As the largest and most notable of many witch markets throughout the Andes, the La Paz witches market sells all of the mystical ingredients needed for any ancient ritual.
Question: Where in the world can shoppers purchase dehydrated animal skins, potions, and charms perfect for casting spells and cursing enemies?
Answer: Mercado de las Burjas (Witches Market) La Paz, Bolivia
Suffering from an illness? Need assistance in your love life, or want a good luck charm? The La Paz witches market, or Mercado de las Brujas, is the place to visit. With stalls overflowing in oddities and otherworldly ingredients used in hocus pocus, visitors to this market can find any item needed for cures of the body and soul.
A walk through the market will bring sights of dried frogs, snakes, and turtles; owl feathers; stone charms; herbal remedies; and pre-made potions ready for purchase. Amulets engraved with images of great animals from Incan mythology are said to bring power or wisdom to the beholder. Many of these items are used by the indigenous people of the Andes, known as the Aymara, in sacred ceremonies to bring health, happiness, love, and longevity.
The most peculiar items that are prominently featured at the market are dehydrated llama fetuses, displayed along many of the stalls. According to tradition, Bolivian families make a sacred cha’lla (offering) to Pachamama (mother earth) by burying a llama fetus under the foundation of a new home. The offering is believed to bring protection and happiness to the homeowners as well as ward off bad spirits, protect builders from accidents, and bring good luck to businesses. Many use the dried llama fetuses for this ritual, however, the wealthy often sacrifice a living llama. It is believed that nearly every Bolivian home has a llama buried beneath it.
Roaming the market are witch doctors, known as yatiri, who can be spotted wearing black hats and pouches filled with talismans, amulets, and powders. These men and women are said to have the ability to communicate with the dead, serve as community healers, and perform an assortment of other sacred rituals. In one ritual performed, an offering table is burnt in return for a blessing from the gods. Another more ominous ceremony involves boiling frogs in order to place a curse upon an enemy.
At the La Paz witches market, the yatiri give spiritual advice, read fortunes, and offer potions for illnesses in return for a small fee. If you visit the market, remember it is a serious and sacred spot for the yatiri. While some of the objects are eerie and entertaining, if you don’t respect their craft you might end up with a curse placed upon you.
5 More Unusual Markets from Around the World:
- Mercado de Senora, Mexico City: This large public market located in Mexico City is home to just about everything you could imagine, including the superstitious solutions to life’s problems. With entire aisles dedicated to medicinal herbs and magical items, the market is another must-visit for those interested in items related to witchcraft.
- Skuon Spider Market, Skuan, Cambodia: Known also as Spiderville or Spider Town, this market is filled with all kinds of creepy-crawly spiders and insects. A common snack in Cambodia, spiders as big as the size of a palm are deep-fried, soaked in chili oil, and sold to market-goers.
- Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh, Morocco: This marketplace and performance area is a place of magic, filled with snake charmers, storytellers, dancers, and food vendors. During the day, Djemaa el-Fna is a typical souk (a traditional North African market) where visitors and locals can find any good imaginable, but at night the area transforms into an Arabian carnival with performances by musicians, actors, acrobats, and more.
- Maeklong Railway Market, Maeklong, Thailand: Often called the most dangerous market in the world, Maeklong Railway Market gets its namesake from its location on top of an active railway line. Shop for fresh produce, sweets, and garments, but make sure to stay on the lookout for passing trains that zip through the market four times each day.
- Akodessewa Fetish Market, Lomé, Togo: As the birthplace of Voodoo, it’s no surprise that Lomé, Togo is home to the largest Voodoo market in the world—and this market is not for the faint of heart. Here, those who practice voodoo can purchase anything they might need for a ritual—such as human skulls, horse hearts, or elephant legs. For out-of-towners the open-air market may be disturbing, but for those who practice the religion it is an essential spot.
Purchase a good luck charm or some spiritual guidance from the yatiri of the La Paz witches market during the Bolivia: La Paz, Lake Titicaca & Uyuni pre-trip extension to Machu Picchu & the Galápagos.
