Magnétiseur !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"In French Acadiana, the term traiteur describes a man or woman who
practises what is sometimes called faith healing. A traiteur is Cajun
healer, or else a traditional healer of the French-speaking Houma Tribe,
whose primary method of treatment involves using the laying on of
hands. An important part of Cajun folk religion, the traiteur combines
Catholic prayer and medicinal remedies. They are called to treat a
variety of ailments, including : earaches, toothaches, warts, tumors,
angina, and bleeding. In the past, they substituted for trained
physicians in remote rural areas of Acadiana. Most traiteurs consider
their healing abilities a gift from God, and therefore refuse to accept
payment in exchange for their services.
Traiteurism is a very old tradition that is dying out, and very few
traiteurs now exist. Traditionally, the rituals of the traiteur are
passed down to the opposite gender. So a male must pass it down to a
female, and vice versa. The traiteur must be asked to perform the
treatments and will rarely offer them outright unless the need is great,
and they can not ask for a payment of any kind, although it is
acceptable to accept gifts for treating a person. However gifts for a
true traiteur are never required."