Peru Religious
Traditional medicine in Peru
Traditional medicine and healing have a long history in Peru, dating back to over 2,000 years ago, and traditional healers are still commonplace throughout the county. There are generally called herbaleros, hueseros or curanderos, and you will find them selling curative plants, herbs and charms in the streets and local markets of most towns. As you look at their fascinating display of ground roots, liquid tree barks, flowers, leaves and creams, they will gladly explain to you the powers of each of their possessions. Each plant has distinct curative characteristics, and is a lot cheaper in the street than in the farmacias (pharmacies).
Tell your symptoms to the herbaleros and he will select the best cure for you. While herbaleros treat diseases and injuries with herbal medicines and bone manipulation, curanderos generally claim to hold healing and divinatory powers, and have existed since before the Incas. In this relatively poor country, where traditions are prominent, curanderos are still considered as the first resource for medicine, as they provide an alternative to the expensive and sporadic scientific medical services.
Healing wizards in Peru have existed just as long as ritual use of hallucinogens, which seems to have appeared alongside the first temple-building culture of Chavin, in the north of Peru. Chavin was a religious cult which spread from the central mountains into the country and along the coast. Potteries, ceramics and frescoes among other treasures remaining from the Chavin culture provide detail as to the types of healings and medicine used. Snuff-tubes, beads, pendants, needles and quartz crystals have beem found, documenting the rituals of the Chavin people.
The Incas were also keen on healing rituals, notably with the use of coca leave as their “divine plant”. Apart from coca, Incas were adept of hallucinogens themselves, and particularly vilca (meaning “sacred” in Quechua), which grows in cloud forest zones in the Eastern Peruvian Andes. Vilca was mostly used by priests to bring visios and help make contact with the gods.
About the Author
This guide to traditional medicine in Peru was written by an Peru travel expert at Peru For Less available to help you custom design your exciting Peru vacations.
mescaline pilgrims of Peru
|
|
Basilica Cathedral of Lima, Lima, Peru, South America Photo Mugs Basilica Cathedral of Lima, Lima, Peru, South America…. |
|
|
Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Cuzco, Peru, South America Photo Mugs Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Cuzco, Peru, South America…. |
|
|
La Merced Church on De La Union Street in Lima Centro District, Lima, Peru, Photo Mugs La Merced Church on De La Union Street in Lima Centro District, Lima, Peru, South America…. |
|
|
Shaping Society through Dance: Mestizo Ritual Performance in the Peruvian Andes [VHS] $60.00 During the patron saint fiesta in the Andean town of San Jerónimo, Peru, crowds gather at sunset in the town square, eagerly awaiting the entrance of the colorful dance troupes, or comparsas. With their masks, music, and surprising interpretations of contemporary events, the comparsas of the Cusco region are the focus of this multifaceted work. At the crossroads of folklore and ritual, mass med… |
|
|
The Celestine Prophecy $9.99 … |
|
|
The Celestine Prophecy … |
|
|
Andes Andes: Machu Picchu $19.95 Andes: Machu Picchu brings the viewer in this fabled Inca city located deep into the jungle. For Hiram Bingham, the archeologist who discovered the city, it was an unbelievable dream” and you may be able to imagine his shock when he saw the city for the first time. After an interesting train ride, we start a 2 day hike at the middle of the Inca trail, in this case a trail connecting Cusco to Machu… |
|
|
Vote for Pedro Bib $6.95 Ultra-soft and absorbent bib made of 100% Pima Cotton. Velcro Closure. One Size Fits All!… |
|
|
Religious Bib Gift Set $15.95 Save over 20% when you buy this 3-piece gift set. “Apple of God’s Eye”, “Focus on Jesus” and Judges 13:16 are included in this set. Add gift wrapping at checkout for an extra special surprise…. |
|
|
Made in Heaven Bib $6.95 Ultra-soft and absorbent bib made of 100% Pima Cotton. Velcro Closure. One Size Fits All!… |