On pagan-Christian syncretism issue in Karelian folk medicine (case study of jumalanviga disease “god's sent affliction”)

The processes of Karelian folk medicine alteration and its consequent development influenced by Christianization of the local Karelian population in the XIIIth century is studied. Under the influence of spreading Christianity some local words and terms begin to acquire new meanings. For example, the word Jumal, which formerly denoted heavenly spirits, came to mean the Christian God. A strong belief in the fact that some deity or God himself can punish people by sending different ailments was widely shared by Karelian population. This fact is confirmed by the in depth study of Karelian language dictionaries and vast research materials collected by the author. Prerequisites and causes of the disease occurrence, its further treatment point out to the fact that Christian and Pagan traditions were closely intertwined and had a double effect on the development of such cultural layer of Karelian traditions as folk medicine.