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A Soulcatcher (''Haboolm Ksinaalgat'', 'keeper of breath') is an amulet ''(Aatxasxw)'' used by the shaman (Halayt) 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. ==Construction== Soulcatchers were constructed of a tube of bear femur, incised on one or both sides, and often ornamented with abalone shell. Bears had powerful shamanic connotations among the people of the Northwest Coast. 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. A shaman's helper spirit may have resided in the central head. The soulcatcher was plugged at both ends with shredded cedar bark, to contain the lost soul, or to hold a malevolent spirit "sucked out" of a patient. The amulet was usually worn as a necklace. Soulcatchers ranged in length from 16 cm to 21.6 cm (6" to 8"). There are a few examples of wood soulcatchers, and a Haida example covered with copper sheeting. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Soulcatcher」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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