Anatol Donkan talks about a shaman's garment

“This robe is sewn from the tanned fish skin of the Keta salmon. It could have been worn by a shaman. Depicted on it is the Tree of Life. The tree is guarded on one side by a tiger and on the other by a leopard. These large animals are related to humans. On the tree, you can see flowers, and birds are sitting on its branches. These birds symbolize unborn children. When a young couple was unable to have children, they would ask the shaman for help. The shaman would fly to the tree, take a bird from it, and give it to the couple so they could have a child. Bees, butterflies, and flies symbolize the spirits that assist the shaman – they are his helpers. The snakes shown here also help him. Snakes represent water. The dragon patterns symbolize a large river or a wide expanse of water, clouds in the sky, thunder, and lightning. These triangles here represent people who have died. So, on one side, you see unborn people, and on the other, those who have passed away.

This image therefore expresses the entirety of our existence. When the shaman wears such a robe, it displays all of his helping spirits. With his belt, he could create sounds. Such a robe – along with the drum, the belt, the headdress with horns, the bells, and the little pouches filled with various herbs – all these were additional attributes of the shaman, together with the painted images on the robe.” (Video in progress)

Recorded by Erich Kasten. Viechtach, 2024.