What role did a drum play in shamanic performances in Central Asia?

In Central Asian shamanic traditions, the drum is a vital ritual device that serves several essential functions during performances:

• Inducing Trance: The rhythmic sound of the drum is used by the shaman to enter an ecstatic trance, which enables them to establish contact with the spirit world.123
• Symbolic Vehicle: The drum acts as a "steed" or vessel for the shaman’s soul during its journey to the heavens or the netherworld. Depending on the ritual context, the drum may be envisioned as an animal the shaman rides, or as a boat used to navigate rivers in the spirit realm.123
• Mediating with Spirits: The drum serves as a medium for communication; during the trance, spirits may move into the shaman or into the drum itself.1
• Ritual Significance: Great care is taken in the drum's construction, including the selection of wood and the application of symbolically charged designs on the membrane, which often represent the Upper and Lower Worlds.12

As a central element of these impassioned musico-dramatic scenes, the drum helps the shaman act as a mediator between the human world and the unseen spheres.24