136 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I33 



bad about it. The two young men were not related, but they must have 

 agreed to get the girls at the same time. According to one girl's 

 father the plans must have been made at a recent qillatun. He rea- 

 soned : 'It was the only opportunity that I know of that they had to 

 do so.' Each girl had gone to the home of the man's parents. Enmity 

 exists nearly always then between the girl's family and the man's 

 family. Children of the families will quarrel on the way to and from 

 school. When it is reported to me and I reprimand them for it, one 

 group will say, 'Their family stole my sister.' Generally after a child 

 is born to the young couple, or about to be born, the girl's mother 

 relents ; the girl may even be taken into her paternal home for delivery. 

 Everyone gradually becomes reconciled. Before long the girl will ask 

 for her property which usually consists of farm animals. When she 

 receives it, some sort of feast is celebrated." 



According to a non-Araucanian herbalist who had been in most of 

 the Araucanian homes in the area, and who was a listener-in to the 

 above, the girl's parents were not always annoyed with an elopement. 

 She related the following as having been true on several occasions : 

 "A young man and young woman agree to marry. Some night the 

 man comes to get the woman. The woman leaves the ruka quietly and 

 finds the place where the man with his horses is in hiding. She mounts 

 a horse and the two ride to the man's home. Her parents, when they 

 awake, act surprised and hurt, but this is merely a pretense. They do 

 not go out to look for their daughter, for they know where she is. 

 They show no friendliness toward the man, however, for they want 

 him to pay the bride price. The couple lives as married. After some 

 days, maybe two weeks, the young man goes to the home of the 

 woman's parents to find out what payment is expected. Whatever 

 her father demands, he must pay. The payment is always in animals. 

 If the young man is rich, he may have to pay several animals, maybe 

 a horse, an ox, a cow, and some sheep. After the payment is made, the 

 woman sends word that she will visit her home. Her parents then 

 prepare for her coming and invite relatives to a plentiful meal. In 

 one locality in Conaripe area a horse provided by the woman's parents 

 must be consumed at this meal. After this the marriage is recognized 

 as completed. The girl can now visit home as before." 



Sometimes the girl, too, makes pretenses. To give the impression 

 that she was being kidnaped but resisted, she bites the man's upper 

 back and shoulders. The impressions of her teeth are pointed out as 

 the result of her resistance. "Older people do not believe her ; they 

 recognize a sham when they see one." 



An occasional girl goes of her own volition to the home of an un- 



