НАРОДНА МЕДИЦИНА ТА ЇЇ РОЛЬ В ТРАДИЦІЙНІЙ КУЛЬТУРІ УКРАЇНЦІВ: СТИСЛИЙ ІСТОРИЧНИЙ ЕКСКУРС

Abstract

From generation to generation, the Ukrainian people have passed on to their descendants the rich experience accumulated over many centuries. Subsequent generations have carefully preserved the instructions of their ancestors, trying not to distort their meaning, but rather to develop them further and pass them on to other generations. One of the types of such a truly precious heritage that has come down to our time from the depths of centuries is folk medicine. Traditional medicine is one of the oldest methods of treatment known to mankind. The need to survive in a cruel world, various diseases that required treatment, prompted humanity to seek help from the environment and develop self-medication skills. Ukrainians, like other peoples, widely used herbal treatment, various rituals and other methods of folk medicine. Despite the long existence of the practice of witchcraft, it remained an integral part of the social life of the Ukrainian population in the twentieth century and remains so today, despite the existence of developed official medicine. This article is devoted to the study of historical and ethnic aspects of folk medicine in Ukrainian traditional culture. It aims to highlight the evolution of this complex and multilayered system of Ukrainian folk knowledge and practices, from Kyevan Rus to the present day. Therefore, through the prism of studying the ethnic roots and history of folk medicine in Ukrainian traditional culture, we have the opportunity to better understand the uniqueness and depth of Ukraine’s national heritage, as well as to open new horizons for further research in this area. Ukrainian folk medicine is an integral part of traditional culture. The knowledge and practices accumulated over centuries define the uniqueness of Ukrainian medicine, which combines traditional methods with elements of modern medicine. It has been and continues to be of particular interest to scholars, as it is a complex phenomenon that lies at the intersection of two important scientific fields: medicine and ethnography. In this context, this article is devoted to the study of the ethnic roots and history of medicine in Ukrainian traditional culture.