>>11891685>in basically every traditional culture a newborn is checked by the relevant family members and either accepted into the family or left to die of exposure. in germanic culture this meant giving the newborn a name and a naming gift, synonymous with acceptance (cannot be taken back). the exposure thing is important because there is such a thing as 'foundlings' which anglosaxon law directly addressed. they are children left to die found by another and raised.Did not know this so I just read some more on it. Very interesting and practical solution, even moral in some respects with Christianity.
Only thing though is who cleans up dead babies? Imagine going to expose your baby but you see one left over from yesterday, half eaten and rotting. That would disgust me and I would change my mind and try to raise him/her even if I couldn't. Although I heard most babies were taken in by couple who couldn't make children anymore (old, widowed, infertile) or by monasteries, or by the state, raised to be either a lord's servant or a soldier. Or raised by wolves I guess. But many I'm sure died, and if you saw one wouldn't that change your mind since the whole morality of exposure relies on uncertainty and leaving him/her to fate, not necessarily certain death?
