The birth of a child between the Shah

The Shah there are one of the branches of the Zhuang, which live in the Yunnan province. The birth of a child between them is surrounded with a series of rituals that present enough differences with those of the Zhuang.

Between them, when a woman remains a pregnant woman, it receives the biggest consideration on the part of his relatives and friends. Especially if it is the first time. Since logically they all are satisfied for the arrival of a new member to the family. When the pregnancy comes at the age of five months, shaman is invited to one feminine so that it calls to the small soul. On having fulfilled eight months of pregnancy, it is called to another type of shaman, generally masculine so that it calls to the soul, since for them there is difference between this small soul that is evident in the first months of the pregnancy, and that of the human being on the verge of being born. Both are relatively simple ceremonies, in which nevertheless some relatives are present.

During the eighth month it is necessary to realize also the ceremony of "be liberating of the ties" that in fact it is destined to expel from the area to the malignant spirits, to favor the calmness of the mother and the safety of the child. During the same one a goat as gift sacrifices itself.

At the moment of the birth it is prohibited that no man between to the house, not even the husband. Generally they are the aunts of the mother those who help in the childbearing, they receive the newborn baby, cut the umbilical cord, wash the baby, and kill a chicken and cook a few eggs so that the mother restores forces. Then they place on the threshold of the door a few branches, to the left if the newborn baby has been a male, and to the right if she has been a woman. It is said that these branches have three functions: on one hand to communicate the happiness of the birth, for letting the people know about other one that child has been born and it is not possible to enter, and for other one it is a symbol of protection to the child and the mother. The mother does not go out of the house during the first three days, time during which no man enters either. His husband cannot enter either, and must not go out of the village.

To three days there is celebrated a small holiday, in which there are invited the neighbors, relatives and friends to drink wine. These bring gifts for the newborn baby: red eggs, oversweet fruit and rice of five colors. They all express to his parents his best desires for this child. From this moment in which the newborn baby is presented in society until it is one month the relatives and friends they are going so far as to visit him to his house. With them they take a chicken, an egg, rice or oversweet fruit.

When the child is one month it is necessary to celebrate a holiday to name him. One invites the people to drink wine, and according to the possibilities of the family, a chicken kills itself or some meat is bought. First a gift is done to the ancestors, asking them to protect the child. The name that is given him in this ceremony is the called "name of milk" and it is usually a relatively simple name, an appellative affectionate one, an animal, or some of the characteristics that the child has already presented.

With this holiday they conclude the rituals regarding the birth of the child.

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