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Custom in some societies where a man behaves as if he were about to give birth when his child is being born – including feeling or appearing to feel real pain. It has been observed since antiquity in many cultures and may have begun either as a magic ritual or as a way of asserting paternity. The custom existed in ancient Europe among the Corsicans and the Basques. It is still found in the Guiana area of South America, Tibet, New Guinea, and some parts of India.