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other problems, such as a death in the family, which requires their attention. If the consultant has close relatives who are ill, consultations are also usually suspended. As one consultant explained, "If someone is really sick in your house such as your brother or your father or if your wife has just given birth, you cannot have consultations" (11:48687). Thus, not only one's own health but also that of close family members is seen to impact on one's consulting ability. |
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When the problems are dissipated, these consultants may again begin practicing. I observed such a situation with an elderly consultant who had been seriously ill and therefore had stopped consulting. One night after treatment for an unrelated problem, he became energized and started singing, demonstrating the characteristic symptoms of Kupon craziness, the condition young people about to become consultants often manifest (9:143). At dawn the next morning, consultation medication was prepared for him and his hair was cut into a short circle. He then began to consult. The first adviser with whom he consulted explained: "It is the deity of consultation that did this to him. It is like he was crazy. It is like he wanted to run" (9:161). |
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The Role of Family Advisers |
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Each family, as suggested earlier, has an adviser who represents its members in the course of consultation. Such persons are generally family spokesmen who know the family history and have learned the specialized language of consultation. These advisers are called uponcanta, "receivers from upon." It was stated that when these advisers come to the consultation, "they receive from the consultant. The consultant gives and the adviser receives. If a member of his family is sick, he will go to the consultant and ask about this illness. The consultant tells him its source" (11:614). |
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In the consultation, the advisers play an important role, constantly checking the veracity of the information given and leading the discussion by asking questions. These advisers, who are always male, thus must have intimate knowledge of the history of each family, including its past achievements, discords, and problems, its members, their illnesses, and their affiliations. Frequently these advisers also must know the histories of other families and the illnesses and difficulties they have had. It was explained accordingly that "the adviser is someone who is serious and knows all about the family and community" (13:215). This knowledge is important, both because the consultation ranges widely in its coverage and because most problems are examined in the context of family history. Contemporary medical problems, in other words, are often seen to be continuations of problems that originated in the past. It is thought that such problems recur because each new generation is born with the sponsorship of past family members. It is assumed that if these problems are not resolved now, they will continue to bother members of the family, present and future. For this reason the consultation often concerns itself with the roots of the present problems so that these problems can be understood more deeply and thereby rectified. |
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