Morning Myth - the Shamans of Siberia

This myth/story/truth comes from Siberia. The people to which I draw this from are/were shamanistic.

Much like Norse mythology, in some of the ethnic groups of northern Siberia there is the belief in a world tree that connects all the realms of existence. The upper realms are where the good deities roam and the lower realms are where the bad deities roam. There are variously three to seven realms mentioned.

Several things all the peoples have in common is that the world tree connects all the realms, earth is the middle realm or realm of man, and shamans are the only who are able to climb up and down the world tree. Often times they can only do so when changing into an animal, though this is not necessary. 

Shamans travel to and from realms to learn, fight, and gain magical powers. There are few really cool stories from Siberian myth I will relate over the coming days. 

"One Siberian myth tells of a hero who followed a golden bird up the World Tree. The bird changed into many shapes, finally becoming a woman, whom the hero wished to marry. First, however, he had to destroy an extra sun and moon that were making the world too hot and too cold. For help, the hero turned to a sea god, who boiled the hero in an iron kettle and then shaped the fragments into a new man of iron, armed with iron weapons. The hero used these to shoot the extra sun and moon."

Read more: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sa-Sp/Siberian-Mythology.html#ixzz79vYKQgis