Il6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I33 



a mixture of psychology, superstition, and the administration of herbal 

 or other health restoratives. Quoting a non-Araucanian herbalist: 

 "Of all their restoratives to health, the Mapuche have the greatest 

 confidence in the machitun ; I do not believe that it will ever be rooted 

 out of their beliefs." 



The machitun is performed over sick men and women, when indi- 

 cated; more rarely over children. Several schoolchildren had had 

 one performed over them during an epidemic of measles ; some were 

 only 2 years old at the time. 



In general, the following are the features of the machitun : 

 (i) A performance at night with many invited persons present. 

 "The evil spirit of sickness comes at night and must be driven out 

 at night." The place is lit up by burning colihiie stalks held by women. 



(2) Use of branches of canelo, a tree for which Araucanians ex- 

 hibit a feeling of respect. "There is something sacred about the tree." 

 The machi plants branches of canelo above the head of the patient, 

 who is in a supine position, and bowed stalked of quila between the 

 canelo branches ; at the feet of the patient, branches of laurel comun ; 

 and all around the patient, twigs of lingue, 



(3) The beating of the kultrur) (drum) by the machi. 



(4) The shaking of the wada (rattle) by the machi. 



(5) Use of a stone to which magical power is ascribed. (Generally, 

 however, such stones are used only in witchcraft.) These stones are 

 of two types : a black one, highly polished, called likan and said to 

 have been ejected by volcanoes ; and a green beadlike one, called 

 llaqka, found occasionally in prehistoric burials along with urns, and 

 said to be decidedly more powerful than the likan. (A dying machi 

 gave Father Sigifredo his llaqka, a 4-cornered stone a little smaller 

 than a thumbnail. It had a neatly drilled liole in the center through 

 which a string was passed so that the stone could be suspended from 

 the neck.) 



(6) The performing machi's particular banner attached to a pole. 

 "As soon as the machi arrives at the ruka where the sick person is, 

 he erects to one side of the ruka and considerably taller than the ruka 

 the pole for his banner. At each side of the pole he plants a young 

 branch of either maqui or palqui." 



(7) Songs sung by the machi. Quoting a PanguipuUi informant: 

 "I shall sing you the song that is sung by the machi before he begins 

 to chase away the evil spirits with firebrands, from both inside and 

 outside the ruka: Tf you bury yourself under the earth, I shall be 

 able to see you. Or, if you place yourself over the door, I shall see 



