Siberia
The barbarian tribes of Siberia all more or less practise the art of Sorcery, and this has been from time immemorial in the hands of the shamanistic or medicineman class. The Samoyeds who are idol-worshippers believe also in the existence of an order of invisible spirits which they call tadebtsois. These are ever circling through the atmosphere, and are a constant menace to the native, who is anxious to propitiate them. This can only be effected through the intervention of a tadibe or Necromancer, who, when his services are requisitioned, attires himself in magical costume of reindeer leather trimmed with red cloth, a mask of red cloth, and a breast-plate of polished metal. He then takes a drum of reindeer skin (See Lapland) ornamented with brass rings, and attended by an assistant, walks round in a circle invoking the presence of the spirits, shaking a large rattle the while. The noise grows louder, and as the spirits are supposed to draw near the sorcerer, he addresses them, beating his drum more gently, and pausing in his chant to listen to their answers. Gradually he works himself into a condition of frenzy, beats the drum with great violence, and appears to be possessed by the supernatural influence writhing and foaming at the mouth. All at once he stops, and oracularly pronounces the will of the spirits. The Tadibe's office is a hereditary one, but if a member of the tribe should exhibit special qualifications he is adopted into the priesthood, and by fasts, vigils, the use of narcotics and stimulants in the same manner as is employed by the N.A. Indians (q.v.), he comes to believe that he has been visited by the spirits. He is then adopted as a Tadibe with midnight ceremoinal, and is invested with a magic drum. A great many of the tricks of the priesthood are merely those of ordinary conjuring, such as the rope trick, but some of the illusions which these men secure are exceedingly striking. With their hands and feet tied together, they sit on a carpet of reindeer skin, and putting out the light, summon the assistance of the spirits. Peculiar noises herald their approach, snakes hiss, and bears growl, the lights are rekindled and the tadibe is seen released from his bonds. The Samoyeds sacrifice much to the dead, and perform various ceremonies in their honour, but they believe that only the souls of the tadibes enjoy immortality and hover through the air, demanding constant sacrifice.
Sibylline Books Further to the east, inhabiting the more northerly part of Siberia dwell the Ostiaks, who have nominally adopted the rites of the Greek Church, but magic is rife amongst them. Many Ostiaks carry about with them a description of fetish, which they call Schaitan. Whether this name, like the Arabic Sheitan, is merely a corruption of that of Satan, it would be difficult to say. Larger images of this kind are part of the furniture of an Ostiak lodge, but they are attired in seven pearl embroidered garments, and suspended to the neck by a string of silver coins. In a strange sort of dualism they are placed in many of the huts cheek by jowl with the image of the Virgin Mary, and at mealtimes their lips are smeared with the blood of raw game or fish.
It is this people, the Ostiaks, with whom the word "Shaman" originated. These Shamans are merely medicine-men.
The Mongols, who inhabit the more southern parts of the great waste of Siberia are also ancient practitioners in sorcery, and rely greatly on divination. In order to discover what description of weather will be prevalent for any length of time they employ a stone endowed with magic virtues called yadeh-tash. This is suspended over, or lies in a basin of water with sundry ceremonies, and appears to be the same kind of stone in use among the Turcomans as related by Ibn Mohalhal, an early Arab traveller. The celebrated conqueror, Timur, in his Memoirs, records that the Jets resorted to incantations to produce heavy rains which hindered his cavalry from acting against them. A Yadachi, or weather-conjuror, was taken prisoner, and after he had been beheaded the storm ceased. Babu refers to one of his early friends, Khwaja ka Mulai, as conspicuous for his skill in falconry and his knowledge of Yadageri, or the science of inducing rain and snow by means of enchantment. The Russians were much distressed by heavy rains in 1552, when besieging Kazan, and universally ascribed the unfavourable weather to the arts of the Tatar queen, who was an enchantress.
Early in the 18th century, the Chinese Emperor Shitsung issued a proclamation against rain-conjuring, addressed to the Eight Banners of Mongolia. "If," indignantly observes the Emperor, " if I, offering prayers in sincerity, have yet cause to fear that it may please heaven to leave my prayer unanswered, it is truly intolerable that mere common people wishing for rain should of their own fancy set up altars of earth; and bring together a rabble of Hoshang (Buddhist Bonzes) and Taossi to conjure the spirits to gratify their wishes."