CONTENTS: Contributors, Introduction, Reflections on Kingship, Mediumism and Territory in the Central Himalayas-Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, PART I> RELIGION: Introduction. The Social Dimension of Himalayan Mediumism-Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, 1. Confliocting Powers: Struggles between Rulers and Oracular Mediums in Jajarkot District, Nepal-Gregory G. Maskarinec, 2. Territories, Politics and Mediums in Jumla-Satya Shrestha-Schipper, 3. The Dhuni Jagar: Possession and Kingship in Askopt, Kumaon-Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, 4. Kings, Gods and Political Leaders in Kullu (Himachal Pradesh)-Daniela Berti, 5. Working for the Welfare of All Living Beings: Mediums, Lamas and Stolrytellers in the Pin Valley, Spiti-Pascale Dollfus, 6. "White Minds, Pure Bodies": The Emergence of Feminine Mediumship in Contemporary Zanskar-Isabelle Riab off, PART II HISTORY: Introduction. From the Bards' Grandeur to the Kings' Orders: History in Various Forms-Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, 7. The hudke Bard as Genealogist: The Raskoti Vamshavalis and their Context of Performance-Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, 8. Impossible Sons and Enemy Brothers: Remarks on the Cathartic Function of Two Heroic Poems (bharat) of Far Western Nepal-Remi Bordes, 9. The Panchakoshi of Dullu: The Fire Frame of the Malla Imperial Capital-Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, 10. Dullu-Dailekh as Independent Principalities-Tek Bahadur Shrestha, 11. Towards a History of the Khasa Empire-Mahes Raj Pant, 12. Advent of Polities in Uttarakhand (Kumaon and Garhwal)-Maheshwar P Joshi, Bibliography.