ON HEALER-GODS, PHYSICIANS AND SAINTS OF MEDICINE
ON HEALER-GODS, PHYSICIANS AND SAINTS OF MEDICINE

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims at presenting the importance of physicians in people’s lives since ancient times from the perspective of the history of mentalities. Although in those times the notion of physician did not exist, it was a common practice to ask for help from healers or healer-gods. Therefore, people would go either to temples or sanctuaries in order to receive guidance from the gods they worshipped or they would go to the healers in order to find a remedy for their ailments or at least to relieve their pain. The methods of treatment used by healers were associated with magic (magic potions, charms and spells) and hallucinogens that would induce sleep during which people received guidance from their gods that either healed them or gave rest to their souls. Later on, in Biblical times, people prayed, asked for cures and even witnessed miracles performed by saints. Therefore, as this article emphasizes, there has always been a close relationship between medicine and religion in the process of healing.

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