Heredity and Refusal of the Shamanic Calling among the Buddhist Dards in Ladakh
Proletina Robova
стр. 32 - 41
 
Заглавие: Heredity and Refusal of the Shamanic Calling among the Buddhist Dards in Ladakh
Автори: Proletina Robova

Абстракт: This article focuses on the connection between the refusal of the shamanic vocation and its hereditary transference with lhaba and lhamo – shamanic religious specialists who embody deities known as lha during organized ritual séances. Drawing on ethnographic material collected from the Brogpa community in Ladakh, India, I examine the nature of lha as a presence deeply woven into social and blood kinships. Often, the religious function associated with the embodiment of these deities is transmitted from one individual to another precisely through refusal of the call and the expulsion of the deity from the body of its chosen recipient. By tracing instances of successful and failed refusal of the shamanic vocation, the article contributes to a broader understanding of agency, obligation, and the moral logic of divine embodiment in the Western Himalayas.

Ключови думи: lhaba; lhamo; Ladakh; Buddhist Dards; Brogpa; shamanism; heredity.

Получена: 13-10-2025     Приета: 21-02-2026     Публикувана: 30-06-2026

Цитиране: P. Robova, "Heredity and Refusal of the Shamanic Calling among the Buddhist Dards in Ladakh" In: Cultural and Historical Heritage: Preservation, Presentation, Digitalization (KIN Journal), 12(1), 2026. Sofia: Institute of Mathematics and Informatics – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, ISSN 2367-8038, pp. 32-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55630/KINJ.2026.120102