Tale of the Nisan Shaman
Encyclopedia
The Tale of the Nisan Shaman (also spelled "Nishan"; ) is a Manchu
folk tale about a female shaman
who resurrects
the son of a rich landowner.
, Daur, and Nanai peoples. The tale was transmitted orally, and manuscripts were rare; Soviet ethnographer A. V. Grebenshchikov
managed to purchase two during his early research trips to Northeast China
in 1908 and 1909, the first near Qiqihar
, and the second at Aigun
. He had a third manuscript given to him in Vladivostok
in 1913 by a man named Dekdenge. The Qiqihar manuscript shows some unusual features in its orthography; in particular, the verbal tense markers therein are written separately from their base verbs, whereas the standard practise in written Manchu is to write them attached to the base verb. A 1930s ethnographic survey by Johnson Ling of the Academia Sinica
recorded 18 different versions of the tale among Nanai tribes on the Songhua River
. , based on Grebenshchikov's manuscript, was the first Russian
translation. In 1969, an English translation was made by George Meszoly, a Harvard University
undergraduate; however, it was never published. Seong Baek-in
(then of Myongji University
) made a Korean translation five years later . The first published English translation, , relied on the annotations in Volkova's and Seong's works, but did not refer to Ling's study. A Hungarian
translation came out in 1987.
|year=1974|oclc=36538543|ref=CITEREFSeong1974}}
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
folk tale about a female shaman
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
who resurrects
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
the son of a rich landowner.
Versions
Variants of the tale are also found among the EvenkEvenks
The Evenks are a Tungusic people of Northern Asia. In Russia, the Evenks are recognized as one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North, with a population of 35,527...
, Daur, and Nanai peoples. The tale was transmitted orally, and manuscripts were rare; Soviet ethnographer A. V. Grebenshchikov
A. V. Grebenshchikov
Aleksandr Vasil'evich Grebenshchikov was a Soviet scholar of the Tungusic languages. He was specifically interested in the origin and development of Manchu writing.-Education and career:...
managed to purchase two during his early research trips to Northeast China
Northeast China
Northeast China, historically known in English as Manchuria, is a geographical region of China, consisting of the three provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. The region is sometimes called the Three Northeast Provinces...
in 1908 and 1909, the first near Qiqihar
Qiqihar
- Subdivisions :Qiqihar is divided into 16 divisions: 7 districts , 8 counties and 1 county-level city .-Economy:...
, and the second at Aigun
Aigun
Aigun was a historic town of China in northern Manchuria, situated on the right bank of the Amur River, some 30 km south from the central urban area of Heihe .The Chinese name of the town, which literally means "Bright Jade", is a transliteration of the original Manchu Aigun was a historic...
. He had a third manuscript given to him in Vladivostok
Vladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
in 1913 by a man named Dekdenge. The Qiqihar manuscript shows some unusual features in its orthography; in particular, the verbal tense markers therein are written separately from their base verbs, whereas the standard practise in written Manchu is to write them attached to the base verb. A 1930s ethnographic survey by Johnson Ling of the Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
recorded 18 different versions of the tale among Nanai tribes on the Songhua River
Songhua River
The Songhua or Sunggari River is a river in Northeast China, and is the largest tributary of the Heilong River , flowing about from Changbai Mountains through Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. The river drains of land, and has an annual discharge of .As the Second Songhua River, it joins the...
. , based on Grebenshchikov's manuscript, was the first Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
translation. In 1969, an English translation was made by George Meszoly, a Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
undergraduate; however, it was never published. Seong Baek-in
Seong Baek-in
Seong Baek-in is professor emeritus of linguistics at Seoul National University. His primary area of research is on the Manchu language.-Career:Seong served as a professor at Myongji University from March 1968 to May 1982...
(then of Myongji University
Myongji University
Myongji University was founded in 1948 and is located in South Korea. It provides higher education in the fields of engineering, sciences and humanities. It has two campuses; one in downtown Seoul, and the other in Yongin, 35km south of Seoul...
) made a Korean translation five years later . The first published English translation, , relied on the annotations in Volkova's and Seong's works, but did not refer to Ling's study. A Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
translation came out in 1987.
Translations
|publication-place=Nanjing|year=1934|publisher=Academia Sinica/國立中央硏究院|oclc=123364330|ref=CITEREFLing1934}}|publisher=Myongji UniversityMyongji University
Myongji University was founded in 1948 and is located in South Korea. It provides higher education in the fields of engineering, sciences and humanities. It has two campuses; one in downtown Seoul, and the other in Yongin, 35km south of Seoul...
|year=1974|oclc=36538543|ref=CITEREFSeong1974}}