The Nganasans believed in the supernatural creatures called ‘nguo’- protective spirits of natural elements (the Sky, the Sun, the Earth and so on). They also believed in ‘kocha’ – illness spirits, ‘dyamada’ – spirits, who helped the shamans, ‘barusi’ – one-handed and one-eyed monsters. All these creatures were considered to be born by Mother of the Earth (Mou-Nemy), Mother of the Sun (Kou-Nemy), Mother of the Fire (Tuy-Nemy), Mother of the Water (Byzy-Nemy), Mother of the Tree (Khua-Nemy) and so on.

The Nganasans also worshipped the kin and family protecting spirits (‘koyka’), who were embodied in stones, cliffs, trees, anthropomorphous and zoomorphous shapes. The protecting spirits were asked for luck in hunting, cure for diseases and so on. Almost all the nomad tribes had its own shaman, who came in contact with the spirits and asked them for health, happiness and prosperity.

The so-called ceremonial holiday of ‘Clean Chum’ or ‘Madusya’, celebrated in the end of the Polar night, played a very important part in the life of the Nganasans. It lasted between 3 to 9 days. Sometimes instead of this holiday they celebrated another one, ‘Passing through the Stone Gate’ or ‘Fala-Futu’. The shaman held the rite of ‘kamlaniye’ for three days, and after that all the people went three times through the specially installed stone passage.