Famous Shamans I have known and loved.

What needs do mythology and religion serve in today's world and in ancient times? Here we discuss the relationship between mythology, religion and science from mythological, religious and philosophical viewpoints.

Moderators: Clemsy, Martin_Weyers, Cindy B.

ALOberhoulser
Associate
Posts: 2952
Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Delphi
Contact:

Post by ALOberhoulser »

Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
~Max Planck

ALOberhoulser
Associate
Posts: 2952
Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Delphi
Contact:

Post by ALOberhoulser »

I've probably shared this before - but it's amazing ... and full o' soul

Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks - Old Friend

...pushing past that "wasteland" - takes patience 8)
Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
~Max Planck

Roncooper
Associate
Posts: 907
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:51 pm
Location: Eastern Tennessee

Post by Roncooper »

Al,
Sounds like you had a great relationship with your grandmother. I hardly knew mine, but I did have a wonderful big brother.

Here is some good old southern gospel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1MN2zSudxY

And one more gospel-blues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzd4Xu_cwTo

Ron

ALOberhoulser
Associate
Posts: 2952
Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Delphi
Contact:

Post by ALOberhoulser »

Here's a link to a great interview with Buddy Guy - from yesterday! 8)

http://windycitylive.com/episodes/Buddy-Guy/9093357
Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
~Max Planck

Stone_Giant
Associate
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Warwickshire, England

Post by Stone_Giant »

Great posts people, keep 'em coming.

Al - just to let you know this time I really have started a thead in "Mythos: For the Creative Community" entitled "The Genius of Jimi Hendrix" - don't know what happened last time - I wrote it and obviously didn't hit Submit - d'oh!

Interesting point about Blues Shamans. Its common knowledge that the Blues is the main bedrock of modern popular music. I'd go so far as to say that African music put Western Culture back in touch with its soul, allowing it to be much more expressive of a wider emotional range. We'd had sad music and happy music for centuries of course, but except for the most primitive or deep rural communities it was all rather reserved. The hybridisation of european forms with the rythmic and dynamic vocalisation of African music exploded onto the world stage in the early part of the 20th century, and it has been eating its own tale in order to rebirth itself ever since.

Another African link is of course the vital concept of the Shaman. In the African culture of the time, he still held high court . His primal cultural role was still prominent. I'm sure song and chanting was/is part of his toolkit, and so his musical heirs, the Jazz/Blues/Soul/Country/Gospel/HipHop(etc) Men and Women of today, still have the power to move and heal us, perhaps more so than in other musical forms. ( Any Classical fans want to challenge this?) :-)

Regards, Stone.
Want to wash away my sins, in the presence of my friends. (Arcade Fire)

ALOberhoulser
Associate
Posts: 2952
Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Delphi
Contact:

Post by ALOberhoulser »

Johann Sebastian Bach- Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major

...and a modern classical piecie, near & dear to me - Sagebrush Suite - Buchanan (1994) (I enjoyed this first public performance from the audience - the composer, I consider, a mystic)

You asked - I went ethereal... :D

much joy!! :lol:

:wink:
Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.
~Max Planck

Stone_Giant
Associate
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Warwickshire, England

Post by Stone_Giant »

Something that just blows me away is the overture to the Flying Dutchman, but only the Karl Bohm conducted version. There are plenty of great renditions around but the Bohm recording is the only one that really nails it for me.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=ZiIDNlEP ... iIDNlEP9KE

In fact the whole Opera is one of my favourites. The mystical theme of Senta's sacrifice to redeem the old haunted Sea Captain is one that has gained greater poignancy as I get older myself.

It's not surprising that this thread has veered towards musical Shamans but as I mentioned earlier on, release and healing can be engendered by Art, Writing, Dance and Drama as well.

I already mentioned Tolkien as one writer who I felt moved to follow and to explore ever since coming upon his works in adolescence, so to get a different perspective I asked my wife if she had a favourite author whom she read, not just for entertainment, but whose work she found inspirational and aspirational too. She came back with Gladys Aylward, in particular her autobiographical work "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness". She says she actually met her when, in old age, she was stil touring schools and giving talks.

In fact there are several authors who I personally could add to the same list as Tolkien. Desmond Morris, british anthropologist, surreal artist and author of "The Naked Ape". Mervyn Peake - for his Gormenghast trilogy, TH White for "The Once and Future King", and needless to say Joseph Campbell, who surely heads up this list. These authors' works I return to time and again, and I am renewed each time.

I am not an ardent follower of dance, but for modern movers, who could not fail to be excited by the peerless Michael Jackson? Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire are always a joy- inspiring visual treat too. I also have a tender spot for Britain's Jesse Mathews. Classical dance though, is a bit of a grey area, pour moi.

As for Art, Van Gogh, Turner, Dali, Picasso, Rothko, Bacon to name a few.

