The Nomadic Alternative – Page 257

And, as I said of the Quashgai, the weaned child is often given a baby animal to play with, just as our children play with soft toys.

In terms of attachment behaviour, what happens? The bond between mother and child suffers an early rupture. The arrival of a new born brother or sister in his mother's arms provokes his jealousy and works towards later tensions. The child compensates for its mother's warm presence by deflecting his attachment behaviour onto soft baby animals, and this determines a pattern which persists in later life.

Intense emotional attachment to animals is inseparable to the whole nomadic ethos, but the love of herds is purchased at the expense of love towards the neighbour. Nomad history is racked with the quarrels of brothers. Firstborn and favourite wrangle over their share in the birthright, and failing to agree among themselves, agree to attack the outsider. The origin of the raid, as well as the nomad's passion for increase, must be sought in the strata of childhood experience.

Once little boys reach the exploring stage, they come under the guidance and the discipline of their fathers. Until the age of three or four, the boys are allowed to do much as they please. Thereafter they can understand the meaning of punishment and the punishments are severe. Fathers depute their sons to tend a few sheep or goats on pain of a beating for allowing them to stray. They are brainwashed into calculating the value of human life in terms of so many animal lives. The Grand Historian of China knew quite well how the Hunnish cavalry acquired its deadly efficiency. "The little boys start out by learning to ride sheep and goats and shoot birds and rats with a bow and arrow, and when they get a little older they shoot foxes and hares which are used for food." Familiarity with the saddle may lead to bowed legs but also to superlative horsemanship.

Let us now see what happens in conditions of surplus and settlement. The social conventions of most settlers prevent a mother giving her undivided attention to her child during the first three years of its life. To cart it about and breast-feed it for three whole years, almost every mother would think an unwarrantable [illegible].