Twenty-first Day of Advent

Little Chapel, The Huron Carol

The little girl here is pictured with a cradle board, or baby carrier.  During the day an infant would be wrapped in furs and secured to the cradle board, which stood up on the floor of the lodge inside, or outside was carried on the mother's back or carried in front.  "Wrapped in furs, the babies were carried in cradleboards filled with soft warm down from bullrushes."

This I was pleased to read from several sources, "With their great sense of dignity, the Huron Wendat felt it was wrong to coerce or publicly humiliate anyone, especially a child.  Physical punishment was never used as a discipline." (Sainte Marie Among the Hurons)

"...and even those who were at a distance of more than two days journey met at a given place to sing hymns in honour of the new-born child.."  The Jesuit Relations, 1642

Huron Cradleboard, The Huron Carol