Everything related to popular medicine has a strong relation with traditional culture on the islands and African, European and American elements are intermingled in its origins.

The witchdoctors have a starring role and they regularly use plants, prayers and other witchery in the aim to cure diseases, because it is not common to see them consulting medical texts in order to carry out their tasks.

Their presence is more effective in farming areas or in places where people with low cultural levels live, although there are others from high or medium social strata that flock to these witchdoctors.

Witchcraft, although it can be used for many purposes, is a popular form that many people seek, and Canary witchcraft in particular is the result of a convergence of different cultural contributions brought by Moors, Jews, Berber slaves and from other far away places.

In the Canary Islands solely women, who are said to have supernatural powers, practice witchcraft.