THE CATEGORY OF INFIRMARIAN IN THE TRADITIONAL KHAKASS CULTURE
This article characterizes the Khakass folk medicine. The traditional Khakass infirmarian practices were first described in the XIX - early XX centuries. The Khakass had not created any systematic description of infirmarian traditions whereas this category of sacral people played an important role in their mytho-ritual and healing practices. The paper is based on the previously unpublished field data. It presents classification and characteristics of main categories of infirmarians in the traditional Khakas culture. In Khakas language the word “imchi (имчi/имчiл)” - healer, infirmarian, medicine-man derives from the word “im (им)” - medication. Popularly the infirmarians are called “piligchi (пiлiгчи)” - aware, or “nime pilir (ниме пiлiр) - the one who knows, or “pilchen kizi (пiлчен кiзi)” - a man who knows, or sometimes “imchil kizi (имчiл кiзi) - infirmarian man. Based on the field data the author concludes that traditionally infirmarians, unlike shamans, didn't have a “shaman disease” and didn't receive initiation from mountain spirits. They didn't have subordinate “teseys” - helping spirits. However shamans would sometimes discover infirmarians and introduce them to mountain spirits. Infirmarian was an inherited profession contemplating initiation. Prior to healing they would necessarily appeal to the ancestors' spirits. The Khakas distinguish different categories of infirmarians: specialists in medicinal herbs and medical potions; midwives; specialists in reducing abdomen, setting a bone, casting a spell on stye; experts on healing with the warmth of their hands etc. The author tells personal stories of the best known infirmarians in Khakass region, describes their tools set and recipes, especially the traditional healing practices of the Khakass infirmarians which combined rational and magical aspects. In conclusion the author comes to the point that in the context of social transformations ongoing in the modern Khakassia the old rites and healing practices are being reduced and simplified.