The origins of Kambo.
There’s an old legend that says members of the Huni Kuin tribe, indigenous people of Brazil and Peru became ill. Engaging with plant medicine held profound significance for the tribe, as it embodied a sacred tradition deeply rooted in their culture. This reverence stems not only from the remarkable properties of the plants but also from the ancestral wisdom imparted through generations over thousands of years. Their Pajé or medicine man had done everything possible to cure what ailed the tribe and all known medicinal herbs were used but nothing helped.
Under the effect of sacred plant medicines, Pajé entered the forest and during his travels he received a visit from a female spirit. She brought a frog in her hands, where she took a secretion off his back and taught Pajé how to apply it. Upon returning to the tribe and following the guidelines that he had received from the female spirit, he was able to cure his brothers and sisters. From then on, he was known as Pajé Kampu or Kampum. After his death, his spirit lived on in the frog where it continued its mission to protect the health of the those who defend the forest. The secretion became known as Kambo, in some tribes it’s called Sapo, Dow-Kiet, Kampu or Vacina da Floresta.
Whatever mythical origin, Kambo has long been used by indigenous Pano-speaking groups in the Amazon, including the Katukina, Ashâninka, Yawinawâ, and Matsés (or Mayoruna). It may have also been used by the classical Maya, whose art depicted tree frogs next to mushrooms.
The traditional use of Kambo was intended for increasing strength and stamina, monitoring pregnancy (or inducing abortion), and dispersing negative energy, or panema. In the rainforest, Kambo is used as a hunting aid, reducing the need for food and water and minimizing the human scent.
The first westerner to witness Kambo use in the Amazon was the French missionary Constantin Tastevin, who stayed with the Huni Kuin in 1925. According to his informants, the ritual of self-envenomation originated with the neighboring Yawinawa.
In the 1980s, journalist Peter Gorman and anthropologist Katharine Milton rediscovered Kambo while residing with the Matsés tribe in northeastern Peru and southwestern Brazil. They provided Kambo samples to biochemists John Daly and Vittorio Erspamer, who conducted analyses on the secretion's peptide content, recognizing its significant medical potential. Subsequently, pharmaceutical companies have undertaken initiatives to synthesize and patent Kambo peptides, making notable progress toward developing novel and efficacious medications derived from the peptides of the Phyllomedusa frog.
Until 1994, Kambo was rarely applied to non-Indians.
However, it was introduced as a therapeutic option by Francisco Gomes, a half-Katukina caboclo residing in São Paulo. By approximately 1999, Gomes was joined by Santo Daime practitioner and acupuncturist Sonia Maria Valença Menezes in offering Kambo therapy. Subsequently, non-indigenous Kambo applicators, including holistic therapists, physicians, and members of the União do Vegetal religion, also began administering the treatment.
In 2004, the Brazilian government prohibited all advertising of Kambo’s medical or therapeutic benefits, effectively shutting down the new urban applicators. In part, this was a legal response to the Katukina’s demand to protect their ‘intellectual property’.
In addition to increasing strength and stamina, indigenous tribes use Kambo for various purposes, including hunting prowess, spiritual cleansing, and healing of ailments. The secretion from the frog's skin is collected by gently scraping the frog's skin and then applied to small burns or incisions made on the recipient's skin. The frogs are not harmed during this process and are marked before being released. Once a frog is marked, they are never used again for collection.
While Kambo has been used for centuries within indigenous cultures, its use outside of these communities has gained popularity in recent years, particularly in holistic healing circles and alternative medicine practices. Today, Kambo is sought after by individuals seeking natural remedies for a variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addiction, and immune system disorders.
As interest in Kambo continues to grow, scientific research into its potential benefits and risks is also expanding, shedding light on its mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential. Despite its ancient origins, Kambo remains a subject of fascination and exploration in the modern world of natural healing modalities.
