirit of the earth may be stoic while the spirit of air may be whimsical and chaotic. In all cases, spirits tend to be primarily concerned with what they represent. The spirit of a hawk would only know what the hawk sees and is concerned with. The earth spirit on a mountain would only know (and indeed, only be interested in) what happens on his mountain.
Spirits are often viewed as chaotic, or at least following rules that only they understand. This can lead to some rather strange dealings. Vengeful spirits that wish to kill or destroy something can be suddenly appeased by something as simple as a burned offering of herbs and charms. The opposite is true, and it may be easy to offend a spirit if one is not used to dealing with them.
It's therefore important to know the etiquette of the spirits, which is what many shaman work to perfect their skills in. A shaman's power and purpose is being able to successfully bargain with these beings in order to attain power or favor.
Shaman in WoW: Magic
Shaman in WoW bargain not only for the spirits favor, but for the ability to use their own special powers. However, shamanistic powers are not magic in the traditional sense. Instead of terming their individual powers as "spells" like mages, they instead use "calls."
When a shaman bargains with a spirit, he can call upon that spirit to aid him when he needs it. A shaman is very careful not to abuse this power, however, as it can lead to him losing the spirits' favor. Shamanic power is derived from a positive relationship with the various spirits, especially the elemental spirits that drive the shaman's power.
In Warcraft, magic tends to be a corrupting force, slowly changing those who use it. Shaman, however, get around this by not being in contact with the "magic" that they use. A shaman requests something, and a spirit answers. Indeed, the shaman himself is powerless, and all of the "magical" power that he supposedly unleashes is instead done by the spirits at his or her request.
End
That's it for now. Any comments, reply here!
Parting is such sweet sorrow.