Medical Arts of the Maya of Yucatan & Chiapas. Five Areas of Traditional Practice I´lolPulse Reader Koponej witzPrayer Healer Jve´t´omeMidwife

Medical Arts of the

Maya of Yucatan & Chiapas

Five Areas of Traditional PracticeFive Areas of Traditional Practice

I´lolI´lol Pulse ReaderPulse Reader Koponej witzKoponej witz Prayer HealerPrayer Healer Jve´t´omeJve´t´ome MidwifeMidwife Tzac´Bak Bone HealerTzac´Bak Bone Healer Ac´vomol HerbalistAc´vomol Herbalist

Mayan Medicine offers:Mayan Medicine offers:

PrayersPrayers Wooden CrossesWooden Crosses IncenseIncense Flowers Flowers Posh Posh Soda (Coke)Soda (Coke) Herbs Herbs CandlesCandles

I´lolI´lol(Pulse Reader)(Pulse Reader)

Diagnosis from Diagnosis from blood flow.blood flow.

Source: fear, Source: fear, envy, bad envy, bad spirits or spirits or organic.organic.

Cure: Cure: elements of elements of naturenature

Koponej witz Koponej witz (Prayer Healer)(Prayer Healer)

To: spirit of Earth To: spirit of Earth in cardinal in cardinal directions.directions.

Uses: candles, Uses: candles, incense, basil.incense, basil.

During: family or During: family or community crisis.community crisis.

MidifeJve´t´omeJve´t´ome

(Midwife)(Midwife)

Tut Vomol: post-partum bleedingTut Vomol: post-partum bleeding San Martin Vomol: hurry birthSan Martin Vomol: hurry birth Meste: hemorrage, vomitingMeste: hemorrage, vomiting Sitit: post-partum bleedingSitit: post-partum bleeding Altamixa Vomol: bleeding & painAltamixa Vomol: bleeding & pain Veronika Vomol: feverVeronika Vomol: fever

Don Rodolfo:Don Rodolfo:Our First Our First InformantInformant

Modern food disease.Modern food disease. Traditional healing & Traditional healing &

the new generation.the new generation. Remedies.Remedies. Eye Cleansing: Eye Cleansing:

Albahaca seeds (Basil)Albahaca seeds (Basil)

Doña FermeniaDoña Fermenia

Household Household herbal herbal remedies.remedies.

Cancerora XiuCancerora Xiu Ka´nan: Ka´nan:

pimples.pimples.

Don Antoñio:Don Antoñio:Our Unofficial Our Unofficial

GuideGuide The poetThe poet The politicianThe politician Views on Views on

pesticidespesticides

Doña Marga: Doña Marga: CuranderaCurandera

Prayer HealerPrayer Healer

Who comes to see Who comes to see you?you?

Will you pass on Will you pass on the Sastun?the Sastun?

Los Dioses or The Los Dioses or The Four Dwarves.Four Dwarves.

The sacredness of The sacredness of the healing arts. the healing arts.

Remedies & Remedies & Fortune TellingFortune Telling Gallstones & Gallstones &

Evil Eye. Evil Eye. The Candles: a The Candles: a

way to see.way to see. 3 Our Fathers – 3 Our Fathers –

Syncretism.Syncretism. Communication Communication

with 3 brothers.with 3 brothers. The Gift.The Gift.

Museo De la Medicina MayaMuseo De la Medicina Maya Centre for Development of Mayan Centre for Development of Mayan medicine medicine

was established to preserve traditional was established to preserve traditional knowledgeknowledge

Informant MiguelInformant Miguel

•Medicinal information has been passed down from traditional Mayan healers for centuries

The sacred and organic connectedThe sacred and organic connected

Earth with plantsEarth with plants Alcohol with waterAlcohol with water Candles with fire Candles with fire Air with prayerAir with prayer When we die, we return When we die, we return

to the earth to the earth

All parts of the plant All parts of the plant

and animals are usedand animals are used leaf, bark, stem, root, leaf, bark, stem, root,

fruit, nut, seedsfruit, nut, seeds

PICHEPICHE– Use- shampooUse- shampoo– Use- diarrheaUse- diarrhea

One plant can be used for One plant can be used for multiple ailmentsmultiple ailments

MEXICAN APPLEMEXICAN APPLE– Use-hypertensionUse-hypertension– Use-dysentryUse-dysentry

