From: "Charles Gavette" <chaosmosis-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Theory and Practice: Saman Jarin excerpt
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 18:41:02 PST


The Saman Jarin ('Shaman Prayer') contains 1500 verses transcribed in 
1884 by the shaman Elsi of the Nara Clan. The ceremony of the 'Ascent of 
the Birch Ladder,' (cakura[n]), that is, the well-known ceremony of the 
real and proper investiture of the shaman. The so-called 'birch ladder' 
(formerly, it seems, a simple birch tree) was formed of two birch trunks 
joined to each other by sharp knives that served as steps; to ascend by 
way of these knife-steps, to reach the heights and have contact with the 
spirits and descend without injuring oneself meant consacration as a 
'true' shaman (iletu saman). The prayer while on the ladder consists of 
110 verses, the following refrain repeated after every verse:
ahai jahai / ahihi suyal te / 
ahai juhai / jahihi suyal te / 
ijili bira-i cekin /
ahihi suyal te /
isanju mam-i kuwaran ci /
jahihi suyal te /
icangga musei sarin de /
ahihi suyal te /
nikembe ebuhe sembi /
jahihi suyal te

English trans:
ahai jahai / ahihi suyal te /
jahai juhai / jahihi suyal te / 
>From the source of the Ijili River /
ahihi suyal te /
from the court of Isanju Mama /
jahihi suyal te /
to our agreeable dinner /
ahihi suyal te /
you have, whilst leaning, descend.

(Secret Handbook of a Sibe Manchu Shaman, 'Saman Jarin,' 16-20; trans.  
from the Manchu by Giovanni Stary)

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