【美洲•玻利维亚 】安第斯卡拉瓦亚的宇宙信仰形式 The Andean Cosmovision of the Kallawaya（2008年）

卡拉瓦亚民族分布在拉巴斯北部的包提斯塔•萨维德拉山区，其历史可追溯至印加文化之前。和安第斯文化的许多方面一样，他们的习俗和价值观，随着西班牙人到来之前的原始宗教与基督教的融合，也在不断演变。　　“卡拉瓦亚”一词的意思是“医生之国度”或“来自神圣医药国度之草药医　生”。卡拉瓦亚人的主要活动便是运用祖传医术行医，而这一祖传医术又与各种祭祀庆典连在一起，构成当地经济的基石。卡拉瓦亚文化中的安第斯宇宙信仰形式，是由神话、宗教仪式、价值观和艺术表现形式等组成的相互联系的整体。这种别开生面的宇宙信仰形式，源于古老土著居民的信仰，又通过传统医术表现出来。这种医术的神效，在玻利维亚及其他有卡拉瓦亚术士医师的许多南美国家，都得到了承认。
　　行医者仅为男性。其治疗疾病的手段，把丰富的动物、植物、矿物的药理知识和宗教信仰密切联系在一起，他们有复杂的学徒体系和传承过程，其中巡回行医十分重要。医师在不同的生态环境间旅行，扩大了药用植物知识。卡拉瓦亚药典记载着980种植物，是世界上内容最丰富的植物药典之一。　　卡拉瓦亚妇女也参加某些特殊仪式，照顾孕妇和儿童，纺织祭祀用布，上面带有表现卡拉瓦亚宇宙信仰形式的图案和装饰。在传统仪式上，乐队“坎图斯”吹笛击鼓，以此与神灵世界沟通。
The kalahuayas, who live in the potista savedra mountains north of la paz, date back to pre-inca culture. Like many aspects of Andean culture, their customs and values evolved as primitive religions and Christianity merged before the Spanish arrived. The word "karavaya" means "the kingdom of doctors" or "herbalists from the kingdom of sacred medicine." The main activity of the karavayans was to practice ancestral medicine, which, in turn, was linked to various fete ceremonies and formed the cornerstone of the local economy. The Andean cosmic belief form in kalawaya culture is an interrelated whole composed of myth, religious ceremony, values and artistic expression. This unique form of cosmic belief originated from the beliefs of the ancient indigenous people and was expressed through traditional medical techniques. The magical power of this technique is recognized in Bolivia and many other South American countries where caravaya warlocks are practiced.
Only men practice medicine. They have a complex apprenticeship system and inheritance process, among which itinerant medical practice is very important. Physicians travel between different ecological environments, expanding their knowledge of medicinal plants. Karavaya pharmacopoeia contains 980 plants, which is one of the most abundant pharmacopoeia in the world. Karavaya women also participate in certain special rituals, care for pregnant women and children, and weave sacrificial cloth with patterns and decorations that represent karavaya cosmic beliefs. In traditional ceremonies, the band cantus plays flute and drums to communicate with the spirit world.