Elza Badaeva, About Folk Medicine

Elza says that in the past people used boiled water and herbs for treatment. A liter of water was boiled down to 200 mg and drunk. People also added various herbs to their drink. Elza herself keeps some medicinal herbs at home. In the past there were no hospitals or doctors in Kalmykia. Kalmyks have a healing ritual involving hot lead. Once Elza celebrated her anniversary where she wore her medals. After that she fell ill. Her daughter took her to a folk healer who performed this ritual. The healer melted lead, poured it into a cup with cold water and saw the lead take the form of human tongues. After the ritual Elza says she recovered. Elza tells how to perform this particular ritual: ‘Melt a piece of lead in a pot, cover the head of the patient with a white cloth, and pour the molten lead into a cup with salty water, which has to be held over the patient's head. Once in water the lead sets and takes on the form of whatever has caused the illness. For example, jealousy can take the form of human tongues.Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwi