REPRODUCTION 105 



dried up. Even among some European peoples there 

 still persists this fear of the injurious effect of contact 

 with a woman delivered of a child. In Russia, for 

 instance, and in some parts of Hungary she is not 

 allowed for a certain time to go near a well or a stream, 

 as she would cause it to dry up. 



There exist some curious customs regulating the 

 food which may or may not be given to a woman in 

 childbed. Sometimes special teas are brewed from 

 herbs for her; in other cases she is forbidden to take 

 meat or to drink water. In some instances solid food 

 is given to her; in others, again, little and light food 

 only; so that all in all we see the poor women more 

 ill-treated than treated. 



Once more we have to refer to the belief in evil 

 spirits which are particularly active during this 

 period, when special precautions have to be taken 

 to protect mother and child against them. The 

 lying-in huts also serve as a safeguard against evil 

 spirits; during a confinement food is thrown outside 

 the huts into the woods for the spirits, so as to keep 

 them occupied in eating. In Russia the expected 

 time of delivery is kept secret, for it is thought that 

 a woman will have additional suffering in confine- 

 ment for every person that knows about it; a wicked 

 person could even prevent the birth altogether. In 

 Armenia they believe that the devil will attempt to 

 exchange or suffocate the new-born child ; hence they 

 burn incense in the room to drive him away. Various 

 amulets are worn or hung about the room, as are also 

 special scripts containing magic words in order to 

 ward off the influence of evil spirits. This is still 

 customary among the Russians, Italians, Hungarians, 



