Personalized diseases and methods of their treatment in Rarelian folklife culture

The purpose of this article is to present the results of studying personalized diseases in Karels beliefs. Therefore the following tasks were set. First, to identify Karelians’ personalized diseases and to determine the reasons for their personalization. Second, to determine the origin of their names. Third, to identify and compare personalized treatments of diseases in different groups of Karelian and closely related peoples. The material is new and relevant, as this issue is researched for the first time. The results can lead to the conclusion that personification of diseases is common among Karelians, as well as other Baltic and Finnish peoples living on the territory of Karelia, and for the Russians as well. The main ways to cure these ailments were to offer gifts and treats and to show respect to the spirit of the disease.