On Shamanism
Unegen's role as a shaman stemmed from our interest in characters that learn and grow in a story. We didn't want him to be a typical fantasy hero; a master of the blade, a fearless leader, or a spell-wielding demigod. Instead, we were drawn to problem-solving characters that can process minor details and piece them together to form a bigger picture. Critical thinkers such as Tyrion Lannister (Game Of Thrones), Hermione Granger (Harry Potter), and Sherlock Holmes became the hallmark of Unegen's character. From characters like these, we channeled quick-wit, curiosity, obsession, and a thirst for knowledge into Unegen's trait pool. When we considered where someone like this would fit into medieval nomadic society, a shaman was the clear role.
Traditionally, Central Asian shamans acted as leaders, clan healers, and also interpreted omens to predict natural patterns such as the weather and fertility in livestock. In the early days of Mongolian nomadic society, clan chieftains themselves were often shamans. They were also spiritual leaders in their communities that communicated with spirits and demons in the form of seances. This meant the shaman had sway with the inner circle of leaders within his clan, had knowledge of herbalism, healing arts, was attuned to the forces of nature, and was connected to the spiritual world that transcends his own. All of these factors mean Unegen is involved in many aspects of everyday society, helping us determine his relationship with other characters in his community.
Give yourself to nature
Unegen's role as a shaman also plays into his inner journey. In the Woven Energy podcast (a practical approach to incorporating shamanism in modern-day life), there is an emphasis on not trying to understand nature, but instead giving yourself to nature and allowing it to teach you.
This is about overcoming your natural bias toward logic and reasoning, and accepting the mystery of the world around you; which is something Unegen will struggle with in our series. His strengths come from his ability to problem solve in his unrelenting quest for why, but this also prevents him from fully exploring the spiritual forces that are crucial in his development as a shaman.
In our research into Siberian and Central Asian shamanism, we discovered varying beliefs and traditions depending on a people's location and circumstances. A consistent trait was the concept that a "black" shaman (traits associated with dark energy) had special relations with the "Lower" realm and a "white" shaman (related to purity) with the "Upper" realm. Despite typical perceptions of "black" shamans associated with the evil spirits and "white" with pure celestial beings, both played important roles in the spiritual practices of the region.
According to Tuvan tradition, "great shamans shamanized to both" the Upper and Lower realms. In Yakult tradition, there's also evidence that the pure "white" shamans could "hardly be called shamans at all" since they "did not fall into ecstasy... did not deal with evil spirits [and] did not touch corpses".
This less rigid approach to "good" and "evil" helped us shape other shamanistic characters, such as Shyngay and Ghazan. Both characters will play important roles in Unegen's journey as a shaman, teaching him valuable knowledge while at the same time feeding into his obsessive tendencies. Despite not having the purest intentions, the motives of these characters are unquestionably human. It's up to Unegen to uncover the truth behind their motives, and piece together the dark past that led to The Burning Tree.
Resources
Shamanic Worlds, Rituals and Lore of Siberia and Central Asia. Majorie Madelstam Balzer, 1997
Genghis Khan, The Man Who Conquered The World, Frank Mclynn, 2015
Woven Energy Podcast, wovenenergy.com