Animal UsesAnimal Uses

STINGRAYSTINGRAY– For MigrainesFor Migraines– Part Used: SpinePart Used: Spine

BEEBEE– For Body CrampsFor Body Cramps– Part Used: StingerPart Used: Stinger

SNAKESNAKE– For ReumatismFor Reumatism– Part Used: FatPart Used: Fat

Animal UsesAnimal Uses

OPPOSUMOPPOSUM– For Speeding up child For Speeding up child

birthbirth– Part Used: TailPart Used: Tail

BLACK SPIDERBLACK SPIDER– Inflamation of the Inflamation of the

testiclestesticles– Part Used: FangsPart Used: Fangs

MineralsMinerals

LIMESTONELIMESTONE– For fallen wombFor fallen womb

OBSIDIONOBSIDION– For asthmaFor asthma

BLACK MUDBLACK MUD– For intestinal For intestinal

inflamationinflamation

Hot and Cold Plants Hot and Cold Plants Exemplify Principles of BalanceExemplify Principles of Balance

Hot and cold are Hot and cold are determined in the determined in the preparationpreparation

Cough - Cough - coldcold Eucalyptus -Eucalyptus -warmwarm (vicks)(vicks)

Whooping cough - Whooping cough - warmwarm Hibiscus - Hibiscus - coldcold

Hot and ColdHot and Cold

Childbirth - Childbirth - warmwarm Ramon Tree - Ramon Tree - coldcold

– used to help speed used to help speed up childbirthup childbirth

Ramon tree located at the Botanical Gardens in Merida

Present Status of KnowledgePresent Status of Knowledge

Museum located on outskirts of town Museum located on outskirts of town Financial struggleFinancial struggle Knowledge not easily disceminated Knowledge not easily disceminated

or passed on or passed on

Modern AilmentsModern Ailments Pop & Junk FoodPop & Junk Food

– Factory food was ruining Factory food was ruining people´s diets, he scolded. people´s diets, he scolded. People were being afflicted People were being afflicted with what he called with what he called ´modern food disease.´ ´modern food disease.´ Junk, or cochinada (pigged) Junk, or cochinada (pigged) food was at the root of most food was at the root of most of his patients ailments, of his patients ailments, which he noticed were which he noticed were worsening in the recent worsening in the recent decadesdecades

– Rosita Arvigo, SASTUNRosita Arvigo, SASTUN

Modern AilmentsModern Ailments

DiabetesDiabetes Miscarriages & Birth ProblemsMiscarriages & Birth Problems Heart DisordersHeart Disorders

Contemporary ViewsContemporary Views

Don Elijio: Don Elijio: – Traditional healing Traditional healing

has become so has become so confused with black confused with black magic that many magic that many now fear working now fear working with spiritual forces, with spiritual forces, even when used for even when used for healing and servicehealing and service

– Don Elijio, SASTUNDon Elijio, SASTUN

CredibilityCredibility

Only helps, never harmsOnly helps, never harms Count the successes, not the failuresCount the successes, not the failures Often an untapped resourceOften an untapped resource ExamplesExamples

– Oranges backOranges back– Mary´s kneeMary´s knee

OrangesOranges

BEFORE AFTER

BEFORE AFTER

Tzac´Bak (Bone Healer)Tzac´Bak (Bone Healer)

Fractures, joints, Fractures, joints, sprains, swellingsprains, swelling

Treatment Treatment contains: posh, contains: posh, blowing, spitting, blowing, spitting, whistling, whistling, manipulation of manipulation of joints and joints and muscles, muscles, bandagingbandaging

Herbs, candles, Herbs, candles, incense.incense.

Doña JuliaDoña Julia Town of Town of

ZinacantanZinacantan

Mary and I went Mary and I went to visit her, but to visit her, but were only shown were only shown the directions the directions after Mary after Mary expressed her expressed her knee painknee pain

Doña Julia and MaryDoña Julia and Mary

Read PulseRead Pulse Put posh in her mouth, and sprayed Put posh in her mouth, and sprayed

it on her kneeit on her knee Massaged and moved around the Massaged and moved around the

jointjoint Pain was relieved after only 15 Pain was relieved after only 15

minutes of her work!minutes of her work! Refused paymentRefused payment

Remedies From Mayan PharmacyRemedies From Mayan Pharmacy We have been passing We have been passing

around:around:– Reumaetik Ointment,Reumaetik Ointment,– Golpetik OintmentGolpetik Ointment– Pomada para las vías respiratoriasPomada para las vías respiratorias– RomeroRomero– TronadoraTronadora– Turasnu VomolTurasnu Vomol– Compuesto VegetalCompuesto Vegetal– Angelica Angelica – EucaliptoEucalipto– AjetetesAjetetes

Also, a table of various Also, a table of various herbs and ailment herbs and ailment remedies. remedies.

Last Words from Don ElijioLast Words from Don Elijio

””Fewer than one-half of 1 percent of Fewer than one-half of 1 percent of the planet´s 250,000 species have the planet´s 250,000 species have been exhaustively analyzed for their been exhaustively analyzed for their chemical composition and medicinal chemical composition and medicinal properties. From that one-half of one properties. From that one-half of one percent, some 25 percent of all our percent, some 25 percent of all our prescription pharmaceuticals have prescription pharmaceuticals have been discovered.” been discovered.”

---Don Elijio, SASTUN