A wound is encircled with bread or sugar, which is then fed to a dog before the morning call to prayer for healing.

Using Bread or Sugar and a Dog to Heal Wounds

Details

In this folk healing practice, a wounded person would perform a symbolic action to promote recovery. The steps include:

– The wound site is symbolically ‘encircled’ using either bread or sugar—common household items that carry nurturing or sweet properties.
– After this symbolic gesture, the bread or sugar is removed.
– Before the first Islamic morning prayer (known as Ezan, called at dawn), the item is fed to a dog.

It is believed that if the dog consumes the offering before the Ezan is recited, the wound will heal more rapidly or completely. The time-sensitive aspect of performing the ritual before daylight is thought to enhance its effectiveness. This healing method may reflect a spiritual transference of illness from human to animal, a motif common in global folklore traditions.

Historical Context

This superstition likely originates from rural Anatolian folk medicine, where healing rituals incorporated both Islamic and pre-Islamic belief systems. Dogs in local culture are often seen as intermediaries capable of absorbing negative energy or disease. The symbolic use of bread and sugar—foods associated with sustenance and blessing—reflects beliefs in material transference: the illness is symbolically transferred into food. The performance of the ritual prior to the Ezan ties the superstition to Islamic daily rhythm, suggesting a fusion of ritual timing with spiritual purification when the day is spiritually refreshed. Such beliefs were particularly prevalent in communities where access to formal medical care was limited, and folk remedies served as both practical and spiritual recourse.

Modern Relevance

While largely discontinued in urban areas, this superstition may persist in isolated or rural regions of Turkey and neighboring countries with similar cultural histories. It has been occasionally referenced in ethnographic works or oral interviews with elders in Turkish villages. Modern interpretations, if practiced, may view it symbolically rather than literally, or transform it into a storytelling motif. In some cases, traditions involving animals and healing have been shifted into more metaphorical forms of ancestral wisdom passed on orally. Its direct practice is increasingly rare due to advances in medical knowledge and increased awareness of animal welfare. Modern relevance requires further research.

Sources

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