Birth,%20Coming%20of%20Age%20and%20Death

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Birth,Coming of AgeandDeath
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Birth

• Times of great uncertainty and danger
• Juno Lucina (Juno as goddess of light)
• Brought safely into the light
• Re-read primary source 6 names and functions
• At least 20 minor numina
• After birth
• Series of rituals to ensure continued protection
  of mother and child

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Birth

• A sacred meal
• Two guardians of little children
• Picumnus and Pilumnus
• At night 3 men
• Hold axe, stake and broom
• Axe and stake strike threshold while third swept
  floor with broom
• Represent 3 numina
• Intercidona
• Pilumnus
• Deverra

4
Birth

• Child laid on ground
• Receive numen from earth
• Father has choice to reject/accept child
• Exposed
• Picked up
• Placed in cradle protected by goddess Cunina

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Birth

• Couch placed in main room of house
• Juno Lucinia girl Hercules boy
• 8th day (girl) 9th day (boy)
• Good chance of survival couch removed
• Infant purified and given name with goddess
  Nundina presiding
• Friends brought presents and good luck charms
  (bulla) put around neck

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Birth

• Bulla made of gold if parents could afford it
  or leather poorer families
• Worn until adulthood
• girl married / boy came of age

• During next few years
• Edulia and Potina eat and drink
• Statilinus help stand
• Adeona and Abeona first steps

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Brainstorm!

• Think about all the ceremonies and rituals that
  surround pregnancy, birth and childhood in
  todays society
• What is the importance of these rituals?

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Coming of Age for Boys

• Young men marry around 21
• Manhood 14-17 years old
• Established that man reached puberty
• Dedicate bulla and toys
• Put aside purple edged toga
• Put on plain white toga of men
• Make offering to Jupiter on Capitoline Hill
• Enrol as citizen

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Rites of Dead

• After life was vague
• Spirits of dead continued to take interest in the
  living
• Ancestors could be helpful if looked after
• Jealous spirits that could harm
• Festivals of the dead Parentalia and Lemuria
• Precautionary
• When member of family died rituals carried out
  carefully guard living and dead

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Rites of Dead

• Funerals of rich more elaborate
• more people attend
• Cypress branches hung at doors to indicate body
  inside
• Funeral procession led by flute player
• Professional mourners make as much noise as
  possible
• Body carried on funeral couch
• Wax masks
• Great families large number of these
• Worn by men in procession

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Rites of Dead

• Procession through forum
• Eulogy praising dead man and reminding spectators

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TASK

• Read through and complete the work sheet, drawing
  a picture to correspond to each step.