Children of the Mother Goddess. History of Mediterranean Neonates - Hygeia Press - Contents

edited by Vassilios Fanos and Murat Yurdakรถk

Children of the Mother Goddess History of Mediterranean Neonates

CHILDREN OF THE MOTHER GODDESS HISTORY OF MEDITERRANEAN NEONATES © 2010 Hygeia Press di Corridori Marinella Via Montecatini, 53 – Quartu Sant'Elena (Cagliari) – Italy www.hygeiapress.com Lyrics by Gian Paolo Donzelli are published by courtesy of the author.

First edition: October 2010 ISBN 9788890438974 Cover picture: Bruno y mami by César Boillos Jimeno Illustrations: all images are vector illustrations by Eleonora Fanos Thanks to Gian Marco Ibba for supervision on illustrations on pages 42, 45, 98, 134, 180 Translation of chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, and revision of the other chapters: David C. Nilson Translation of appendix: Susan Cadby Editing: Marinella Corridori Editorial coordination: Eleonora Fanos Printing and binding: Grafiche Ghiani srl S.S. 131 km 17,450 – Z. I. – Monastir (CA) – Italy

All rights reserved.

All materials are protected by Italian law and by international conventions.

No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Contents

Page

Presentation by Giuseppe Buonocore...................................................................

11

Presentation by Paolo Giliberti.............................................................................

13

Presentation by Gian Paolo Donzelli....................................................................

15

Introduction

Vassilios Fanos, Murat Yurdakök ....................................................

17

1. Birth in Mediterranean Cultures: Searching for the Roots

Luigi Cataldi, M. Giuseppina Gregorio

The Mother Goddess and the evolution of a culture • The sacred marriage of the Goddess: the Mediterranean culture .......................

21

2. Birth in Ancient Anatolia

Murat Yurdakök

12,000 years ago • Neolithic times • Hattians and Hittites • Ottoman times .................................................................................................

3. Birth and Care of the Newborn in Ancient Greece

Vassilios Fanos, Alessandra Atzei, Marinella Corridori

Childbirth • Rituals following birth • Breastfeeding • Abandonment and infanticide • Parents' attachment to their children .....................

4. Extraordinary Births in the Gods' Delivery Room

Vassilios Fanos, Thamianos Fanos, Marinella Corridori

The birth of Athena from Zeus's head • The birth of Dionysus from Zeus's thigh • Aphrodite's birth from Uranus's member • The birth of Agdistis and Erichthonius from the Earth • When the mothers are those who engender .........................................................................

5. The Newborn and the Child in Magna Graecia

Giovanni Corsello

History • Philosophy, science, myth and religion • Play • Nutrition.....................................................................................

27

37

51

63

8

Contents

6. Birth and Care of the Newborn in Ancient Rome

Marinella Corridori, Vassilios Fanos

The reproductive role of the woman • Midwives • Illustrations of childbirth • Factors considered important for childbirth: girdles and knots • Divinities and childbirth • Childbirth and the first treatments of the newborn • Neonatal mortality • Recognition of the neonate • The abandonment (or exposure) of the newborn • The neonate's bath, swaddling clothes and crib • Breastfeeding • The name .........

71

7. Fertility Rites

Italo Farnetani, Vassilios Fanos, Marinella Corridori

Ethnobiology of reproduction • Fertility rites • The power of light ..................................................................................................

89

8. History of Breastfeeding

Marcella Testa, Kyriakì Tsotra

The Egyptians • The Greeks • The Etruscans and Italic peoples • The Romans • Conclusions ..............................................................

97

9. History of Adoption

Francesco Tregnaghi

Adoption in Babylon • The Old Testament • Ancient Egypt • Ancient Greece • Ancient Rome • The Middle Ages • The French Revolution • Modern times: France and Italy ..................................

109

10. Neonatal Medicine in Ancient Art

Murat Yurdakök

Breastfeeding • The first neonatologists • Caesarean birth • The fetus • Congenital anomalies • Twins • Circumcision .....................

119

11. Birth Defects through History

Luigi Memo, Matteo Della Monica, Roberto Mauri, Alice Vuoso-Mauri

Ancient Egypt • The Middle East • Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds • The Middle Ages and the Renaissance • 16th to 18th Centuries • Victorian Curiosity • Eugenics and the Nazi madness • Current Perspectives • Conclusions .................................................

12. "Extraordinary Birth". History of the Caesarean Section in the Western World

Nadia Maria Filippini

The birth of gods and heroes • The post mortem caesarean • The 18th-century revolution: Gian Battista Bianchi and Francesco Emanuele Cangiamila • The caesarean section on living women .......................................................................................

133

147

Contents

9

13. Myths about Childbirth

Amélia Ricon-Ferraz, Hercília Guimarães, Cristina Areias, Teresa Tomé

Pregnancy • Childbirth • Puerperium • The newborn ......................

163

14. Childhood Protection: Amulets and Talismans

M. Giuseppina Gregorio, Luigi Cataldi

Amulets • Talismans • The amulet as a jewel • Nowadays • Conclusions ......................................................................................

175

15. The Past and Future of European Newborns

Hercília Guimarães, Amélia Ricon-Ferraz, Cristina Areias, Teresa Tomé

Looking to the past • What about the future? • Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) • Neonatal end-of-life decisions and palliative care • UENPS (Union of European Neonatal & Perinatal Societies) and EFCNI (European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants) • Neonatal mortality and morbidity • The near future ........................

187

Appendix. Birth (Lyrics)

Gian Paolo Donzelli

Choice • Essence • Premonition • Expectation • Labour • Birth • Life • Breastfeeding .........................................................................

203

References ............................................................................................................

207

List of authors.......................................................................................................

219