What do shamans claim to possess?

Magical and healing powers, as well as the ability to communicate with the other world

Shamans are individuals, both men and women, who assert their possession of magical and healing abilities, alongside their capacity to establish communication with the spiritual realm.

The earliest religious text, the Rigveda (compiled around 1500-1000 BCE), mentions a deity named Rudra, who later became associated with Shiva in Puranic traditions (from the first millennium CE). However, in the Rigveda, Rudra is not depicted as Pashupati (lord of animals) or as a yogi, contrary to later descriptions of Shiva. Therefore, this depiction does not align with the description of Rudra in the Rigveda. Some scholars have suggested that it might represent a shaman, introducing further speculation into its interpretation.