WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER I47 



look on, those who participate in all but the sacrifices, and those who 

 participate in the complete ceremony," 



Non-Araucanians are not welcome at the ceremonial, "because, so 

 the old people say, they are of other religions ; God is jealous and 

 does not want other people there. I believe the real reason is that it 

 is known that those who do not understand the ceremonial have made 

 fun of it." 



Although features of the sacrificial ceremonial itself may difter 

 from area to area, or may even be entirely absent in an area, in 

 general they consist of the following: 



The leader, whether he be a cacique or a prophet, is the master of 

 ceremonies. He is assisted by the captains and sergeants of all par- 

 ticipating localities. All are men. However, informants made it a 

 point to tell of one exception — the leader of Pucura (Coiiaripe area) 

 was a very old woman who had been a prophetess since she was young, 

 and had never been replaced. Because of her age she was assisted by 

 a machi, also from Pucura, "But the machi only does what the old 

 woman tells her to do ; the old woman gives all the orders." 



The captains and sergeants prepare the grounds for the ceremonial 

 (figs. 2 and 3). In the center of the Cofiaripe grounds (fig. 2), four 

 colihiie are placed in the ground; in Alepue, one maqui tree. This 

 place is called parufe (referring to the dances). The leader will sit 

 near here. Between him and the colihiie, the tortillas brought by the 

 families are arranged in a row of piles. "At our last qillatun the 

 piles were so high [i^ feet]." Behind the tortillas a row of con- 

 tainers, each filled with mudai, is placed. "The containers are carved 

 out of wood and are shaped like the chalice used at Mass. We had 

 one at home, but I cannot find it ; I wanted to show it to you." On 

 the opposite side of the colihiie are dishes containing wheat. 



On the periphery of the grounds, two pairs of posts are set into 

 the ground to be used by two men on horseback, each with a trutruka 

 (see pi. 32, /). "Each man with a trutruka needs two posts: a 

 crotched one in which he rests his trutruka and another to which 

 he ties the horse on which he sits while he holds the trutruka. These 

 two men remain in this position all through the ceremonial ; they are 

 like guards of the place. Pucura had one trutruka in December, and 

 Llancahue had the other." 



A pole, generally a sapling, is planted in a place somewhat apart 

 from the parufe. Here the machi will sit, each with his or her kultruq 

 (pi. 30, j), "sometimes there are as many as four machi." Formerly 

 each machi had a pole. During the ceremonial each machi beats his 

 or her kultruq, and together they sing (informant sang in Arauca- 



