ABSTRACT
There is no etymological link between Shaman and Sham, but some responses to the activities of Shamans (or those who call themselves Shamans) suggest there should be. This chapter explores the various activities commonly labelled Shamanism in contemporary Britain. It is divided, somewhat artificially, into seven sections. A brief introduction to Shamans of indigenous, small-scale societies is intended not as a yard-stick against which all other forms can be measured, but as a indication of what it is about Shamanism that seems so attractive and enticing. It also notes that there is nothing distinctive about the ambiguity of responses to Shamanism, and indeed that ‘sham’ might be an intentional part of Shamans’ performances. Following sections are devoted to the Shamans of today’s Britain: core Shamans, Jungian-style therapists, ‘white Indians’, technoShamans and Pagan eco-activists. In drawing conclusions from this discussion, the final section asks what these movements have in common and questions criticism of them as inauthentic or illegitimate. Is it possible to condemn (neo-)Shamans without undermining the entire anthropological (or indeed academic) enterprise? Even if the contextualization of shamanic practice in the West is unlike other ‘traditional’ forms, might this be acknowledged as appropriate either as a celebration of modernity or as a postmodern critique?
