A birth is an intensely sacred event among the
Balazarings bearing great significance and none more so than the birth of the prophesized
Dog Boy. The birth takes place in the birthing chamber which is always a cave dug
into soil or native rock. The chamber is sacred to the Mother aspect of the Hearth
Goddess and no actual or de facto* males are allowed within the
birthing area.
1) Ritual purification of the birthing chamber and the
mother to be.
2) Female friends and supporters of the mother to be
gather to lend their support. There is no spell equivalent to the Couvade spell that
Xiola Umber provides but the gathered mothers can lend their moral and even physical
support during this trying time. The mothers chant and drum to keep hostile spirits
away and attract the goddess' and good spirits' attention.
3) The baby must be welcomed into the clan and
named before the umbilical cord is cut as the baby's soul is vulnerable to contamination
or perversion until the welcoming and naming is performed. Cutting the cord before
this ceremony is performed is a very bad thing. After the baby has been named AND
welcomed the cord can be safely cut since the baby is protected from malevolent
influences.
4) The mother and new child are moved (as soon as
possible) from the birthing chamber to one of the special huts set aside for new mothers
and their children. Here they spend a week in seclusion before being officially
introduced to the community.
Premature Births and Stillborns
There is really nothing that the Balazarings can do
with premature births. As with stillborns they are welcomed into the clan and named
so they do not have to die alone and are still considered to be part of the clan.
* De facto males include female worshippers of Yemalio
and Foundchild. If one of these female worshippers wishes to give birth in the
traditional birthing chamber they have to ritually (temporarily) sever their ties to their
god and become purified as "women". Shamans are allowed in the birthing
chamber as they are not men or women.
This page last updated September 06, 2000
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