What you do not know about guinea pigs

We all know guinea pigs are lovely pets but there is so much more to them. Below I want to tell you some rather unknown facts about guinea pigs. 

 

Origin of the name 

It is difficult to say where the name guinea pig originated. The scientific name for this species is Cavia porcellus - Cavia deriving from the French tribe Galibi’s cabiai and porcellus from Latin meaning “little pig”.Whereas breeders like to use the more formal term “cavy”, in scientific and laboratory context “guinea pig” is the more applied name.

The name “Guinea” is derived either of the thought that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, which made people believe they originated there, or due to the fact that “guinea” refers to a far-off, unknown country.

The animals got the name “pig” based on the fact that they are similarly build as regular pigs. They can also be transported over a longer period of time, for instance in a “pig pen” .

German: Meerschweinchen

Polish:  swinka morska

Hungarian: tengerimalac

Russian: морская свинка 

French: Cochon d'Inde (Indian pig)

Dutch: cavia

Portugese: cobaia

Spanish: conejillo or cuy/cuyo (LA)

Chinese: Holland pigs/ helanzhu  (荷蘭豬)

Japanese: morumotto  (モルモット)

History

The guinea pig was first domesticated in 5000BC for food by tribes in the southern part of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Some thousand years later the species became more important to rituals and culture; some tribes even dedicated art to guinea pigs. From 1200 AD to 1532, selective breeding was a hobby to many people and resulted in the guinea pig, as we know the animal today. This true-bred animal was then brought to Europe, by Spanish, Dutch and English traders, where it quickly became popular as a pet. Even Queen Elizabeth I. had guinea pigs in her home. Guinea pigs are also mentioned in the bible. As a result,  Indian drawings of the Last Supper with Jesus and the 12 disciples eating roasted guinea pig are displayed in churches located in Lima and Cuzco.

Healing

Numerous healing traditions in South America involve guinea pigs as they are seen as gifted. Due to this fact, they are used in healing ceremonies to diagnose diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis and typhus. Furthermore, fresh guinea pig droppings are spread on the body or a certain area to heal colds or a sty. Though they are seen as gifted and being used for alternative healing, at the end of a healing ritual they are mostly brutally killed. Black guinea pigs, however, are not killed. They are thought of a gift from god due to being very rare and exeptional. If you rub one against your body, you will be blessed for life. Although guinea pigs are seen as supernatural mediums in South America, these healing methods are distrusted in Western medicine.

One specific ritual is called Shogma. In this ritual a healer in the Andes region rubs a guinea pig all over the patient's body and then analyzes how the animal responded to the energies of the patient (mostly by cutting it open).
http://traditionalmedicineinperuandes.weebly.com/medicinal-practices.html

see how it's  done: 

More detailed information about the curanderos is available in this movie:
Eduardo the Shaman: A Case Study of Culture and Hallucinogens

(I couldn't find a link to watch it online but it is available on Amazon

or if you prefer to read: there is a book dedicated to guinea pigs and healers in the Andes called

The guinea pig: healing, food and ritual in the Andes by Edmundo Morales