Born during the stone age, around 40,000 years ago, shamanisn is a belief in spirits in the sky ground

and everything. Banished from Mongolia for centuries, first by Buddhists then by the communists. Shamanism reapears from the ashes, thanks to the shamans that hid their practises during the black years. Today the old shamans leave the shade and many young shamans are being initiated.

Mongolia: Shamanism reapears from the ashes.

Photos and text Donna Todd/Lightmediation
Contact - Thierry Tinacci Lightmediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

879-01: Ura is a shaman who came to her calling late in life at the age of 50; previously she had trained and practiced as a medical doctor for twenty years. Now 65 she is shown here whilst in trance during a shaman ceremony at her home in Northern Mongolia.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-01: Ura is a shaman who came to her calling late in life at the age of 50; previously she had trained and practiced as a medical doctor for twenty years. Now 65 she is shown here

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-02: Twenty seven year old shaman Tyaana is shown here in trance whilst spirits posses her body. A client has come to receive answers from the spirits and Tyaana's sister sits

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-03: Ura a 65 year old shaman from Khovsgol aimag in Northern Mongolia, begins her ceremony initially by playing the jews harp. With this instrument she calls her spirit guides to

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-04: Sukbaator is a black Shaman although black Shaman's are not necessarily bad, they deal with evil powers. These shamans are said to have power to bring illness and

879-02: Twenty seven year old shaman Tyaana is shown here in trance whilst spirits posses her body. A client has come to receive answers from the spirits and Tyaana's sister sits alongside and writes down what they have to say. Tyaan's husband and father offer her protection from the ever present prowling evil spirits which always threaten to posses her. It would be too dangerous for her to go to the spirit world without such protection along with the protection that her sacred costume, drum ect offer.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-05: Shaman Ura, has the skill of reading the future of a person, to do so, she "reads the bones" she has collected lamb knuckles and uses them to predict the future. Pictured here in

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-06: Soyun is the oldest shaman in Mongolia at 102, like her mother and her grandmother before her she is a ninth generation shaman. She is a tiny woman, ancient, with bad knees,

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-07: Mungak is a shaman who lives amoung a tribe of nomadic people in the Siberian/Mongol mountains. He is one of three shamans in the tribe and must help anyone who enquires

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-08: This Ovoo is a powerful site for ceremonies the local spirit's as well as father heaven, mother earth and other shamanist spirits inhabit it The Ovoo is the equivalent of a

879-20: Sukbaator is a black Shaman although black Shaman's are not necessarily bad, they deal with evil powers. These shamans are said to have power to bring illness and death upon men.

879-22: Tatianna a 27 year old shaman from Mongolia, respect for the spirits of nature, living things and life ethics that minimize negative impact on the earth shaped this religion

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-09: Dr Batzorig a shaman from Ulaan Baator Mongolia at the site of a sacred Ovoo, calling forth the spirits of the weather, the Ovoo is a powerful site for ceremonies and equivalent of

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-10: Dr Batzorig a shaman from Ulaan Baator Mongolia at the site of a sacred Ovoo, calling forth the spirits of the weather, the Ovoo is a powerful site for ceremonies and equivalent of

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-11: Dr Batzorig at a sacred Ovoo which is equivalent to a shamans shrine. Shamanism is once again forming a prominent place in the psyche and spirituality of the Modern Mongol

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-12: Dr Batzorig who is a shaman who originates from Tuva, now living in the city of Ulaan Baator he takes a walk high in the mountains close to the city. Contemplating the shamanic

879-29: Eighty five year old Dr Batzorig, who is a shaman walking high on the plateau of a sacred mountain being led along by his disabled grand daughter.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-13: Dr Batzorig beating his blessed drum at the site of a sacred Ovoo which is the equivalent of a shrine to the Mongolian shaman. In the background we can see out skirts of the

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-14: Dr Batzorig, beats a patient with his sacred shamanic instrument, in order to scare away all the mans bad luck. / Mongolia / Ulaan Baatar

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-15: Shaman Dr Batzorig is an eighty five year old practicing shaman and professor of shamanism, employed at Ulaan Baator university. He lives in the capital and specializes in

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-16: Dr Batzorig an 85 year old Shaman, dressing into his Shamanic costume at his home in Ulaan Baator Mongolia. He checks himself in the mirror before presenting himself to a

879-09: Dr Batzorig a shaman from Ulaan Baator Mongolia at the site of a sacred Ovoo, calling forth the spirits of the weather, the Ovoo is a powerful site for ceremonies and equivalent of the Shamans shrine.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-17: Dr Batzorig a shaman from Ulaan Baator Mongolia at the site of a sacred Ovoo, calling forth the spirits of the weather, the Ovoo is a powerful site for ceremonies and equivalent of

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-18: Twenty seven year old shaman Tatianna is shown here in trance whilst spirits posses her body. A client has come to receive answers from the spirits and Tyaana's sister sits

