Ongons serve as spirit houses in the shamanic traditions of Mongolia and Siberia. Common materials used in their construction include wood, leather, felt, stone, paper, fur, feathers, straw, and metal. The forms of ongons vary considerably: some are highly abstract, while others are markedly more realistic. Although ordinary people may create an ongon, it is activated by a shaman, who summons a spirit to inhabit it. Most ongons house ancestor or animal spirits; however, some contain powerful nature spirits or the souls of esteemed shamans. Since most ongon spirits are believed to have previously lived as humans or animals, they are thought to retain human‑like emotions and memories, and thus are treated with respect. Once empowered by a shaman, an ongon is placed in the sacred area of a ger (the traditional round felt tent of nomadic peoples, often referred to as a yurt in the West) and offered sustenance in the form of liquor, blood, milk, or fat. When a spirit is no longer required or desired, the ongon is either respectfully burned or returned to nature, allowing the spirit to rejoin the natural world from which it was summoned.
