Don Pedro Jaramillo
Encyclopedia
Don Pedro Jaramillo, is a curandero
, or faith healer from the Mexico-Texas region. He is known as the healer of Los Olmos and "el mero jefe" (the real chief) of the curanderos.
, Mexico
to Turascan Indian parents, and died at an unknown age in Starr County, Texas
in 1907. Jaramillo originally arrived at the Los Olmos ranch in Texas. It was in Texas where he announced himself as a curandero and began treating the Mexican families in the region. At the height of his career, families from as far away as New York
would travel to see Jaramillo and seeking help.
Jaramillo's story as a curandero begins when he was suffering from a nose ailment and as a cure, stuck his nose in mud at the edge of a pool. Three day of this self prescribed treatment cured the ailment, however it left Jaramillo with an identifying scar on his nose. It was on the third night of this treatment that Jaramillo believes he heard a voice telling him God
had given him the power to heal. Testing such power he prescribed a tepid bath to his master, in which he was able to heal his ailment.
The first accounts of his cures and powers were collected and printed in 1934 in Spanish, they were later in 1951 translated to English.
A shrine where he is buried is located in Falfurrias, Texas
.
Water has also been identified as a central theme in Jaramillo's cures, often requiring the ailing person to drink the water for a certain length of time, or bath in water a certain number of days.
Curandero
A curandero or curandeiro is a traditional folk healer or shaman in Latin America, who is dedicated to curing physical or spiritual illnesses. The role of a curandero or curandera can also incorporate the roles of psychiatrist along with that of doctor and healer. Many curanderos use Catholic...
, or faith healer from the Mexico-Texas region. He is known as the healer of Los Olmos and "el mero jefe" (the real chief) of the curanderos.
Origin
Jaramillo was born in Guadalajara, JaliscoGuadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Turascan Indian parents, and died at an unknown age in Starr County, Texas
Starr County, Texas
Starr County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 60,968. Its county seat is Rio Grande City. The county is named for James Harper Starr, who served as Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas. It is part of the Rio Grande City-Roma, TX,...
in 1907. Jaramillo originally arrived at the Los Olmos ranch in Texas. It was in Texas where he announced himself as a curandero and began treating the Mexican families in the region. At the height of his career, families from as far away as New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
would travel to see Jaramillo and seeking help.
Jaramillo's story as a curandero begins when he was suffering from a nose ailment and as a cure, stuck his nose in mud at the edge of a pool. Three day of this self prescribed treatment cured the ailment, however it left Jaramillo with an identifying scar on his nose. It was on the third night of this treatment that Jaramillo believes he heard a voice telling him God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
had given him the power to heal. Testing such power he prescribed a tepid bath to his master, in which he was able to heal his ailment.
The first accounts of his cures and powers were collected and printed in 1934 in Spanish, they were later in 1951 translated to English.
A shrine where he is buried is located in Falfurrias, Texas
Falfurrias, Texas
Falfurrias is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,297 at the 2000 census. The town is named for founder Edward Cunningham Lasater's ranch, La Mota de Falfurrias. In 1893, the Falfurrias ranch was one of the largest in Texas at some 350,000...
.
Themes
In many of Jaramillo's treatments it is noted the number nine plays a prominent role, prescribing treatments often for nine consecutive night, or in quantities of nine. The tales of such treatments at time contains stories of those who did not follow the instructions and never recovered, or those who changed the prescription and still failed to recover, leaving only those who followed it exactly as complete recovery examples. Jaramillo's cures were often miraculous in nature, even to the point of curing paralysis.Water has also been identified as a central theme in Jaramillo's cures, often requiring the ailing person to drink the water for a certain length of time, or bath in water a certain number of days.