The class of shaman is based, to a much degree, on the belief system of indigenous peoples of the Great Plains of Northern America.
In their culture, Bear was a very important spirit animal.
In the kingdom of spirit animals, the bear is emblematic of grounding forces and strength. This animal has been worshipped throughout time as a powerful totem, inspiring those who need it the courage to stand up against adversity. As a spirit animal in touch with the earth and the cycles of nature, it is a powerful guide to support physical and emotional healing.
In the light of this knowledge, I would really like to receive a glyph or something of the sort that would allow me to turn into a Spirit Bear instead of a Spirit Wolf or Raptor.
I require this addition in order to feel more immersed in playing a shaman.
Shamanism in WoW is deeply ingrained with the elements. What you are arguing now, goes with the Druid branch.
Animalistic worshipping has more to do with Nature. Druid stuff.
Shamans are more aseptic, and deal with the primordial energies that enable life itself to bloom. And even if they tangentially touch the Life element, they aren’t as focused on it as druids are.
Irl shamans are different in that regard.
I disagree with that. Shamanism in Warcraft started to be all about spirits, elemental or otherwise. It’s only lately that the focus has shifted so much on them being simply elementalists, and I think it’s mostly so it would better fit with races such as kul-tirans or dark iron dwarves.
I wouldn’t mind if there were more spirit forms for other races of shamans, but I don’t know if bears are a fit for any right now. Spirit elekks for draenei and spirit rams for dwarves would be more fitting imo.
And on the ideas of the real Empedocles, who was the first (at least in Europe) to posit the idea that the cosmos is made up of four elements: water, air, fire, and earth.
inb4 “roll a Druid”.
Also, turning into a Spirit Beast is mostly for speed increases, and bears aren’t known in WoW to be fast animals. But if it resembles a culture better to turn into a bear instead of a wolf or a raptor, sure, I’m fine with it.
Shamanism in WoW began as a trade mostly about the spirits. We weren’t supposed to be controlling elements. We’re communing with elemental spirits and they lend us their power.
I still consider shamanism mostly a concept of staying in touch with the spirits. Be them elemental or animalistic.
I agree Shamanism is more than throwing lightning bolts. It’s also a spiritual figure that performs ancient rites, invoke primal powers and communes with various spirits - ancestors or Loa.
I would like if each race had it’s own spirit form.
So raptors being assigned to trolls.
Wolves to orcs.
Goats to space goats.
And bulls to Tauren.