I asked Chat GPT if Pulcinella was a kind of shaman ... i was given a string of useful perspectives
You said: In historical Italy, was the Pulcinella a kind of shaman ? ChatGPT said: Short answer: no, Pulcinella was not a shaman — but he does contain elements that can feel “shamanic” in a symbolic or archetypal sense. Who is Pulcinella? Pulcinella is a stock character from the Commedia dell’Arte , emerging in 16th–17th century Naples . He later evolved into characters like Punch (of Punch and Judy) in England. He is typically: A masked figure with a hooked nose Hunchbacked or pot-bellied Cunning, chaotic, crude, and witty Socially ambiguous (sometimes servant, sometimes master) A trickster who bends rules and disrupts order Was he a shaman? Historically speaking: no evidence suggests Pulcinella functioned as a ritual healer, spirit mediator, or religious figure , which are core traits of shamans. Shamans: Enter trance states Mediate between human and spirit worlds Perform healing or divination Hold sacred or ritual authority...