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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 15 



kadinsu, the nose flute, maitetansu, and the five- 

 tube panpipe, dutu. The nose flute which is 

 about 4 inches in diameter is made by sticking 

 two round pieces of gourd together with rosin. 

 Three holes are made on one side, two holes pro- 

 viding finger stops, while air from one nostril is 

 blown across the other. These flutes do not appear 

 to have any ritual significance. 



In reviewing the religious symbolism of the 

 Nambicuara it appears that the following con- 

 clusions can be drawn. The oklihditlisu myth 

 explains the origin of the Eastern Nambicuara 

 and their rights to the territory which they now 

 occupy. Tauptu, although not the cause of ill- 

 ness, explains why people die. Tauptu and dih- 

 ninuwa also account for the existence of shooting 

 stars and the presence of rain. Uluru appears to 

 represent the ever-present forces of destruction 

 inherent in the physical environment. Within 

 the framework of these ultimate forces the Nam- 

 bicuara carry on their struggle for existence as- 

 sisted by and opposed by the members of their 

 own kind. The security of the band depends upon 

 the close cooperation of the kinsmen acting under 

 the guidance of the chief. The wdinrhu flutes 

 provide a supernatural sanction for the powers of 

 the chief and thus help in enforcing and maintain- 

 ing band solidarity. The flutes, furthermore, are 

 a symbol of the common ancestry of the Eastern 

 Nambicuara in that they relate the bands to the 

 culture hero. The ghosts of the ancestors (aydn- 

 kadisu), like the living members of the band, must 

 be well-treated in order to avoid danger to children 

 and the perpetuation of the band. 



But actual day-to-day danger to the individual 

 comes from the members of other bands. Dis- 

 putes over women and quarrels arising from the 

 exchange of goods, as we have seen, lead to blood- 

 shed and death. In the ultimate analysis each 

 band defends itself as a sovereign unit by force. 

 The danger arising from the constant tension and 

 suspicion between the bands is symbolized by the 

 anunsu who bring illness, who create the storms 

 which destroy the houses and fields, and who 

 threaten the band with starvation by making 

 hunting difficult. As direct attack by other bands 

 is met with the physical forces of the band, so 

 spiritual attack by the anunsu of other bands is 

 met by the assistance of one's own anunsu. They 

 help the shamans to draw out the evil objects 



which cause sickness, they have given the magical 

 herbs whose smoke blinds the dangerous anunsu, 

 and the techniques which will drive away the 

 storms. Thus the shaman operating on a symbolic 

 level continues the struggle for survival which 

 has been defined for the Nambicuara by the 

 nature of tbeir adjustment to their physical en- 

 vironment and their relationships to one another. 



THE LIFE CYCLE 

 BIRTH 



The Nambicuara recognize sexual intercourse 

 (winsuenditsu) as the cause of pregnancy (hald- 

 jitsu). This act takes place in the woods while 

 the husband and wife are out hunting or collecting, 

 for it is considered improper to have sexual inter- 

 course in public, even at night around the common 

 camp fire. If a shaman should see a couple in 

 sexual embrace while practicing his rites it would 

 spoil his power. Although shamans use a special 

 hut when calling their anunsu there is always a 

 chance that they may see a couple in the sexual 

 act, so every effort must be made to avoid this 

 danger. Shamans themselves abstain from sexual 

 intercourse for 2 or 3 days before getting in contact 

 with the spirits. 



There appear to be no food taboos surrounding 

 pregnancy among the Waklitisu. The husband 

 continues hunting and collecting as usual, but 

 he must avoid working too hard in the field for 

 fear of causing his wife to abort. Women do 

 not practice abortion, and the Nambicuara did 

 not mention any medicines used for this purpose. 

 Honey is considered conducive to sexual vigor and 

 is used by young couples. Childless marriages 

 are attributed to sterility in women, and a man 

 may abandon his wife for this reason. 



Birth takes place in the house, or in the camp 

 if the family is out him ting. Just before expecting 

 the birth of a child the expectant mother drinks 

 the juice of certain herbs which are behoved to 

 facilitate birth. The husband and two older 

 women assist in the delivery. The woman kneels 

 on the ground and is supported by her husband. 

 The umbilical cord is tied with a certain vine and 

 then cut with a bamboo sliver. Among the 

 Kitanrhu it is bitten off by one of the midwives. 

 The placenta is buried at the place of birth and 

 when the umbilical cord dries and falls off, it, too, 



