126 TABOO AND GENETICS 



By some twist in the primitive way of think- 

 ing, some " false association by similarity and 

 contiguity," the function of childbirth, unlike 

 that of pregnancy, where the emphasis seems 

 to have been placed in most cases on the mana 

 principle, was held to be unclean and contam- 

 inating, and was followed by elaborate rites of 

 purification. It may be that the pains of 

 delivery were ascribed to the machinations of 

 demonic powers, or possession by evil spirits, 

 — we know that this has sometimes been the 

 case. The use of charms and amulets, and the 

 chanting of sacred formulae at this dangerous 

 time all point to such beliefs. At anj^ rate, 

 although the birth of the child would seem in 

 every respect except in the presence of blood 

 to be more closely connected with the phe- 

 nomena of pregnancy than with that of men- 

 struation, as a matter of fact the taboos on 

 the woman in child-bed were intimately associ- 

 ated with those on menstruous women. 



Among the ancients, the Zoroastrians con- 

 sidered the woman unclean at childbirth as at 

 menstruation. (22). In the Old Testament, 

 ritual uncleanness results from contact with a 

 woman at childbirth. (23). 



Likewise among savage tribes the same cus- 

 toms concerning childbirth prevail. Among the 

 Australian aborgines women are secluded at 

 childbirth as at menstruation, and all vessels 



