La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal
This essay draws a definitive distinction between special or secret knowledge and popular [folk or common] knowledge of the medicinal plant species that form the core of the empirical herbal medicine of the Tzeltal and Tzotzil of the Chiapas Highlands. We intend to demonstrate that the Maya herbolar...
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Laboratoire Éco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Revue d'ethnoécologie |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/8436 |
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| author | Brent Berlin Elois Ann Berlin |
| author_facet | Brent Berlin Elois Ann Berlin |
| author_sort | Brent Berlin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay draws a definitive distinction between special or secret knowledge and popular [folk or common] knowledge of the medicinal plant species that form the core of the empirical herbal medicine of the Tzeltal and Tzotzil of the Chiapas Highlands. We intend to demonstrate that the Maya herbolaria consists principally of the common flora of the region. In addition, these species are recognized by the general population, not only by specialists or individuals who identify as traditional doctors. We can conclude that the body of Tzeltal-Tzotzil herbal knowledge is, then, the folk medicine of the Maya in the same sense as we may speak of Mexican folk medicine. The herbolaria of the Maya does not consist of sacred information nor secret knowledge. The system is public and merits study by anthropologists, ethnobotanists, students of ethnomedicine, and laboratory analysis, always in close collaboration with the Mayan communities, with regard to methods of preparation and administration, bioactivity, toxicity, and quality control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8128ccd8ba324fed86f8d334c43c15b5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2267-2419 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Laboratoire Éco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue d'ethnoécologie |
| spelling | doaj-art-8128ccd8ba324fed86f8d334c43c15b52025-02-05T16:25:09ZengLaboratoire Éco-anthropologie et EthnobiologieRevue d'ethnoécologie2267-24192021-12-012010.4000/ethnoecologie.8436La Flora Común es la Flora MedicinalBrent BerlinElois Ann BerlinThis essay draws a definitive distinction between special or secret knowledge and popular [folk or common] knowledge of the medicinal plant species that form the core of the empirical herbal medicine of the Tzeltal and Tzotzil of the Chiapas Highlands. We intend to demonstrate that the Maya herbolaria consists principally of the common flora of the region. In addition, these species are recognized by the general population, not only by specialists or individuals who identify as traditional doctors. We can conclude that the body of Tzeltal-Tzotzil herbal knowledge is, then, the folk medicine of the Maya in the same sense as we may speak of Mexican folk medicine. The herbolaria of the Maya does not consist of sacred information nor secret knowledge. The system is public and merits study by anthropologists, ethnobotanists, students of ethnomedicine, and laboratory analysis, always in close collaboration with the Mayan communities, with regard to methods of preparation and administration, bioactivity, toxicity, and quality control.https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/8436ethnobotanyMexicomedicinal plantssecret or common knowledgefolk medicineMayas |
| spellingShingle | Brent Berlin Elois Ann Berlin La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal Revue d'ethnoécologie ethnobotany Mexico medicinal plants secret or common knowledge folk medicine Mayas |
| title | La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal |
| title_full | La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal |
| title_fullStr | La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal |
| title_full_unstemmed | La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal |
| title_short | La Flora Común es la Flora Medicinal |
| title_sort | la flora comun es la flora medicinal |
| topic | ethnobotany Mexico medicinal plants secret or common knowledge folk medicine Mayas |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ethnoecologie/8436 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brentberlin lafloracomuneslafloramedicinal AT eloisannberlin lafloracomuneslafloramedicinal |