26
Sep 11Mongolian Youth | Geegii, Shaman Master
With the recents foreign investments in mongolia, local people fear for the sustainability of their culture. With little less than 3 millions inhabitant, a lot of locals are fearing for the disparition of their language and tradition. Among them, shamanism is one of the most spectacular. With Genghis Khan himself using the advise of a shaman during his campaign, mongolian and especially the youth is turning again towards those eccentric practices.
Geegii is in her late twenties. At first she seems to be just like everybody, drive her daughter to school, plays folk music and go out with friends to clubs on the week end. But some days of the week, she is a very respected Shaman Master. During her ceremony, dozens and dozens of people come to have a chance to communicate with the underworld.
In her living room, people sit on the ground, waiting for geegii to slowly enter in her transe by chanting and playing her drums. Suddenly, as she falls on the ground, a 70 year old angel / ghost is possessing her. During the next 6 hours , she will answer and heal the people who came to see her. With the help of an assistant, who is here to translate old mongolian ( ghosts are usually 200 years old ) to new mongolian, she will heal, tell the past & / or the future.
As those practices can seem odd from a western point of view, they are very much believed and accepted inside the mongolian youth. Shamanist tradition is also inspiring a lot of the local hip hop singer. Geegii’s brother, also a shaman, is the lead singer of Mongolia’s biggest hip hop band, Ice Top.
