Practices of ancient Slavic medicine
The Slavs developed a distinct cultural identity in their ancient homeland, including a unique form of primitive medicine. This medical practice was analogous to that of other early European peoples, such as the Germans and Celts, and bore some similarities to Greek medicine from the Homeric age. Between the 6th and 12th centuries, the Slavs absorbed knowledge from Greek, Latin, and Arabian civilizations, primarily through Christian missionaries and Arabian merchants. Following their conversion to Christianity, traditional Slavic medicine was increasingly persecuted as a remnant of paganism, leading to its gradual disappearance.
Ancient Slavic medicine combined mystical and practical methods, including: magical formulae (bajanje), ecstatic rituals, graphic signs (charanje), and sympathetic magic. Practical treatments such as medicinal plants, hydrotherapy, surgery, and psychotherapy.
Key terms used to describe Slavic healers reveal their roles. Common terms for medicine men included volhv', bali, vrach', charodej, vjeshtij, korenit'c', vjedun', and ljekar'.
The term volhv', of Indo-European origin, translates to "the man who speaks in ecstasy," highlighting a connection to Finnish and Turkish-Tataric shamanism. These medicine men, under the influence of autosuggestion, narcotic drugs, and music, often entered ecstatic states to diagnose, predict, and communicate with spiritual entities. By the 10th century, Greek texts confirmed that the Slavic volhv' were engaged in divination, magic, healing, and drug preparation.
Role of Women in Medicine
Women played a central role in caregiving and preserving medical knowledge; nursing and care for the sick, elderly, and infirm were considered domestic responsibilities of women. Medical knowledge, particularly the use of medicinal plants, was passed down through generations of Slavic women.
Notably, two significant female figures emerged in Slavic medical history:
Czech Princess Kazi: The first legendary healer who understood the secrets of medicinal plants.
Princess Eupraxia Mstislavova (Zoë): A 12th-century medical author and daughter of Russian ruler Mstislav Vladimirovich. Her Greek medical treatise, influenced by Galenic teachings and Slavic traditions, remains preserved in Florence's Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana.
Knowledge of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants
Plants were categorized under general terms like zelje, bilje, and trava, though distinctions between food, spices, and medicinal uses were not always clear. Certain plants, such as nettles (kopriva), bitter wormwood (pelin'), and gentian (gorechavka), were believed to repel disease-demons due to their unpleasant properties.
The most prominent magical plants among the ancient Slavs were odolen' (Valeriana off. L.), oman' and devesil' (Inula Helen ium L., Inula squarrosa L. or Carlina acaulis L.), and jasenec' (Dictamnus alba L.). The Slavic name for valerian denotes that this plant resists negative magical influences. To cite a common Slavic proverb: "If there were no valerian, a mother would not bring up her son." Valerian and inula were thought to "appease the soul" and "gladden the heart". As sedatives hmjel' (Humulus lupulus L.) and lapoch (Nymphaea alba L.) were also used; as a soporific the juice of mak (Papaver somniferum L.) ; as narcotics razhodnik (Solanum Dulcamara L.), bien' (Hyoscyamus niger L.), and konoplja (Cannabis sativa L.). Hemp was also employed in many illnesses as a fumigant.
Medicinal plants had names reflecting their pharmacological properties:
glistnik' (Tanacetum vulgare L.) was used against intestinal parasites.
kihavac (Veratrum album L.) caused sneezing.
rannik (Plantago) promoted wound healing.
goruha (Sinapis arvensis L.) was known for its burning effects.
The sacred Slavic tree was lipa (Tilia); it played an important role in various magical procedures while its tea was considered to be a remedy against fever and catarrhal conditions. One of the most widely used home-made medicines with the same indication was the tea of sljez' (Althaea off. L. and Malva silvestris L.). Like wise the tea of b'z' (Sambucus nigra L.) was in common use as a diaphoretic in fevers. As agents against fever may be mentioned also jaseri (Cortex Fraxini), bedrenec' (Pimpinella saxifraga L.), vr'ba (Salix alba L.), and chjubr (Satureja hortensis L.). The Slavs had, as well, knowledge of some of the recognized anthelmin tics, purgatives, vomitives, and tannin astringents.
"The evolution of Slavic medicine highlights the interplay between traditional practices, external influences, and cultural transformations. While early Slavic medicine was deeply rooted in mysticism and shamanistic traditions, the transition to Christianity and exposure to advanced civilizations gradually reshaped and diminished these practices. Women, in particular, played a vital role in sustaining and transmitting medical knowledge, bridging ancient traditions with emerging medical frameworks."
Key Resources
L. Niederle, Slovanské starozitnosti (Slavic Antiquities), Prague, 1902-1925
L. Niederle, Zivot starych Slovanù (The Life of the Ancient Slavs), Prague, 1911-1925
V. Jagic; Starine, vol. 10, 1878.
B. Sulek; Rad Jugoslavenske akademije, vol. 39, 1877.
F. Minarik; Farmacevtski vestnik, vol. 2-5, 1951 1954.
Ancient Slavic Medicine, Mirko D. Grmek. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 1 (January1959), Oxford University Press
Comments