144 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I33 



tion was asked) ; the machi that are also kalku, because these dealt 

 with wekuf ii ; those who caused another's death through witchcraft ; 

 those who killed another by overcoming him physically; those who 

 Stole animals, such as cattle, horses, sheep; those who burned down 

 other people's ruka ; the wekuf u themselves. 



/ 



THE NILLATUN : TRIBAL RELIGIOUS CEREMONIAL 



Informants spoke of their tribal religious ceremonial as rjillatun 

 (the Araucanian for "to ask for something") and as las rogativas 

 (the Spanish for "several days of prayer"). "Both mean everybody 

 comes together ; when we use either word, we know we mean our 

 r)illatun." 



Until recent years the qillatun (participants being the people under 

 one cacique) was held several times each year: Early in spring to 

 pray for an increase in flocks — more recently in herds also — and for 

 favorable weather during planting time ; during the growing season, 

 in the event that unfavorable weather set in ; and later in the season 

 to petition favorable weather for harvest time. A special occasion 

 for performing the ceremonial was to avert physical harm, such as 

 might result from destructive wind storms, earthquakes, volcanic 

 eruptions, and floods. On all occasions, in addition to the special peti- 

 tions, prayers were for the welfare of all the people, especially of the 

 families who were in attendance. An Alepue man told the following 

 as an example of a special occasion for holding the rjillatun : "While 

 the great earthquake was going on in Valparaiso in 1906, the earth 

 around here trembled a day and a night. The following day, the 

 Mapuche here held a qillatun. About 10 years ago, I thought we 

 were having another serious earthquake. I looked at that hill to see 

 if the tree trunks up there [in burnt-over lands] were moving — they 

 were, and soon they were falling over. I knew then that there was 

 a threatening earthquake. We held a qillatun at that time, too." 

 Today, the ijillatun is celebrated once a year, usually in the spring, as 

 a petition for favorable weather for crops. 



The celebration of a complete qillatun takes 2, 3, or 4 days, depend- 

 ing on the number of animals to be sacrificed. Several weeks previous 

 to the celebration, the men of the families who will participate meet 

 for I or 2 days to decide on the exact time at which it is to be held. 

 In December of 1946, preparations were being made for one to be 

 held in Maiquillahue (Alepue area). "Right now [February] meet- 

 ings are being held here [Conaripe] to decide on days in April [1947] 

 for our next qillatun." 



