Customs of Amerindians

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Customs Of Amerindians

Taino

The Taino loved dancing and singing and used the same word for both arieto. They danced and sang to the music of drums, reed pipes and wooden gongs at festivities such as the naming of a baby, the wedding of cacique or the inauguration of a new cacique.

Another Taino custom is the flattening of foreheads of newborns. The Taino saw it as a sign of beauty. The newborns heads were bound between two boards to flatten the forehead a few days after the child was born.

The Taino played a game called batos, which was played on a marked field with two teams trying to hit the ball with their hips, knees, heads, elbows and shoulders into their opponent’s goal line, was another custom.

Kalinago

At a son’s birth there was a special ceremony during which the father was cut with agouti teeth and expected to bear the pain without flinching so that his son would grow up to be brave. The boy was periodically rubbed with the fat of slaughtered Tainos so that he might absorb their courage and then he underwent the initiation ceremony, which changed him from a boy to a man, and a warrior. Now he had a new name and was a true Carib.

Another custom was the Kalinago used to decorate their bodies with a dye called roucou. This was made from vegetable dye and oil, which the Kalinagos felt toughened their skins and protected against insect bites.

Another custom was the Kalinagos entertained many guests and when the guests had eaten their fill they were entertained with singing and dancing to the music of drums, reed pipes and whistles. The guests were welcome to stay as long as they liked and when at last they decided to leave they were given gifts and asked to stay longer.

Maya

Maya were broad headed and as soon as a baby was born, squeezing it gently between two boards flattened its head. This gave them a noble air and their heads were then better adapted to carry loads. The Maya were also cross-eyed. This was regarded as a special mark of beauty and distinction. Mothers would hang a ball in front of their children so that they would focus on it and therefore develop cross-eyes.

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