WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 329 



than themselves. "Fifteen years, i8 years, is certainly no age for 

 marriage." 



Kolupan described the traditional proper way of arranging for a 

 marriage : The man told his parents of a liking he had for a girl. His 

 parents, if they too liked the girl, conferred with the girl's parents 

 about a possible marriage. Both parents of the girl had a voice in the 

 decision, but it was the girl's father who expressed the consent to the 

 man's parents and who set the bride price. The bride price was seldom 

 less than four or five large animals, such as cows or horses ; if the 

 groom's parents were wealthy, the price might be 20 head of cattle. 

 These were to be given to the girl's father ; it was understood that the 

 girl's mother would be presented with gifts of silver ornaments, 

 money, and clothing. The girl's consent to her betrothal was rarely 

 sought; nor were her likes or dislikes taken into consideration. In 

 fact, she did not always know the man to whom she was promised. 

 A listening-in woman in her seventies, the daughter of a late cacique, 

 had not known the man to whom she was promised. Her father re- 

 ceived as bride price for her a riding horse, a new saddle, and a large 

 number of cattle. 



Child betrothal was recognized but was a rare occurrence. — 

 Whether child betrothal was traditional or borrowed from the Argen- 

 tines was difficult to ascertain. — The betrothal might occur when the 

 girl was no older than 5 years, but marriage did not take place until 

 she was at least 15. Kolupan believed that the bride price, in such 

 cases, was paid at the time of betrothal. "How else could both sides 

 have been held to their promises," he reasoned, and added, "However, 

 in those days a word meant more than written documents do today. 

 Such a girl was carefully guarded by her uncles, aunts, brothers, and 

 parents ; in fact, by all her relatives," he noted. "Nothing was to 

 happen to her; the chief reason for guarding her was to prevent any- 

 one else from wanting to marry her." 



In more recent times it has been considered proper for the man 

 himself to ask the consent of the girl's parents. Once the girl was 

 promised to him he could come to her home, but the girl had to get 

 her mother's express permission to speak to him. "These were delicate 

 things and had to be strictly observed." Sometimes, however, the 

 couple evaded the parents. "I arranged with the girl first, and then 

 I asked her parents for her," said a man in his fifties. He laughed 

 about this. 



Today parents have had to make further concessions. The young 

 man alone asks the consent of the girl's parents, or he and the girl 

 together ask for it. There is no longer a bride price. The custom was 



