Ecos de Lidice

The culebrero's culture.

The culebrero is a traditional medicine healer

in Mexico, specialized in the treatment of snake

bites and other poisonous animals. This is the

case of the snake-kites of Sayula and Soteapan,

Veracruz, who treat snake bites and spider bites.

In Hidalgotitlán, Veracruz, the function of the

culebrero is not confined to therapeutics, since

it is also called to "disperse" the vipers in order

to prevent losses in livestock activity, and prevent agricultural practices from becoming risky for the farmer.
The sources of consultation suggest that these specialists are distributed among the mestizo, Nahuas, Zoque-Popoluca and Mixe popolucas groups of Veracruz, as well as among the mestizos, mixes and Chinantecs of Oaxaca. In those places where the specialty does not exist and a real demand is presented for the attention of these accidents, the function of the culebrero is covered by other traditional doctors.
In the Tuxtlas (Santiago, San Andrés and Catemaco) there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of snakes, due to the accelerated urbanization process and the consequent decrease in the frequency of these accidents. The same observations are reported by Modena for the municipal seat of Hidalgotitlán. Despite this, the importance of these specialists is still relevant in those localities where the work of the farmer is threatened by the presence of these reptiles.
The initiation and learning of the snakes carries a strong cultural burden, without neglecting the technical aspect. In some places this activity is restricted to men, since the woman of weak nature is considered, and to agree with the vipers one should not be afraid; however, in Usila, Oaxaca, the existence of women who dedicate themselves to this specialty is reported.
Among the Tuxtla snakes, it is necessary to have been born predestined. For the learning of useful plants in their therapies, the initiate must witness during Lent a "snake-snake healing experiment", where one swallows the other and then throws it away; The devoured snake then searches the surrounding vegetation for plants that will cure it from the bite of the reptile. The initiate will have the task of identifying what plants are treated and collecting them.
In Hidalgotitlán, learning is received by family inheritance or through a teacher. There are two cognitive aspects that the initiate must manage in order to be able to practice as a culver: first, the composition of the medicinal preparations, knowledge that is acquired in practice through the collections and preparation of medicines in the company of the teacher; second, the prayers called secrets that are pronounced during the preparation of said medicines, in the call of the viper and in the healing. As in Sayula, the initiation is carried out by means of a ceremony in which the apprentices are submitted by their teacher to certain experiences that attest that they have lost their fear, although numerous snakes crawl through their body. Snakes are considered protective of vipers because they have agreed with them, they dominate them, they punish them, they attract them, but they do not attack them nor do they attack them.
The procedures and therapeutic techniques most commonly practiced by the snakes can be grouped into: a) measures to prevent the spread of the poison, through the application of tourniquets, or extraction of the poison by various means: sucking or sucking, applying bleedings, plasters and poultices, or by means of steam baths with herbs; b) cauterization of the wound with fire or hot objects; c) measures to neutralize the effects of the poison, which consist of the ingestion and local application of herbal remedies.
In the Tuxtlas, the Nahuas and Zoque-popoluca vibrers, as well as those of Hidalgotitlán, collect the herbal material once a year, the first Friday of Lent, since dealing with vipers "is a thing of the devil". Last Friday they proceed to prepare a medicinal powder, the contra, which they pack for use when required. Throughout the collections, drug preparation and therapies, the worker must observe sexual abstinence and fasting, and perform regular ceremonies to enhance "the strength of medicine" and the effect of treatment. With the same purpose, the snakes of Hidalgotitlán make crawl a snake on the collected herbs while they pronounce the secrets. Among the Oaxacan mixes, once the treatment is finished, they perform some ceremonies to prevent the patient from being attacked again by a poisonous animal. All this is a clear manifestation of the strong magico-religious burden of the practices of the snakes, particularly those of advanced age. The current generations question this magico-religious burden and give greater importance to the technical skills of these professionals.
 

Source:
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Traditional Mexican Medicine //