WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER II9 



must come to help." After such flattery the machi again faces him and listens 

 to him. Then the machi gets ready and goes with him. Each mounts one of 

 the horses the man brought, and the two ride along in silence. They arrive at 

 the ruka of the sick person. Before entering, they erect a pole somewhat to the 

 side of the door — a pole considerably higher than the door ; usually it is a sapling 

 of some kind that is handy. At the upper end of the pole, a white cloth [the 

 machi's banner] is tied. Then the machi enters the ruka and sits in a place 

 prepared for him. Next, everyone present that has the ability to speak well takes 

 turns to sit alongside the machi and begs him to do all he can to cure the sick 

 person — each does so singly. Each person tells the machi that he believes that 

 he (the machi) is the only one who can help this family in its grief. All must 

 ask for this: the father and the mother, every brother, even though there are 

 six or more, and all persons present, even if there be twenty. The machi does 

 not turn away from them, but faces each one and listens attentively. He says 

 to each one, "With chau's (God's) help, we shall see what we can do." Then 

 some person from outside the household, who speaks Mapuche well, acts as a 

 liaison between the sick person and the machi. [The informant's brother had 

 died during the previous year, 1945 ; since there was no nonrelative in attendance, 

 the informant had acted as the liaison.] Above the head of the sick person, in 

 line with the body, a symetrically shaped top end of a canelo is planted; at the 

 foot end, either laurel or maqui, depending on the choice of the machi. Along 

 the full length of the patient are wooden dishes filled with a selection of twigs — 

 the choice is again that of the performing machi. Always there is a variety; 

 and always among them are twigs of several plants that have a very obnoxious 

 odor and of one that grows in creeks. Persons present also hold armfuls of 

 the twigs. All is now in readiness. The machi begins to beat his kultruq, and 

 sings his first song. He sings four appropriate songs to four specific tunes at 

 four different times. The wording of the songs is devilish ; and no one but a 

 machi is allowed to sing them. It is at this point that the machi goes into a 

 trance. His entire body trembles ; his face changes so that he no longer resembles 

 himself, nor would he be known by others. — He looks like this until he goes out 

 to the banner at the end of the machitun, when he again looks like himself. — 

 From now on he knows nothing that happens until he returns to himself. It is 

 for this reason that he needs the liaison: it is the duty of the liaison to take 

 notice of all that happens and later to tell the machi about it. The machi now 

 sings his second song and beats his kultruq, while he sits alongside the patient. 

 At intervals, often during the ceremonies, he hops about the patient, first on his 

 knees, then on his feet; and then he jumps onto hot coals in the fireplace — he is 

 barefooted but does not burn his feet. Then he takes from the fireplace a burn- 

 ing stick of wood, like a small branch of a tree, and brandishes it in circles while 

 walking around the outside of the ruka first and then around the ruka on the 

 inside. After this he takes glowing coals from the fireplace and drops them on 

 the ground wherever no one is standing. Soon he drops some on the sheep pelts 

 that cover the sick person. (The fur side is down, as always when a sheep pelt 

 is used as covering.) Others stand by with brooms ready to sweep the hot coals 

 of? as soon as they are dropped on the pelts. Next, to intimidate the devil of 

 sickness in the person, the machi takes a branch of canelo in one hand and a big 

 knife in the other, and stands alongside the sick person. Then he takes his 

 kultrur) and sings a third song. In between the machi calls for certain specific 

 twigs from those with armfuls of them, which these hand to him. And now 



