The Soul Catcher Views
A Soulcatcher (Haboolm Ksinaalgat, 'keeper of breath') is an amulet (Aatxasxw) used by the shaman (Halayt) of the Tsimshian, Haida, Heiltsuk, and Tlingit tribes of the Pacific Northwest Coast of British Columbia and Alaska. It is believed that all soulcatchers were constructed by the Tsimshian tribe, and traded to the other tribes.
Soulcatchers were decorated with a sisiutl-like animal: a land-otter or bear head at both ends of the tube, and an anthropomorphic face in the middle. This form may have represented the ability to shift shapes, or the mythological land-otter canoe, implying the ability to travel between the three realms: air/god realm (kijek), earth/human/animal realm (takijek), and water/spirit realm (tekijek). The land-otter was the source of all shamanic power.
To cure the patient, the shaman would wear the soulcatcher as a necklace. He would then travel to the spirit world by calling helper spirits using trance music, employing helper-spirit masks, and magical implements such as staffs. Shaman might also work in groups, constructing a representation of a shaman's Land-Otter canoe and dantsikw spirit boards (see sisiutl) as a vehicle to travel to the spirit world. Once the errant soul was located, the shaman would suck the soul into the soulcatcher, and return to the patient. The soul would then be blown back into the patient.
The hand crafted Soul Catchers that I make are from the Spiritual Yucca or Sotol wood. The Soul Catchers are from about 12 inches down to 5 inches. I also woodburn images into the sticks of a spiritual or petroglyphic nature. Kokopelli is a favorite image to have woodburned on them and other symbolic nature images. Click on the images below to enlarge.
The Soul Catcher Images
