WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER II5 



one could hear the din of them at a distance. Everyone knew then 

 they were meeting." The exchange of information, however, is usually 

 done during an annual renewal of powers (traue) which takes place in 

 the fall of the year. The informant then went on to tell of such a 

 renewal. 



Always in April the machi here (Conaripe area) renew their powers; it is 

 when the copihues are in full bloom that it is done. Children are not allowed to 

 witness a traue. My father will not allow us (adults) to witness one, but I saw 

 one once when I was about 12 years old — a boy and I sneaked away to see one. 

 I do not recall that the machi exchanged knowledge, but they did renew their 

 powers. There were two machi there. Two non-machi men represented evil 

 spirits, like devils, and had faces masked, except for the space over the eyes 

 which was covered with red paper. The head and chest of the two machi were 

 decorated with copihues. One of the machi feigned sickness and lay down 

 between two canelo trees. These trees were decoratd with copihues and coral. 

 Invited persons had decorated them. The machi who feigned sickness was 

 stripped of his clothes ; the other sat by and did nothing. Then the sitting machi 

 and the two masked men took a plant, peeled ofif the bark, and rubbed the bark 

 between their hands until foam appeared. Everybody present put a little of the 

 foam on the left corner of his mouth, while the machi and the two masked men 

 rubbed the entire body of the machi who feigned sickness with it. After this, 

 they drew a streak of blood lengthwise down the four limbs of the body of the 

 sick machi. The blood was taken from a sheep slaughtered just then. Very 

 close to the streak of blood they drew a streak of black, and near it a streak 

 of white. Next to it, a streak of bare skin was left. This then made four stripes. 

 These four stripes were repeated until the entire body was covered. Then the 

 machi who feigned sickness feigned death, and the entire body was covered with 

 a plant called yalweiu. The machi stayed under this nearly an hour while the 

 other machi beat the kultrui] and shook the wada, and he and the two masked 

 men sang songs and talked of evil spirits. When the sick machi came to, he 

 looked skyward and prayed. The whole affair took two days. This is done once 

 a year, as I told you, when the copihue are in full bloom. Everything that is 

 used at such a renewal, like pelts and saplings, is hidden away in the mountains ; 

 it must not be left around, nor can the pelts be sold. This renewal keeps the 

 machi's power replenished for the entire following year. Everyone invited brings 

 a gift for each of the machi. 



At the time of the present study machi were active in all areas. In 

 Alepue area, a 55-year-old man practiced in Mehuin; in Maiquillahue 

 of the same area, a man 70 years old and a woman 45 years old ; in 

 Alepue itself, a 70-year-old woman. In Panguipulli area, a woman in 

 her thirties, a very old man, and a very old woman were active. In 

 Cofiaripe area, two old women practiced their art; in Boroa area, a 

 woman past middle age. 



THE MACHITUN : A TREATMENT OF THE SICK 



The shamanistic skills and curative knowledge of the machi are 

 exercised in a performance known as the machitun. The machitun is 



