The Song of Mukhomor

[Zee]

An old documentary is available on YouTube, about Siberian people and the Amanita Muscaria mushroom, or Mukhomor


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrPx6-mCHxU

The Song of Mukhomor


Extending southward a thousand miles from the east coast of Siberia is the vast wilderness of the Kamchatka peninsula.

This land of towering volcanoes, steaming geysers, and endless tundra is one of the most remote and rugged places on earth.

There is an ancient rhythm which has echoed through this dramatic landscape for thousands of years. It is sung by the reindeer people - hunters and fishermen, nomads and village folk. They dance to this ancient voice which speaks to all who will listen - the Song of Mukhomor.

In September of 1995, Colorado artist Tom Stimson participated in a mycological/cultural expedition to Kamchatka with a group of American fungophiles. Tom produced a 24 minute video record of important rituals, singing, dancing, and personal stories of some of the more colorful natives they encountered on their journey. The main focus of the trip was to discover and record as much as possible about the use, now and in the past, of the Amanita Muscaria mushroom ( or "Mukhomor" in Russian) by native Kamchatkans in their religious rituals and everyday lives.

[Zee]

More content on the same channel:

Tatiana Explains the Mushrooms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oFlXHUUmXg&t=2s

The Tungas women drum, then Tatiana explains Mukhomor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_boKNRFnyE&t=7s

Tatiana tells how the Vikings used Amanita Muscaria ~ Mukhomor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LOJqHw54Mc&t=6s


The film quality is not always great, but this is glimpse we may never have again into another culture. I can't always understand what's being said, though.

[Zee]

Interestingly enough, the shaman at around the 20 minute mark in the Song of Mukhomor says she doesn't use the mushroom. She's a shaman already from a long line of them, and she's "strong enough." "I don't need any more strength," she says, laughing. (She's a middle aged woman with more energy than most teenagers. Pretty amazing!) "You...you can eat mukhomor...and you become stronger."

[AliceTetzlaff]

i think she´s saying this, cause here strength to rise the ecstasy state comes from herself or her ancestors like the first mongolian shaman. (in an old mongolian tale about the first shaman of the world, he´s able to switch between the middle and 'ghost/god' world easly without eating psychoactive substances or dancing etc. After a competition with an god, of course he wins, the abillity to switch easily between the world is taken forever from all shamans in the world from this god... Mircea Eliade writes about this in his Book "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" if you interested....)

Some ethnologists claims that the amanita brings his users in a state of 'rabies' like the belladonna. Especially when it´s use take place in germanic tribals (particularly for warriors), cause it´s Odins mushroom.

I have some nice german books about this topic, if you like, I´m looking for English translations?

[Imme]

That is interesting. The Odin figure hung upside down for nine days to receive wisdom. (Mushrom drying) sacrificed his eye(?vision) and hung on yiggdrisel (tree of life) to receive the runes( communication and magic) interesting correspondence to Norse myth and aminita wisdom. Thank you so much

[Phil999]

the spirit of Mukhomor (Amanita Muscaria) can only guide the shaman to her or his self. If the shaman has the direct connection, the full knowledge, Mukhomor is no more needed.

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Besides, I prefer to use the word Mukhomor (spelled with a soft 'k', like the German 'ch').