THE TERENA AND THE CADUVEO OF SOUTHERN MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL^ OBERG 



39 



to the child, the name usually being that of a rela- 

 tive long dead. A mother suckled a child until 

 a new baby was born or until the child was able to 

 eat solid food. A child was carried strapped on 

 the mother's back by a belt called apoone or held 

 by the same strap in frontv while suckling. For 

 short distances small children were carried strad- 

 dling the hip of the bearer. Childbirth appears to 

 have been treated purely as a secular event, for 

 the Terena remember no special ceremonies or 

 rites connected with it. 



Today, childbirth is treated in the Brazilian 

 fashion. In cases of difScult birth the missionaries 

 are present to give medical help. They also give 

 advice in the care of children. The infant is bap- 

 tized into either the Catholic or I'rotestant faith. 

 In addition to receiving a Brazilian name, the 

 child also receives a Terena name. It is whispered 

 that abortion and even infanticide are still occa- 

 sionally practiced. 



Although the puberty ceremony for boys and 

 girls is no longer practiced, the Terena say that 

 in the past each family celebrated the coming of 

 age of its children, only the chiefly class giving a 

 public ceremony. When a chief's daughter 

 reached the age of puberty, iyoti^ her kinswomen 

 fastened a small bell, tohi, over the doorway of her 

 house, which was periodically struck by one of the 

 women. The girl painted her body black with 

 "genipapo"' or red with "urucu" and sat cross- 

 legged on a reed mat in the center of the house. 

 The women of the village then brought cotton and 

 beans which they threw over the head of the girl. 

 The kinswomen of the girl gave the visitors food 

 and drink. There was no long period of seclu- 

 sion, as this ceremony lasted for 1 day only. 



Even today, menstruating women paint them- 

 selves black and abstain from washing as in the 

 past. Contact with water is believed to cause the 

 enmity of a certain water witch that lives in a lake 

 or river and controls the supply of fish. 



In the past, the sons of the chiefs went through 

 a public ceremony at puberty called tinta. The 

 principal part of the ceremony consisted in the boy 

 approaching his father dressed in a light-red 

 blanket which he took off. then donning a dark-red 

 blanket handed him by his father. The dark-red 

 blanket was a symbol not only of adulthood but 



also of membership in the utiati, or chiefly class. 

 This ceremony took place in the house of the boy's 

 father and in the presence of all the members of 

 the village. Feasting and dancing accompanied 

 the ceremony. As in the case of girls, seclusion 

 did not form a part of the puberty ceremony. 



MARRIAGE (KOTENOTI) 



In the old days parents arranged marriages be- 

 tween their children while the children were still 

 young. The parents of the boy would take presents 

 to the parents of the girl. If the girl's parents 

 accepted, they would take their girl to the house 

 of the boy's parents and leave her there for a day 

 or two. When the girl returned she was consid- 

 ered betrothed to the boy, the actual marriage tak- 

 ing place when the girl had reached puberty. 



The betrothal ceremony, known as kayenone, 

 was rather an elaborate performance. On going 

 to visit the girl's parents the boy's father and 

 mother were preceded by a slave, Muti, who led 

 a cow or carried a calf on his back. The slave 

 was a messenger and was known as the ijiihokoti. 

 Upon arriving at the girl's house the boy's parents 

 were greeted and asked to enter and sit down. The 

 l/uhokofi remained standing until he made his 

 speech. He addressed the girl's parents saying, 

 '"''Hdranzimind viarunoccha''' (I have come to ar- 

 range about your girl). The girl's father, if he 

 agreed, then rejilied, '■''Vnatl enomive kopo" (All 

 right, I shall receive you). The messenger then 

 sat down and the parents discussed the marriage 

 of their children. Wlien arrangements had been 

 completed the boy's parents left their gifts and 

 departed. 



When the girl reached puberty the wedding 

 ceremony, koi/enoti, took place. The bride's par- 

 ents invited relatives and friends and built a spe- 

 cial shed from "acuri" palm fronds under which 

 the dances were performed. Much food and drink 

 were prepared for the guests. When the guests 

 had arrived, the bride's parents fetched the gi-oom 

 and his parents. When the groom arrived he said, 

 ^^Ziminoti aved neye''' (I have come to stay). To 

 this the bride's father answered, '■'Unati, koye 

 eshdgi shop-inff'' (Thank you, you are now my 

 son). 



The bride's father then led the groom to a ham- 

 mock on which the bride was already seated. The 

 groom sat down beside her, their feet resting on 



