The Institution of Chosen Figures in Georgia and Circular Dancing Actions Linked to it
Ekaterine Geliashvili
05.02.2021
The experience of humanity's remote past and mythological models and symbols are accumulated in shamans' rituals. In Georgia, there are remnants of shaman's rituals in the shape of prophesying, icon soothsaying, or being held by an icon. It is noteworthy that dancing was necessary for such magic actions together with a special environment. In this context, dancing was used as something imparting common energy and causing a religious trance. It is known that since the Palaeolithic Age, the dance of this function has had a circular form, because it was believed that a round dance (shamanic force) produced a powerful energy field.
Shamanic elements can be seen during the holidays of White George in Atskuri. Various magic actions are performed there, including a circular round dance with one person dancing within the circle, movements around the circle, the colour of the costumes of participants, contacts with the earth, and many other components, which enables us to conclude that this an ancient ritual mystery with cosmogonic overtones.
The comparison of the aforementioned holidays and rituals performed by pagan soothsayers unveiled a number of common features, which enables us to say that an ancient myth about the creation of the universe was performed at the White George holiday in Atskuri and the circular movements of the round dance performed had cosmogonic and magic overtones.