While reading this book "Ethnology of the Yuchi Indians" By Frank Gouldsmith Speck 1909 I found some interesting things about the the birthing process and what the mother and father does.
When a female goes into labor is taken to another camp site away from the tribe. There is one to two other older ladies that go with her to help her labor. An interesting fact was that sometimes, another lady comes and as the woman in labor lays flat on the ground she sets on her abdomen to help aid in labor and give the parent something to grab out to. The women is also given a drink while in labor of water with a bullet in it. This is suppose to have a effect on the birthing process.
When the baby is born is will not have clothing or mothers milk until the fourth day. Due to beliefs which I will describe another day. :) The father starts the day it is born on making a trinket of some sorts depending on the sex of the child. If it is a boy the father will make a miniature bow and arrow set and tie the umbilical cord around and throw it in the deep woods so not to be found by anyone. This is believed to make the boy a strong hunter when his is grown. The father makes a mortar and pestle if it is a girl and they set this around the house in hopes that the girl will grow to be a great house wife. Her umbilical cord is put under neath the ground by a normal sized mortar and pestle that is in front of every home. If the child is a male the father is pleased, if it is female the mother is pleased.
No comments:
Post a Comment