“The prayer circles in the air”: a qualitative study about traditional healer profiles and practice in Northern Norway

Abstract

In Northern Norway, traditional healing has been preserved by passing down the knowledge through generations. Religious prayers of healing (reading) and Sami rituals (curing) are examples of methods that are used. We have examined traditional healers’ understanding of traditional healing, the healing process and their own practice, as well as what characteristics healers should have. Semi-structured individual interviews and focus group interviews were conducted among 15 traditional healers in two coastal Sami municipalities in Norway. The traditional healers understood traditional healing as the initiation of the patient’s self-healing power. This power was initiated through healing rituals and explained as the power of God and placebo effect. During the healing ritual, the doctor’s medical diagnoses, the patient’s personal data and a prayer in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit were used in combination with steel and elements from the nature. The traditional healers stated that they had to be trustworthy, calm and mentally strong. Healers who claimed that they had supernatural abilities (clairvoyant or warm hands) were regarded as extra powerful. According to the participants in this study, the healers must be trustworthy, calm and mentally strong. Moreover, these traditional healers drew on information from conventional medicine when performing their rituals.

Prevalence, and health- and sociodemographic associations for visits to traditional and complementary medical providers in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…They believe that they lose their ability to heal if they charge money for their services. For the same reason, many TM providers show disrespect for modern healers who charge money for their services [15, 27]. Many TM providers are members of the Laestadian movement and strong believers of this practise deeply rooted in their culture [25, 64, 68].…”

“…In the Laestadian movement, the Sami and Finnish cultures were valued, making a safe space to continue their TM practice in times when the assimilation process was the official minority policy in Norway [24]. The TM practice today is therefore influenced by Christianity as well as pre Christian nature worship [25–27]. The most commonly used TM modality is healing by prayer (called reading as biblical phrases are read over the illness), which is used separately or in combination with tools such as water, herbs, rocks, wool, soil, and steel [15, 27].…”

“…The TM practice today is therefore influenced by Christianity as well as pre Christian nature worship [25–27]. The most commonly used TM modality is healing by prayer (called reading as biblical phrases are read over the illness), which is used separately or in combination with tools such as water, herbs, rocks, wool, soil, and steel [15, 27]. One of the specialties of the TM providers in Northern Norway is to stop bleedings.…”

“…One of the specialties of the TM providers in Northern Norway is to stop bleedings. This is used when people are injured and when patients in hospitals suffer from bleedings after childbirth or surgery [15, 27]. Unlike complementary medicine (CM) providers, TM providers are mostly non-professional and non-commercial providers offering their services free of charge or in exchange for small gifts [15, 28, 29].…”

Use of traditional and complementary medicine among Norwegian cancer patients in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study

“…This “reading” is used alone or together with elements from the nature such as rocks or water, or other remedies like steel or wool. When steel is applied, a knife is often used [17, 18]. Cupping therapy is also a part of the TM in Northern Norway [19] as well as use of medical plants [20, 21] and tare [18].…”