COOPER] BIBLIOGEAPHY OF TRIBES OP TIEEEA DEL FUEGO 155 



are supramundane and for the most part exert an active influence 

 over man and nature. They are respected and feared and at times 

 prayed to or propitiated by moral conduct and ritual observances. 

 The element of coercion, more distinctive of magic, and that of 

 automatism, more distinctive of taboo, are absent. 



Of the beliefs and observances now to be listed, some and perhaps 

 many may turn out on further investigation to be of a religious or 

 propitiatory nature. Most of them, at any rate, have sufficient affin- 

 ity or resemblance to religion to be classed under Quasi-religious 

 Culture, and if one should prefer to adopt a more inclusive definition 

 of religion they could bo classed as clearly religious. 



BIRTH CUSTOMS 



The Ona mother in order to make her child robust brings in a great 

 load of wood before delivery, according to Dr. Cojazzi (25), or after 

 delivery, according to Dr. Gallardo (229). Among both the Onas and 

 Yahgans the umbilical cord is cut with a piece of shell (C. Gallardo, 

 229; Hyades, q, 191), and the latter burned both the cord and the 

 placenta (Hyades, q, 191, 194). One of Father Menendez' Chonos cut 

 his hair to celebrate the birth of his child (Gonzalez de Agiieros, 247). 



The Yahgan baby is bathed in the sea shortly after birth (Bove, 

 a, 794; h, 137; c, 129; d, Arch., 293; e, 158; Th. Bridges, a, Fr. tr., 

 170; li, 208) to make it strong (Th. Bridges, 7/, 208; Hahn, a, 806), 

 and the mother, too, goes through a senes of sea baths (Hyades, ^, 

 192-195). The Ona mother batlies (Cnjazzi, 26; Beauvoir, h, 208), 

 but according To Dr. Gallardo (229) only if she happens to be near 

 the sea; the child is not bathed (Beauvoir, h, 20S), but is massaged 

 with white earth (Cojazzi, 26). 



According to the Rev. Mr. Bridges (a, Fr. tr., 170), after the birth 

 of a child both parents rest a week or two, while the Rev. Mr. Despard 

 states (6, 698) that the father must sit still for three days, else the 

 child will die. This looks very much like the couvade. 



After the birth of a child certain food taboos are observed by the 

 mother among the Onas (C. Gallardo, 229-230, 174; Cojazzi, 26; Beau- 

 voir, h, 208; Dabbene, h, 257), and by both parents among the Yah- 

 gans (Th. Bridges, a, Fr. tr., 170; Martial, 197; Dabbene, I, 190). A 

 Yahgan mother is considered unclean after delivery; she must abstain 

 from marital intercourse for five or six months; the husband, too, is 

 bound by a similar obligation, but not to the same degree (Hahn, a, 

 806; cf. also Hyades, q, 195). 



Of Alacalufan birth customs we know nothing, and of Chonoan 

 nothing bej^ond the point noted above. 



