Abstract:

It is necessary that both the Shaman and the members of the community, who believe in this situation and thus become a part of Shaman rituals, prepare themselves in emotional and mental terms before establishing contact with the creatures of the other world and gods/spirits. No matter what the reasons and the form of the ritual is, the costume of a Shaman is the most influential visual material in associating the medium with extraordinary and magical dimension. The headdresses of the Shamans rank first among the most-needed holy materials to perform the rituals. The headdress may be transformed into anything according to the desire of the Shaman in this belief system. Sometimes, even a simple element may be adequate for this. For example, the feather of an eagle may become a powerful element that allows the Shaman to acquire the ability to fly. Since the headdresses were prepared within a certain discipline although they showed variations according to the type of the rituals and to the experience of the Shaman, and were specific to each Shaman, they had some common characteristics. The Shaman headdresses in Asia-Siberia Region, where the Turkic Nations lived, appears before us with the symbolism of deer, bird and bear. In this study, the examples of the Shaman headdresses of Altai, Hakas/Kachin, Tuva and Karagas/Tofalar communities among the Turkic people in Altaic Region are given, and assessments are made in formal and iconographic terms.

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