Folk Medicine of Inner Asian Nomads: Logic of Healing Methods
https://doi.org/10.22162/2500-1523-2020-1-132-141
Abstract
Goals. The article seeks to analyze healing techniques developed in nomadic culture and reveal the logic of such actions. Methods. The study employs the comparative historical method which proves instrumental in identifying common features of understanding and interpreting natural and cultural phenomena by Turko-Mongols; fruitful enough is the method of cultural-historical reconstruction which reveals the logic of archaic views. Materials. Mongols tend to view any deviation from norm in human body as disease, the latter divided into obvious and non-obvious ones, i.e. those the nature of which was unknown to people. Origins of most diseases were reduced to harmful activities of supernatural beings living next to humans. Thus, such personification somewhat facilitated the healing: a deity or spirit of disease could be frightened, persuaded, or appeased. Conclusions. The key idea underlying a significant number of traditional healing techniques was the intention to scare disease.
Keywords
Supporting agencies: The reported study was funded RFBR, project no. 19-09-00120 ‘Traditional Medical Knowledge of Mongolic Peoples: Past and Future’.
About the Authors
Bair Z. Nanzatov
Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, Siberian Branch of the RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Cand. Sc. (History), Senior Research Associate
Marina M. Sodnompilova
Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, Siberian Branch of the RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Dr. Sc. (History), Leading Research Associate
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Review
For citations:
Nanzatov B.Z., Sodnompilova M.M. Folk Medicine of Inner Asian Nomads: Logic of Healing Methods. Mongolian Studies. 2020;12(1):132-141. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22162/2500-1523-2020-1-132-141
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