Shamanism and Political Legitimacy in the earliests dynasties of China

Abstract

The present research aims to identify the presence of shamanic practices in ancient China. Through the selected sources, situations in which shamanic practices can be identified will be presented. The delimitation of the concept of “shamanism” is fundamental for this work. Scholars such as Mircea Eliade and Kwang-chih Chang reveal a broad definition that this term expresses. Conventional notions of rites as religious practices go hand in hand with norms of behavior and etiquette, as well as institutions and practices implemented by virtuous figures of the past. In addition, the textual sources indicate a strong link between shamanism and political authority in the selected time frame. In the course of the research, through the selected sources and with bibliographic support, the emergence of Chinese shamanism and its transformation process will be identified until it reaches its peak, in which it is incorporated by dynastic institutions.