I don't really get to the theatre much but where TV drama is concerned I am a fan of Dennis Potter, Jimmy McGovern, and any Scandinavian crime/political drama. I'll single out Dennis Potter for Pennies from Heaven and the Singing Detective, both of these drama series manage to be strange, moving and uplifting all at the same time. He died not long back, and his final interview is real tour de force of the man's intellect.

http://onlyinamericablogging.blogspot.c ... rview.html

Regards, Stone_Giant
Last edited by Stone_Giant on Fri May 17, 2013 10:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Want to wash away my sins, in the presence of my friends. (Arcade Fire)

Roncooper
Associate
Posts: 907
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:51 pm
Location: Eastern Tennessee

Post by Roncooper »

Just got back from the symphony. One of the pieces was Wagner's Overture to Tannhauser. Good stuff.

When it comes to painters, I like all of the greats but Jackson Pollock has a special pace in my mind. If I sit in front of one of his paintings and look into the center, and relax, it will take me in and play beautiful games with my consciousness.

Campbell singled out Picasso as a myth maker.

Ron

Stone_Giant
Associate
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Warwickshire, England

Post by Stone_Giant »

Ron - yes Pollock works for me too. It's a funny thing about abstract Art. As a callow youth I thought it was all a big scam and had little time for it. But as I grew older so my awareness of what and how it was trying to communicate grew in appreciation too.

The casual viewer in an Art Gallery may think a picture is about the subject it is portraying. It isn't. It is really about the feelings it engenders in you as you gaze at it. Rothko is extremely minimalist yet people say they come away from his paintings feeling deeply moved. There are many representations of a horizon in his works, for me that's what the blocks of colour are about Like earth and sky, earth trees and sky, sea and sky, desert and cloud, the painting is a complete environment which is designed to swallow you up, bring you inside it. We can't leave out the tones and colours he used either. Colours have feelings associated with them, art is about communication, with his juxtapositions of monolithic blocks of carefully mixed colour tones, Rothko was trying to bring us into his mind, to show us his soul.

Unfortunately his works got progressively darker as his mind state deteriorated, ending with his suicide at age 67.

Regards Stone_Giant
Want to wash away my sins, in the presence of my friends. (Arcade Fire)

zoe
Associate
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 1:00 am
Location: In route

Post by zoe »

Campbell singled out Picasso as a myth maker.

Ron
“Everything you can imagine is real.”--Pablo Picasso
Spoken like a true Shaman. :)

Stone_Giant
Associate
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Warwickshire, England

Post by Stone_Giant »

Zoe, exactly! It is the Shaman's job to help us reconcile the imaginitive with the analytical. This is the sometimes conflict-ridden area which is the fount of creativity itself. :)

Regards, Stone_Giant
Want to wash away my sins, in the presence of my friends. (Arcade Fire)

Roncooper
Associate
Posts: 907
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:51 pm
Location: Eastern Tennessee

Post by Roncooper »

Here are three very different songs which have shamanistic qualities.

Interestingly, this first one was used at the beginning of a movie about Buddhism called "Little Buddha," by Bertolucci.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlaoR5m4L80

The second is a well known song from John Lennon. It sounds very different than the first, but for me it has a very similar message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spjcPS4ekOA

Finally, here is one from Elvis. In a more light hearted world this could have been Campbell's theme song.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPGd2kqvziQ

It seems the messages are everywhere.

Ron

Roncooper
Associate
Posts: 907
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:51 pm
Location: Eastern Tennessee

Post by Roncooper »

Here is a nice one written by Rosanne Cash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWKhtro3wSo

Ron

Stone_Giant
Associate
Posts: 136
Joined: Thu Mar 07, 2002 6:00 am
Location: Warwickshire, England

Post by Stone_Giant »

Ron - Some nice songs there, with a strong spiritual message.

Makes me think about another major Shamanic figure from the world of music, namely Van Morrison. A seeker and a mystic who has produced some beautiful and moving music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHuS3-OaLKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T156VDzkvK8

I also like his little-heard song "Cleaning Windows", it has a zen-like quality to it. " I'm a workin man in my prime - cleaning windows" Like someone fully yoked to life, someone who's found his bliss. Strange really because he comes across as really cantankerous in interviews. I think he finds the whole fame thing a bit tedious is what it is.

Stone_giant
Want to wash away my sins, in the presence of my friends. (Arcade Fire)

Roncooper
Associate
Posts: 907
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:51 pm
Location: Eastern Tennessee

Post by Roncooper »

Van Morrison great stuff.

I remember when Astral Weeks came out, we played it to death. I couldn't get enough of "Madam George." He had this great ability to paint pictures in the same way that Bob Dylan did. I felt like I was walking along Cypress Ave.

Here is one the critics panned as being too self absorbed but we just roared along with Van. "Listen to the Lion"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uazFfQpK5SE

Thanks for bringing this back.

Ron

Locked