Wisdom of Mollo Culture Kallawaya
Despite their foreing condition among the Incas,
their fame as the holders of science, allowed the kallawayas to enjoy a
high rank due to their command of the vegetal animal and mineral
pharmacy knowledge and the treatment of multiple sicknesses.
Their long treks through the Andean world and its surrounding taking
health to the ayllus, they are recalled by the kallawaya dance that is
present in the carnival in Oruro and they characterize for their agility
for traversing the mountains.
These herbolary physicians of the region of Charazani, Curva, Niņo
Korin, K'anlaya, Chajaya, and so on, northwest of La Paz, they all
belong to the so-called Mollo Culture, a direct descendant of Tihuanacu
culture.
For that reason, even today, despite the mutations and mixture of races,
the children of the Mollo Culture or Kallawaya keep their distinctive
traits: for instance, whether they speak quechua (runa simi = people's
tongue) or aymara (jake-aru), they descend from a noble lineage and they
hold a higher status.
A secret language:
Many ethno linguists state that the language that the
kallawaya uses is but the secret language of the Incas (machay jucay)
that the "earful" royal Inca would speak among them, using the
common quechua for the rest of the people: hatum runas (a big wings) and
llajta runas (town people) of middle class; yanaconas for the servitude
and mitamaes or pawns.
The Kallawayas learnt that the privileged language due to the deep
confidence that the Incas bestowed their "kamilis" or healers.
After the conquest, the native physicians returned to the kollasuyo,
taking along the secret language, which, they now use in their pray and
ritual practices.
Natural Medicine:
In the "khatus"of the present kallawas, all
sorts of charms, talismans and offerings are sold for mythical
characters of the Andean cosmogony.
The vast variety of medical plants used in aromatic smokings and
curative poultice come from the different ecological "niches":
the plains, the valleys, yungas, plateau, mountain ranges and even the
coats: leeches, seashells and guano (dung).
All this "khapakcacherio" (stand) has a full acceptation as
popular medicine. The kallawayas are famous as naturist physicians
"yatiris"and "chamakanis"or malign beings and the
"sajras"of demoniacal character.
Ceremonial Dance:
This entire world has been transported to the dance
of the kallawayas, whose rich dance and costumary is the expression of
the "yatiri" (healer) with his relevant status inside the
community and of profound respect in the Andean world.
The choreography is notable for the "llantucha" of
"suri" that is the awning made of ostrich feathers that the
itinerant physician uses for covering himself against sunburn or the
raindrop in his long treks carrying spiritual and material health to the
ayllus.
His long treks stretch along and over the seas, where, loaded with his
"khapchos" or "male" bags full of herbs, mixtures,
and talismans charges against sicknesses considered incurable.
The agile and synchronized jumps express the physical display of the
itinerant physician, overcoming, in his trekking over brooks, mountains
and gullies.
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