{"id":5311,"date":"2020-03-11T13:59:31","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T17:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/?p=5311"},"modified":"2024-06-26T11:34:25","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T15:34:25","slug":"kuna-healing-doll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/","title":{"rendered":"Guna Healing Doll"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KunaThe Guna (Kuna) people live predominantly on the San Blas Islands off the Atlantic coast of Panama with a population of approximately 50,000.\u00a0 The Guna believe that sickness and disease are caused by poni<\/em>, malevolent spirits that enter a person\u2019s body and capture his or her soul.\u00a0 Wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, <\/em>play an important role in healing the sick and warding off poni<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Nuchus<\/em> are typically carved out of balsa wood, as this one is.\u00a0 The detail in the doll depends on the skill of the carver, but most are standing upright with the arms along the torso and knees slightly bent.\u00a0 Generally, the dolls\u2019 faces feature a very straight nose and no mouth.\u00a0 Gender can be difficult to distinguish.\u00a0 Some are painted to show brightly colored clothing, while others are plain.<\/p>\n

Once carved, the healing doll is brought to a shaman, who imbues the nuchu<\/em> with a good spirit to ward off evil and recover the sick person\u2019s captured soul.\u00a0 After the patient has been cured, used nuchus<\/em> are often kept and handed down through generations.\u00a0 If the doll is cracked or broken, the spirit within the doll becomes unstable and dangerous, requiring the intervention of a shaman to free it. \u00a0Only nuchus<\/em> that have been damaged in some way, as this one has, can be given away or sold.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Guna (Kuna) people live predominantly on the San Blas Islands off the Atlantic coast of Panama with a population of approximately 50,000.\u00a0 The Guna believe that sickness and disease are caused by poni, malevolent spirits that enter a person\u2019s body and capture his or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"overlay_title":false,"hide_featured_image_post":false,"wfu_hide_page_title":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artifacts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGuna Healing Doll - Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For the Guna, wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, play an important role in healing the sick and warding off malevolent spirits.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Guna Healing Doll - Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For the Guna, wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, play an important role in healing the sick and warding off malevolent spirits.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-11T17:59:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-26T15:34:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cromwess@wfu.edu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cromwess@wfu.edu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cromwess@wfu.edu\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/943833eccd0de6b4defd882b6f8bbe13\"},\"headline\":\"Guna Healing Doll\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-11T17:59:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-26T15:34:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\"},\"wordCount\":227,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Artifacts\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\",\"name\":\"Guna Healing Doll - Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-11T17:59:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-06-26T15:34:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/943833eccd0de6b4defd882b6f8bbe13\"},\"description\":\"For the Guna, wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, play an important role in healing the sick and warding off malevolent spirits.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/\",\"name\":\"Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/943833eccd0de6b4defd882b6f8bbe13\",\"name\":\"cromwess@wfu.edu\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/author\/cromwess-2\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Guna Healing Doll - Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology","description":"For the Guna, wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, play an important role in healing the sick and warding off malevolent spirits.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Guna Healing Doll - Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology","og_description":"For the Guna, wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, play an important role in healing the sick and warding off malevolent spirits.","og_url":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/","og_site_name":"Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology","article_published_time":"2020-03-11T17:59:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-06-26T15:34:25+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"cromwess@wfu.edu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"cromwess@wfu.edu","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/"},"author":{"name":"cromwess@wfu.edu","@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/943833eccd0de6b4defd882b6f8bbe13"},"headline":"Guna Healing Doll","datePublished":"2020-03-11T17:59:31+00:00","dateModified":"2024-06-26T15:34:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/"},"wordCount":227,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg","articleSection":["Artifacts"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/","url":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/","name":"Guna Healing Doll - Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg","datePublished":"2020-03-11T17:59:31+00:00","dateModified":"2024-06-26T15:34:25+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/943833eccd0de6b4defd882b6f8bbe13"},"description":"For the Guna, wooden healing dolls, known as nuchus, play an important role in healing the sick and warding off malevolent spirits.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/2020\/03\/kuna-healing-doll\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu\/sites\/417\/2020\/03\/AOTM-Nuchu-web.jpg"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/","name":"Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/#\/schema\/person\/943833eccd0de6b4defd882b6f8bbe13","name":"cromwess@wfu.edu","url":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/author\/cromwess-2\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5311"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11179,"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5311\/revisions\/11179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lammuseum.wfu.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}