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The Hain, the main ceremony of the Selk'nam, was celebrated
for last time in XX century.
It was a rite of initiation for boys and an educative
experience based on the belief that in the old days
there was a predominance of women.
The ceremony of the Klóketen or Hain
is the widespread aspect of the cultural life, corresponding
to the ritual of initiation of the young men in the
tribes from a common territory. The boys of between
fourteen and sixteen years were separated of their home
to become Klóketen in the maturity through
the ceremony. The most important and interesting aspect
of the Hain ceremony was the harassment. It became on
the boy by terrorific representations of spirits and
the boy would have to remain full of value. Spirits
were performed by actors dressed in disguise to hide
their identity and create a permanent atmosphere. Somehow
they felt possessed by the spirits they believed to
be supernatural.
The candidates to be recognized like adults and hunters
had to support hard requeriments of dominion on themselves.
Solitary huntings, limitations of movement, expression,
dreaming and feeding. It was exhorted to them to correct
its character.
The social structure Selknam was based in the submission
of the women, for that reason the most important was
the initiation and entrance of the men to a masculine
brotherhood.
The original myth was narrated to them: formerly the
social superiority was into the women hands, directed
by the Moon. They disguised themselves of spirits for
making believe the men that these were endorsing them.
The ceremony finished when young men receive the guanaco
leather belt, the Koschel.
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