BOTH] THE SPIRITS OF THE BUSH 187 



day, and when they reached a suitable spot, he shook his maraha (rattle) and bush-hogs 

 came rushing up in obedience to the summons. "This is hog; shoot," said Siwara, 

 but the two brothers, who had never seen one before, were frightened and climbed 

 up a tree, so he had to kill tliree or four by himself, and these they subsequently 

 took home. Time passed, and, his wife ha\ang presented him with a baby, Siwara 

 became a recognized heir of her family's possessions, and removed his own property, 

 which he had hitherto kept in the bush, into his father-in-law's house, which hence- 

 forth became his own hearth and home,' Among the property which he brought with 

 him to his new home were four rattles used for l)Ush-hog only. There are two kinds 

 of hog, the timid {ehuri) and the very savage (ehuri-oriassi), and there were a pair 

 of marakas for each kind: one rattle to call the beast, the other to drive it awav 

 (Sect, 298). So after he had hung them up Siwara warned his wife's people that 

 on no account must they touch these marakas during his absence, because trouble 

 would be certain to ensue, Siwara soon afterward went away to cut a field; during 

 his absence one of the brothers-in-law came home, and, seeing the prettily feathered 

 rattles all in a row, could not resist the temptittion of taking one down and scrutinizing 

 it closely. While absorbed in its contemplation, he forgot all about the injunction, 

 and started shaking it. Good Lord! It was the wrong rattle — the one for the wild 

 bush-hog! And now these savage beasts came trooping in from near and far, leaving 

 the poor mother, lier two brothers, and the old people barely time to escape with 

 their lives up the nearest trees. In the hurry and excitement, however, the mother 

 had forgotten her baby, which the hogs tore in pieces and devoured. On seeing all 

 this happening below, the fugitives yelled and screamed for Siwara to come quickly 

 and get rid of all these beasts, bo that they might descend in safety, Siwara came and, 

 shaking the proper rattle, drove the brutes away. When they had all dispersed, 

 and his relatives had joine<l him, he looked for his baby, but of course did not 

 find it. He blamed them for disobeying his orders, and was so angered that he left 

 them. It is very hard for them to get food now, 



117. The Spirits of the Forest are blessed, or cursed, with strong 

 patriarchiil tendencies, are very fond of women, and of human flesh 

 generally. They have an unconquerable attraction toward suckling 

 babes and pregnant women (Da, 183), a statement wliich appears 

 to be confirmed in the accompanj-ing legends. I do not know the 

 reason of their supposed relationship to children, but certain it is 

 that among the Pomeroon Arawaks, it was the Yawahus who were 

 asked by the piais to bring babies to those women who wanted them 

 (Sect. 302). On the upper Orinoco it was the Bush Spirit lolok- 

 iamo who, together with th(> tikitiki bird, was considered responsible 

 for the deformities of new-born children (A\'H, ii, 249). 



' Among all these Indians, the husband becomes a member of his wife's family. His permanent 

 retention of his wife depends on the satisfactory completion by him of various tasks, as the cutting of a 

 fleld and the building of a house. The recognition of him and his acceptance of the responsibilities of the 

 position as the lawful heir of his wife's family whose interests he has henceforth to protect and safeguard, 

 commence with the appearance of the bal)y. So-called "marriage" to the Indian is a question of neither 

 morality nor ethics, but one of policy. He takes up with a woman so that she ma.y bear him children, 

 especially daughters, whose husbands will have to provide for his old age, as by custom from time imme- 

 morial ordained. If she proves barren, he but naturally takes imto himself another. Without the advent 

 of offspring, no woman is wanted. Hence, in those districts where missionaries have established 

 themselves, the celebration of the marriage contract very generally takes place only after the bride-elect 

 has proved herself an ideal woman by becoming pregnant. Sterility is regarded as a shame and disgrace 

 by both se.xes. Any physically developed woman, married or single, so afflicted, is described as a "mule " 

 by English-speaking Indians; the Arawaks speak of such a female as massoranto (barren) in the sense of 

 degradation and reproach. 



