A curandero (or curandera for a female) is simply a Spanish term for a traditional folk healer or shaman.
Many peoples of the world still retain the traditional folk healer or shaman tradition and in past history before the advent of modern medicine they could be found everywhere. By whatever name you call them, they are simply traditional healers/shamans.
2006-12-07 14:34:39
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answer #1
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answered by Seikilos 6
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A quacker or a shaman.....
curandero (or curandera for a female) is a traditional folk healer or shaman in Hispanic-America, prevalent in Latin America, that is dedicated to curing physical and/or spiritual illnesses.
Shamanism refers to a range of traditional beliefs and practices similar to Animism that claim the ability to diagnose and cure human suffering and, in some societies, the ability to cause suffering. This is believed to be accomplished by traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over, spirits. Shamans have been credited with the ability to control the weather, divination, the interpretation of dreams, astral projection, and traveling to upper and lower worlds. Shamanistic traditions have existed throughout the world since prehistoric times.
In its common usage, it has replaced the older English language term witch doctor, a term which unites the two stereotypical functions of the shaman: knowledge of magical and other lore, and the ability to cure a person and mend a situation. However, this term is generally considered to be pejorative and anthropologically inaccurate. Objections to the use of shaman as a generic term have been raised as well, by both academics and traditional healers themselves, given that the word comes from a specific place, people, and set of practices.
2006-12-08 08:34:25
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answer #2
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answered by Blah 7
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