Folk Medicine and Its Second Life

Irish folk medicine is perceived to be dying, if not dead already. It lies as a parallel system to modern biomedicine and is known only through word of mouth. However, no matter what modality is practised, be it bone-setting, plant medicine, charms or rituals, there are traditional characteristics common to all as a whole. An examination of these traditional elements allows us to see how Irish folk medicine is currently practised and to ascertain whether it has reached the second life that Lauri Honko suggested. If this were the case, "the recycling of material in an environment that differs from its original context" (Honko, "The Folklore" 42) should be evident. Key Words. Irish Folk Medicine, Tradition, Second Life, Secrecy, Provenance. Resumen. Existe una percepcion bastante extendida de que la medicina popular en Irlanda esta moribunda, si es que no se considera muerta directamente. Esta practica se presenta sin embargo como sistema paralelo al de la medicina moderna y se transmite de boca en boca. Cualquiera que sea su modalidad, ya sea colocacion de huesos, medicina a base de plantas, hechizos o rituales, comparten caracteristicas propias. Un analisis de estos elementos tradicionales nos permite examinar como se practica actualmente la medicina popular irlandesa y si ha alcanzado la segunda vida del folklore en definicion de Lauri Honko. Si este es el caso, "el reciclaje del material en un medio que difiere de su contexto original" (Honko, "The Folklore" 42) deberia manifestarse de forma evidente. Palabras clave. Medicina popular irlandesa, tradicion, segunda vida, discrecion, procedencia.