How did shamanic practices persist after some northern Asian peoples adopted Christianity Islam or Buddhism?

After northern Asian peoples adopted world religions such as Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism, shamanic practices often persisted as traces within their cultural fabric. These remnants are frequently revealed through the study of folklore and traditional folk beliefs rather than as formal religious institutions.1

Specific examples of this persistence include:

• Finno-Ugric peoples: Among the Finns, the tietäjä—a figure functionally equivalent to a shaman—retains traditional associations, such as the belief that they are born with an extra tooth.1
• Turkic peoples: Among the Osmanli Turks of Asia Minor, the shaman’s traditional horned headwear is still remembered in popular belief.1
• General patterns: In many groups that converted to Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism, shamanistic elements were integrated into local customs or survived as atypical forms, such as the development seen among the Manchurians.1

However, the degree of persistence varied significantly. In some cases, such as among the Khalkha-Mongolian and eastern Buryat (who became Buddhists) and the Kazakh and Kyrgyz (who adopted Islam), shamanism was largely excluded from their religious systems.1