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BackgroundThis article presents, from a biocultural perspective, a menstruating taboo related to the touching, harvesting and preparation of home remedies based on the use of medicinal plants in a rural community located in a semiarid landscape of Cocal municipality, Piauí state, Northeastern Brazil. MethodsMethods used include participant observation and semi-structured interviews performed with 27 local people (21 female and six male) that recognized a taboo regarding the menstruating cycle and the harvesting of medicinal plants in Franco rural community, Cocal, Piauí, Northeastern Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were used to document data regarding the profile of research participants, their perceptions about the taboo documented, as well as the social and biocultural implications of the execution of this traditional practice of prohibition. Participant observation was conducted in order to grasp a better understanding of the social and biocultural implications of the taboo. Additionally, a photographic record was kept during this stage.ResultsIt was verified in Franco rural community that female adolescents and/or women in their menstruating period were prohibited from touching, harvesting and/or preparing home remedies based on the use of medicinal plants. Research participants believed that this can cause the death of medicinal plants, or that they lose their medicinal properties. This taboo has serious social and biocultural implications locally, and can be structured firstly as maladaptive of cultural information at the individual level, as it inhibits the ability of menstruating women to take care of themselves and the health of their families, and secondly as an adaptative strategy at the group level among its users (promotes the transmission of knowledge and cooperation among its users). This traditional practice has serious positive implications for maintaining local bioculturality, sustainability of local medical systems and women's health.ConclusionThis taboo documented within the Franco community is an important informal institution with great influence on human biocultural behavior. The inclusion of these perspectives on taboos in biocultural studies offers opportunities for a greater understanding of biocultural attitudes related to interactions between the human species/biota and the environment in a complex knowledge system. |
