Anatol Donkan talks about flying spirits

“This is a tiger (amba). Originally, it had two tails, one of which had a swelling, symbolizing both the feminine and the masculine. In this tiger, therefore, both genders meet. The shaman equipped such a tiger with wings. He used this amba to fly and to find out, for example, if somewhere a person had drowned or if their soul had been lost and needed to be found. The shaman flying on the amba could then locate it. When the shaman flies high and becomes tired, he can switch to a bird to return on it. Such a bird is called kori. During this, the drum is played, and as the shaman gradually comes back to consciousness near the end of his descent, people nearby help him by giving him water to drink, which helps him recover. While he was in trance, he had spoken words that no one could understand. Usually, someone would tell him that he is now back. The combination of male and female in such a small amba figure expresses harmony, balance, and strength. This double power was used by the shamans because they knew that this spirit is very powerful.” (Video in progress)

Recorded by Erich Kasten. Viechtach, 2024.