Speaker - Chechen Kuular, an itinerant Bhuddist spiritual practitioner and shaman of Tuva
Notes: Хуваанак салыр (khuvaanak salyr, literally - ‘placing stones’) - a shamanistic ritual
of fortune-telling.
1. Хуваанак (khuvaanak) - an ancient ritual of fortune-telling with stones. A set of 41
(forty-one) pebbles from different rivers is used. They are usually black in color,
but occasionally other colors may be present. He says that some black shamans
use khuvaanaks which are human kidney stones. Some other shamans use
millet or beans. Stones are stored in leather or textile sacks, and may be used for
different kind of rituals. For example, herders may ask him to perform this ritual to
find their lost cattle. People often seek to know their future. Sick people ask to
find out about their health prospects. In the process of fortune-telling, he holds
the stones in one hand and asks them to tell the truth on the issue, then he
scatters them and divides them into three piles. Depending on how they lay he
reads the future. The stones to the left are considered of female origin, the right
ones are male, and the middle section refers to the origin of life itself. Then he
spreads the stones clockwise (‘sunwise’ as he puts it), and makes a circle of life
starting with the stones of male origin. Ultimately the stones should form three
straight lines. If the number of stones found on the top is 9 then everything will be good because nine is the strongest number in Buddhist numerology.
He says that if the first result of fortune-telling is favorable, then the ritual may be wrapped
up. Yet if unresolved questions are still pending, he may continue the ritual by
taking up the rest of the stones (while leaving the first nine in place). Afterwards
he starts scattering the remaining stones once again and divides them again in
three piles with his eyes closed. If you want your khuvaanak to always tell the
truth you should constantly take care of them, clean them, feed them. By
cleansing them you purify your own mind and soul. The process of cleansing is
like this: you immerse the stones in a bowl of clean water mixed with salt for half
an hour. Then you set them to dry on a clean cloth, and polish them with butter,
and then he leaves them to dry for another half an hour. This is how he cleans
and also feeds the stones. At the end he cleans them spiritually in the fumes of
burning juniper.
Research and videography by K. David Harrison
Cultural commentary by Alexander Ondar
1 фев 2021
