▁to ▁assume ▁this ▁role . ▁Selected ▁male ▁children ▁are ▁taken ▁from ▁birth ▁and ▁put ▁in ▁a ▁dark ▁cave ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁nine ▁years ▁of ▁their ▁lives ▁to ▁begin ▁this ▁training . ▁In ▁the ▁cave , ▁elder ▁M amos ▁and ▁the ▁child ' s ▁mother ▁care ▁for , ▁feed , ▁train , ▁and ▁teach ▁the ▁child ▁to ▁att une ▁to ▁" Al una " ▁before ▁the ▁boy ▁enters ▁the ▁outside ▁world . ▁▁ ▁Through ▁deep ▁concentration , ▁symbol ic ▁offer ings , ▁and ▁div ination , ▁the ▁M amos ▁believe ▁they ▁support ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁harm ony ▁and ▁cre ativity ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁in ▁this ▁real m ▁that ▁the ▁ess ence ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁is ▁n urt ured : ▁se eds ▁are ▁bl essed ▁in ▁Al una ▁before ▁being ▁plant ed , ▁to ▁ensure ▁they ▁grow ▁successfully ; ▁marriage ▁is ▁bl essed ▁to ▁ensure ▁fert ility ; ▁and ▁cer emon ies ▁are ▁offered ▁to ▁the ▁different ▁spirits ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁world ▁before ▁performing ▁tasks ▁such ▁as ▁har vest ▁and ▁building ▁of ▁new ▁h uts . ▁ ▁The ▁K og i ▁M amos ▁have ▁remained ▁isolated ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁since ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Con qu ist adors ▁came ▁to ▁pl under ▁South ▁America ▁for ▁gold . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁preserve ▁their ▁traditional ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁they ▁rarely ▁interact ▁with ▁the ▁modern ▁world ▁or ▁with ▁outside ▁civil ization . ▁Out s iders ▁are ▁not ▁allowed ▁inside ▁their ▁ancest ral ▁lands . ▁ ▁The ▁K og i ▁M amos