Albularyo is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

term for a

witch doctor A witch doctor (also spelled witch-doctor) was originally a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. The term is now more commonly used to refer to healers, particularly in regions which use traditional healing ...

, folk healer or

medicine men A medicine man is a traditional healer and spiritual leader among the indigenous people of the Americas. Medicine Man or The Medicine Man may also refer to: Films * ''The Medicine Man'' (1917 film), an American silent film directed by Clifford S ...

. They practice

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

and use medicinal plants in their trade.

Overview

Role and functions

An albularyo is a "folk doctor" commonly found in the more rural areas of the Philippines who heals people using herbs and traditional practices such as

hilot Hilot (/HEE-lot/) is an ancient Filipino art of healing. It uses manipulation and massage to achieve the treatment outcome, although techniques differ from one practitioner to another. It emerged from the shamanic tradition of the ancient Filipin ...

or ''massage''. Their services are considered either as a first or as a last resort for addressing illnesses. The albularyo's patient claims that the practitioner have supernatural powers that modern medicine does not provide. This belief makes them more trustworthy than modern medicine practitioners. Aside from practicing folk medicine, the albularyo is also alleged to practice

black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

and curse people. The albularyo practice their trade using prayers called ''orasyon'' and rituals. They also use concoctions made from plant parts such as leaves, bark, roots and oils such as coconut oils. ''Pangalap'' is the process of searching for these medicinal plants and ''pabukal'' is the preparation of decoctions from said plants. Albularyos also use their own saliva and pieces of papers with writings. The albularyo use ''tawas'' (

alum An alum () is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double salt, double sulfate salt (chemistry), salt of aluminium with the general chemical formula, formula , where is a valence (chemistry), monovalent cation such as potassium or a ...

) crystals to find out who is causing the ailments in their patients." The may also use candle wax poured in water,

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

s, or spirits to divine the cause of the ailments. Some ailments are claimed to be the work of ''

lamang lupa ''Anito'', also spelled ''anitu'', refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associati ...

'' who were unknowingly or knowingly harmed by the patient. The albularyo may then use rituals and prayers to drive away the spirit and therefore remove the sickness from the patient.

References

Philippine mythology Superstitions of the Philippines Asian shamanism Southeast Asian traditional medicine Traditional healthcare occupations Filipino religious leaders Herbalism Tagalog words and phrases Austronesian spirituality {{Philippines-stub

Overview

Role and functions

See also

References