The use of animals in Ethnomedicine of the Turkic-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus

Speaking about traditional medicine, we mean experience of Homo sapiens, whose formation and separation out of the animal world is linked to the emergence of consciousness. It is with the emergence of associative thinking and the development of social relations that the accumulation of conscious human experience that is passed on from generation to generation is associated. However, on a closer examination of any therapeutic device in ethnomedicine, the fact that each of them seemingly quite rational, is in at least a small degree, but ritualized attracts attention. From the treatment timing to the the healers' payment - everything has the imprint of magic - religious beliefs and outlooks specific to each ethnic group. Along with rational methods in the practice of the Turkic-speaking peoples of the Northern Caucasus various talismans, amulets intended to protect people from harm, witchcraft and diseases occupied an important role. For example, the skin of the snake was authorizing the great magical power, supposedly protected from the evil eye, witchcraft and harmful forces. Amulet coils, specially made by skilled craftsmen in the form of bracelets, were common in Dagestan. Childless women and the sick usually wore them. In Balkaria and Karachai they also believed in the magical power of a «snake bead», which is supposedly in the throat (or on the head )of the king of snakes. The bead applied to the wound allegedly healed it, as well as other diseases. A special place in the traditional outlook of Turkic-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus belonged to the wolf. According to folk beliefs wolf was the worst enemy of all evil or evil spirits. Separate body parts of a wolf were attributed with supernatural qualities by mountaineers. Thus, the gall bladder and the fat of an animal were used as a healing agent for pulmonary diseases. A child got a baked liver and a heart of a wolf from Karachai, Balkar, Nogai Kumyks to be as brave as a wolf. The same is true with regard to puppies, which got meat of the wolf. The skin of wolf hung on sticks against evil eye. A tooth of a wolf was hung on the child's chest, as a ward against the evil eye. They were forced to step over a live wolf to safely overcome smallpox. The fat of a bear was used against colds by highlanders. Bear meat helped against tuberculosis. The gall bladder of a bear was used as food for children to make them brave. In addition, the gallbladder was used for the treatment of malaria, diarrhea and vomiting. Among kumyks deer horns and skulls served as talisman against harmful forces as well as repelled various diseases. The belief in the magical properties of reindeer milk is referred to in the ancient song of the unhappy hunter Biynegere. Special magical powers were endowed by the Turkic-speaking peoples of the Northern Caucasus to the dog. Thus, according to legends of the highlanders wounds healed faster from the touch of the dog hair and bones. It was necessary to let a man who was bitten by a dog, to sniff burning hair of a dog, and then apply it to the wound. This was to save him from evil spirits, present in the dog. At the same time, it was believed that the meat of a dog has a magical effect and cured tuberculosis and malaria. But healthy people couldn't eat it, otherwise they would lose their sanity. According to Nogais, the heart of a man could be cured by the heart of a lamb. The sheep was specifically slaughtered to cure the diseased. Still warm heart of a sheep was put on the heart patient. If, within two hours a sheep's heart remained solid, it was considered that the treatment helped. If the heart withered, it meant that the treatment did not bring positive results and the procedure should be repeated three times at intervals of nine days. A cat was pressed to the wound for some time to release the pain, which was quite rational, since the warming of the wound has a positive effect. For children and skin diseases the studied peoples used pig liver. It was consumed and rubbed on the skin. It was believed that the pork fat helped for healing rheumatism, tuberculosis. The birds were also used by the Turkic-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus in ethnomedicine. In general, the formation of the traditional medical culture of the Turkic peoples of the Northern Caucasus is related to processes of adaptation of people to develop the cultivated natural environment. Feeling himself a part of the surrounding nature, man has used as drugs everything that nature gave: plants, animal products, minerals. The whole complex of drugs in ethnomedicine of the Turkic peoples of the North Caucasus - is the result of adaptation to the environment. In our view, the valuable experience of traditional medicine may require the study and understanding of its potential use in the present conditions, as based on the psychological impact on the human factor, such treatments gave positive results.

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