BIRTH
After marriage the women usually bear a child within 2-3 years. During pregnancy women follow certain rules such as not eating honey, meat of a monitor lizard or turtle. It is believed these are heat generating foods which will harm the baby. The prospective mother does not accept any food from outsiders as well. She cannot decorate her face or body with ood (grey clay). During the later stages of pregnancy the women are moved to the temporary hut at one side of the chadda. Wooden floor is covered with salai patti for giving birth. Only other women and the husband are allowed near the mother during delivery.
After the baby is born it is cleaned with leaves and is traditionally given a drop of pig fat in its mouth by an elderly lady. This custom is called echo-hobo. After birth the parents name the child based on some natural object, but the babies are usually called nonoa until the age of two and half years. They receive their adult name after their coming of age ceremony.
" when you take a man from his land, you take his spirit."
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