Pregnant warriors and umbilical cords from Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG on 1999-12-03 (Glorantha Digest Vol 07)

From: Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG <Bernuetz.Oliver_at_cbsc.ic.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 10:35:00 -0500

Joerg Baumgartner

>> I'm sure no sensible Orlanthi would allow a Humakti into the same
>> house as a pregnant woman, just in case.

>That would exclude them from most Orlanthi steads at all. However, women
>in the late stages of pregnancy are staying in the women's hut, which no
>man may enter on pain of death. How pregnant Humakti females are treated
>I don't know - surely not all of them deliver in a Zorak Zoran temple
>resanctified to Humakt, under attack from Zorani berserks and zombies...

While the Balazarings can't be considered exemplars of Gloranthans they have ways of dealing with births by warriors. Some of the aspects of their rituals may be present in other societies as well.

Giving Birth Among the Balazarings

A birth is an intensely sacred event among the Balazarings bearing great significance. The birth takes place in the birthing chamber which is always a cave dug into soil or native rock. The chamber is sacred to the

Mother aspect of the Hearth Goddess and no actual or de facto* males are allowed within the birthing area.

Ritual purification of the birthing chamber and the mother to be.
Female friends and supporters of the mother to be gather to lend their support. There is no spell equivalent to the Couvade spell that Xiola Umber provides but the gathered mothers can lend their moral and even physical support during this trying time. The mothers chant and drum to keep hostile spirits away and attract the goddess' and good spirits' attention.
The baby must be welcomed into the tribe and named before the umbilical cord is cut as the baby's soul is vulnerable to contamination or perversion until the welcoming and naming is performed. Cutting the cord before this ceremony is performed is a very bad thing. After the baby has been named AND welcomed the cord can be safely cut since the baby is protected from malevolent influences. This name is kept by the child throughout their life and is kept secret since it has magical significance but soon after their birth they pick up a knickname that may or may not stick with them for life.
The mother and new child are moved (as soon as possible) from the birthing chamber to one of the special huts set aside for new mothers and their children. Here they spend a week in seclusion before being officially introduced to the community.

Premature Births and Stillborns

There is really nothing that the Balazarings can do with premature births. As with stillborns they are welcomed into the tribe and named so they do not have to die alone and are still considered to be part of the tribe.

De facto males include female worshippers of Yemalio and Foundchild. If one of these female worshippers wishes to give birth in the traditional birthing chamber they have to ritually (temporarily) sever their ties to their god and become purified as "women". Shamans are allowed in the birthing chamber as they are considered to be neither men nor women.

***

Alan & Carmel Brain on Humakti being allowed in birthing chambers:

>> - -..except to sever the umbilical cord, a very Holy act to Humakti.

I don't think this is true. The symbolism of a follower of Death severing the umbilical cord between a mother and a newborn is pretty creepy. I can see reasons why they might be allowed to do this (none of them particularily nice) but I don't think this is part of the normal birthing process.

Oliver
www.geocities.com/bernuetz
bernuetz.oliver_at_cbsc.ic.gc.ca

End of The Glorantha Digest V7 #194