The Wallis in Focus of Research – Madline Favre

Description

Raphael Ritz (1829–1894), The Occasional Doctor, 1886, oil on canvas, 85 × 120 cm, private collection. For centuries, the women and men of Wallis had to rely on healers and herbalists for the treatment of everyday illnesses and injuries. Who were these women and men? How did they acquire their knowledge, and what role did they play in their communities? Based on previously unpublished archival materials, this lecture is dedicated to the famous "Mèges" and particularly focuses on several families of healers from the valleys of Hérens and Illiez. We will discover their remedies, recipes, family networks, and their often unexpected connection to medical books. Far from the image of the solitary or mysterious healer, this lecture will show how these practitioners were part of a real healthcare landscape, where experience, observation, local traditions, and scientific medicine intertwined. We will also explore the essential role women played in passing on this knowledge, as well as the various professions these healers practiced, revealing life paths that are far more diverse than one might imagine. An insight into a little-known history that sheds light on the daily life of the inhabitants of the Wallis valleys and reshapes our view of healing practices of the past. Note: This text was translated by software for machine translation and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.

Highlights

• Lecture on healing practices in Wallis
• Focus on the "Mèges" of the 18th and 19th centuries
• Unpublished archival materials

General Information

The lecture highlights the role of women and healers in Wallis and their influence on healthcare. Using archival materials, the remedies and networks of these practitioners are examined, as well as the significant role of women in this context.

Location

Rue de Lausanne 45, 1950 Sitten, Switzerland

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