iga " ▁( 6 4 7 ). ▁ ▁The ▁religious ▁belief s ▁and ▁practices ▁of ▁the ▁Even ks ▁are ▁of ▁great ▁historical ▁interest ▁since ▁these ▁retain ▁some ▁arch a ic ▁forms ▁of ▁belief . ▁Among ▁the ▁most ▁ancient ▁ideas ▁are ▁spiritual ization ▁and ▁person ification ▁of ▁all ▁natural ▁phen omena , ▁belief ▁in ▁an ▁upper , ▁middle , ▁and ▁lower ▁world , ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁soul ▁( omi ) ▁and ▁certain ▁to tem istic ▁concepts . ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁various ▁mag ical ▁rit uals ▁associated ▁with ▁hunting ▁and ▁guard ing ▁her ds . ▁Later ▁on , ▁these ▁rit uals ▁were ▁conducted ▁by ▁sh am ans . ▁Sh aman ism ▁brought ▁about ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁views ▁of ▁spirit - master s ▁( V as ile v ich ▁ 6 4 7 ). ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁few ▁sources ▁on ▁the ▁sh aman ism ▁of ▁the ▁Even ki ▁pe op les ▁below ▁the ▁Am ur / Hel ong ki ang ▁river ▁in ▁Northern ▁China . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁brief ▁report ▁of ▁field work ▁conducted ▁by ▁Richard ▁N oll ▁and ▁Kun ▁Sh i ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁of ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁sh aman ess ▁D ula ' r ▁( E ven ki ▁name ), ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁A o ▁Y un ▁H ua ▁( her ▁Han ▁Chinese ▁name ). ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁and ▁was ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Y im ing ▁G ats a ▁in ▁the ▁Even ki ▁B anner ▁( count y ) ▁of ▁the