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-19: Shaman Ura, who lives in the remote region of khovsgol aimag in northern Mongolia. She is shown here during a ceremony right at the moment that the spirits enter her

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-20: Sukbaator is a black Shaman although black Shaman's are not necessarily bad, they deal with evil powers. These shamans are said to have power to bring illness and

879-08: This Ovoo is a powerful site for ceremonies the local spirit's as well as father heaven, mother earth and other shamanist spirits inhabit it The Ovoo is the equivalent of a shamanists shrine, in Mongolia when passing by an ovoo travelers are required to walk around it three times and place a rock, coin or bone on it. In doing this they add to its power symbolically and themselves receive "windhorse", which is good luck for his journey.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-21: Sukbaator a black Shaman from Mongolia, Shamans tackle a wide range of illnesses, principally psychological conditions including mental illness and schizophrenia, epilepsy,

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-22: Tatianna a 27 year old shaman from Mongolia, respect for the spirits of nature, living things and life ethics that minimize negative impact on the earth shaped this religion /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-23: Twenty Seven year old Tatianna a Shaman from Mongolia shown here in trance. Shamanism is once again forming a prominent place in the psyche and spirituality of the Modern

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-24: Shamanism has managed to survive against enormous odds, centuries of persecution by Buddhists and Stalinist efforts to eradicate this ancient tradition. / Mongolia /

879-36: Mongolian shamans are no slouches when it comes to falling into trances and flying away on spirit journeys, however there are fascinating elements to their religion. Shown here is Mongolia's most famous Shaman Byambadorj Dondog who is pictured beating his shaman drum in order to induce trance and convers with his spirit guides.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-25: Mongolian and Siberian drums are generally large in diameter and have a deep resonating sound that will vibrate through the shaman's body. The drum is frequently held near the

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-26: The Shaman trance entails travel on the spiritual plane of existence. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-27: Most shamanic rituals employ several techniques together in order to bring the shaman to the trance state. The beating of the shaman drum is the most powerful way to induce

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-28: Eighty five year old Dr Batzorig, who is a shaman, climbs to the top of a high mountain in the outskirts of a sacred mountain in the capiltal city of Ulaan Baator, the city is

879-19: Shaman Ura, who lives in the remote region of khovsgol aimag in northern Mongolia. She is shown here during a ceremony right at the moment that the spirits enter her body. Her daughter stands to her left for protection and a patient stands behind her, he has come for her help.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-29: Eighty five year old Dr Batzorig, who is a shaman walking high on the plateau of a sacred mountain being led along by his disabled grand daughter. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-30: A Mongolian Shamanic drum, which is the main instrument used by Mongolian Shaman's in order to induce trance. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-31: Shaman Sukbaator is a kind of a priest or medium who acts as a conduit between the human world and the realm of the gods, demons and spirits of ancestors. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-32: Shaman Sukbaator is a Mongolian Shaman, sometimes called medicine men and witch doctors by Westerners. They are the keepers of a remarkable body of ancient techniques

879-05: Shaman Ura, has the skill of reading the future of a person, to do so, she "reads the bones" she has collected lamb knuckles and uses them to predict the future. Pictured here in plain clothes with her grandson and a patient who has come to have questions about her future answered.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-33: Tatianna a twenty seven year old Shaman shown here in a trance like state communing with her spirit guides. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-34: Shaman Byambadorj Dondog works with seven shamanic spirits passed down from his ancestors, and does shamanic work at sacred sites. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-35: Shaman Byambadorj Dondog, the spirits of his shamanic lineage started calling him in 1967, and he suffered much illness until his shaman uncle empowered a jews harp and

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-36: Mongolian shamans are no slouches when it comes to falling into trances and flying away on spirit journeys, however there are fascinating elements to their religion. Shown here is

879-16: Dr Batzorig an 85 year old Shaman, dressing into his Shamanic costume at his home in Ulaan Baator Mongolia. He checks himself in the mirror before presenting himself to a patient.

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-37: Mongolias most famous and honored shaman is Zaarin Byambadorj Dondog. Byambadorj was born in 1947, high in the Altai Mountains in western Mongolia. He is descended

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-38: Ura a shaman, is dressed by her husband, he helps her to dress into her spectacular shaman costume and headdress, places her shaman boots on her, which are all an important

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-39: Byanjadorj Dondog, Mongolia's most revered Shaman takes a moment for himself to have a smoke, and to contemplate nature. / Mongolia /

Shamans of Mongolia / 879-40: Soyun is the oldest shaman in Mongolia at 102, shown here in her Shamanic costume, she has had it since the beginning of her shamanic career. / Mongolia /

879-41: Mongolia's oldest shaman is 102, her name is Soyun, they say that when Soyun performs her full shamanic ritual, those long nights, when she pounds the drum until the trance begins and the 'ongots' or spirits enter her body, they say then she leaps and dances like a child.