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Birth

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:04 am
by Titus Iulius Nero
I remember earlier today that when I was reading the book "Pandora" by Anne Rice, she mentioned a part that when the character was born (I believe it was the Imperial Era), her father performed a ritual mourning because she was a girl and not a boy.

I was wondering, in regard to birth and newborns in the Roman world, if there was any ritual or rites that were performed in particular as attested to in Rice's book?

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:39 pm
by Quintus Aurelius Orcus
Salve

Well I suppose that could be true since a girl meant that the family name stops with her unless a second child was born, who was a boy. In any way, I suppose the Romans did a similar ritual like the Greeks for every newborn child; a ritual was performed called a Amphidromia, a ritual to welcome the child into the world. On the 10th day, the Dekate ritual was held to give the baby its name.
When a child is born, this is accompanied by rituals. The first one being a ritual cry when it is born and a thank offering to the goddes(s) who have helped during the childbirth. This was what the Greeks did. Perhaps it was similar for the Romans, but I'm not sure.
vale

Quintus

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:06 pm
by Publius Nonius Severus
I can't find any sources that involve a ritual similar to the one described in the book.

The only rituals or invocations involving birth of any type I can find are a reference in Plautus and others that a mother in labor would invoke Juno Lucina to help her deliver the baby. Also as noted by Orcus, the romans had a similar rite that on the eigth or ninth day depending on whether the child was a girl or boy, called the dies lustricus, the child was named and sacrifices and feasts were made.

By all accounts, such a "mourning" ritual would have been unencesary I think. If the father was unhappy about having a girl and was paterfamilias and did not want to rear the child, after birth he could ordered the child to be put to death by exposure.

Baby Romans

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:56 pm
by Aldus Marius
Salvete, amici Romani!

I seem to recall there also being a practice of setting the newborn down on the floor; if the father picked it up, it was acknowledged as part of the family; if not, it was left on a stranger's doorstep or exposed. Does this ring any bells?

* teeters on the brink of something big *

(Per Deos Immortales...I've made my one thousandth post.)

PostPosted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:27 pm
by Titus Iulius Nero
Salve,

I seem to recall there also being a practice of setting the newborn down on the floor; if the father picked it up, it was acknowledged as part of the family; if not, it was left on a stranger's doorstep or exposed. Does this ring any bells?


It does sound familiar :D

In Pax Deorum,
Iulius Nero