Medical Arts of the Maya of Yucatan & Chiapas
Dec 14, 2015
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