MOLFAR

In Ukrainian Hutsul culture, a molfar is a man who is believed to have supernatural abilities. Molfars combine the traits of a healer, a wizard, and a fortune teller. To a certain extent, Hutsul molfars are equivalent to Cossack characterniks.
The scope of molfars' activities includes interpreting prophetic dreams, removing curses, breaking spells, healing; inflicting harm on people, their livestock, and property. The ability of molfars to do both good and harm is reflected in the notions of their witchcraft, which can be "white" and "black." Witchcraft is accompanied by Christian symbolism and ritualism. For example, a molfar is required to go to church every Sunday and read a prayer a hundred times, but to do it with a special, secret specificity. One molfar was assigned to a village or a group of villages. He could have a fictitious name that was well known among the local residents so that strangers could not find him. An important element of molfarism is the absence of payment for witchcraft services.

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