Shamanic whip made with a tail from a yak. The usage of yak hair in a shamanic whip is a quite traditional one, especially in Himalayan shamanism where it is called a 'chamara'. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the chamara has a very ancient history. Images of it can be found in the iconography of deities and royalty dating back to at least 300 AD. Its symbolism in such settings can be explained on different levels.
First lets take a look at its association with royalty. In one way, a fan made of lightweight material such as a yak tail (or plant material for example) is simply used as a very practical fly whisk. As such it is often seen in the hands of the servants of royal (or other very important) people; to whisk the flies away from their faces. By association, the image of the fly whisk became an important symbol of royalty, leading to it also being held in the hands of the royal people themselves as a symbol of their status.
The usage of the fly whisk as an attribute used by servants to accomodate their king, and the symbolic connotations that follow from it, can be further extrapolated into why the chamara is also found in the iconography of Hindu and Buddhist deities and in ritual practices associated with them. The chamara has become a symbol for reverence, service and devotion. As such a chamara is an important personal attribute for spiritual practitioners. Also one can often be found in public shrines, for all devotees and passers-by to use to sweep the flies away from the statues of deities.
Going back to the usage for the king; on yet another level, whisking the king with a chamar also is done to symbolically sweep negative thoughts and heavy emotions away from him, to assist him in keeping a tranquil mind with which he can be a better ruler for his subjects. From here, the leap to its usage in traditional shamanic practices can of course also easily be made.
In traditional shamanism a whip is considered an indispensable attribute. It is used for many different purposes such as; purifying energyfields from people or locations, expelling evil spirits, directing the energy before or during rituals, protection and opening beneficial pathways and channels.
For different purposes, there can be different types of whips, but also a multifunctional 'kamcha' with colorful cotton braids (or a mix of cotton-, leather-, and horsehair braids) is often used. If you're looking for one of those, it's certainly a good idea to check our webshop every now and then. We sometimes have them in stock too ;-)
A chamara used in practices associated with devotion of deities or royalty, is traditionally white in color. This whip however is made to be used as a shamanic attribute and is pitch black in color. A complete tail including a piece of its hide has been used. The hide-part has been carefully prepared and molded in the shape of a handle, after which it has been inserted in a hand-sewn mustard-yellow leather sleeve. With a braided buffalo leather cord a simple loop has been created at the top, with which it can be hung on your wrist during ritual. Traditionally, when not actively used, a shamanic whip is hung from the left wrist for protection, because evil spirits are supposed to approach from that direction.
Sizes; total length is approximately 80 centimeters, of which the handle-part is approximately 23 centimeters and the tail 57 centimeters.
Tail preparation and additional handcraft done by Chyltys Kam. Unique item, only one available.
