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Svetlana Suktueva, about babies


Type

Video

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Authors

Terbish, Baasanjav 

Abstract

Svetlana talks about beliefs connected with babies and a childbirth.According to one legend there are three kinds of babies: happy, sick and vengeful. Happy babies are generally healthy and grow up smart, skillful and helpful towards their parents. Sick children have bad health and make their parents worry. Vengeful babies grow up quarrelsome and aggressive. The karma of the parents will decide which kind of babies they have. Babies begin to recognize their mothers from first breastfeeding, and their fathers on the second or third day of their life. Mothers have a special bond with their babies. If something bad happens to their babies, mothers will see it in their dreams, feel in their hearts. Children, no matter what their character, should be loved. A house where a pregnant woman stays should be free from noise, swearing, arguments and gossip. During labor, the pregnant woman should be assisted by two other women: a midwife and the oldest bride in the family. The expecting mother should light a candle, pray and drink hot butter. Kalmyk women usually gave birth sitting on their knees, because it is less painful. The baby’s placenta is wrapped in a white cloth and buried by a young woman on the steppe. After this ritual, the young woman should toss white and red coins to the ground and read prayers. When a boy was born, the parents lowered the felt cover on the wall of their yurt and closed the chimney hole. This symbolized a boy’s duty which was to stay home and support his parents. The birth of a boy was always regarded as something joyful. In contrast, the birth of a girl was not so much, because girls should leave their paternal house when they grow. The birth of a girl was announced by lifting the felt and opening the chimney hole.

Description

Keywords

Birth, beliefs, babies

Is Part Of

Publisher

Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Documentation Project, University of Cambridge

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Sponsorship
Sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin

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