Tóth Ferenc szerk.: Fiatal Néprajzkutatók Országos Konferenciája. Makó, 1991. augusztus 26-28. A Makói Múzeum Füzetei 75. (Makó, 1993)

KUTATÁSI BESZÁMOLÓK - VARRÓ ÁGNES: Specialisták a népi orvoslásban

ABSTRACT SPECIALISTS IN FOLK MEDICINE Agnes Varró It is an important task of ethnographic research to discover outstanding personalities or specialists living and working in the communities of villages and to explore their work and lives. These specialists fulfilled basic economic, cultural, medical, and psychological demands, and, due to their work and abilities, they were highly esteemed and respected. Quite often, their fame was not confined to their villages; their services were in great demand in the surrounding settlements. Within ethnography, research of individuals freqently focuses on small trades. Within folk poetry and folk arts, research of individuals analyses the activities and the relations to the community of persons who protect and create traditions and who have an especially rich repertoire, a great variety of forms, and a personal magnetism in performance. Another significant field of specialists is that of folk medicine. On the basis of my field-work concentrating on this topic, I collected data about numerous anonymous or named beggars, herbalists, masseuses, tooth-drawers, faith healers, bone-setters, midwives, and animal-healers. In my paper, I wish to introduce three healing specialists: Mr. Gyula Nemes, a midwife, Mr. Elek Szalai, a tooth-drawer, both living in Somlóvásárhely (Veszprém county), and Ms. Anna Stohl, a "halottlátó" (necromancer) and healer "holy" woman from Isztimér (Fejér county), who died in 1919 but is still remembered with great respect. 148