The Rite of Passage: Hamar Tribe in Ethiopia

<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The Hamar also called the Hamer tribe from Africa do their own unique rite of passage. They inhabit the territory east of the Omo River and have villages in Turmi and Dimeka.<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The timing of their ritual usually is done after the harvest and parents of the young man determine at what age the young man will do the rite of passage which is cow jumping.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> If a young man is disabled he will be helped by others in completing the traditional ceremony.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> For the young man, the ceremony means a lot. It means he can finally have control of his life. He can get married and have children and can own goats and also cattle. </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRNvy0SImyU/U3S6kq6ZwcI/AAAAAAAABAM/LY9V0pAszGg/s1600/cowa.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRNvy0SImyU/U3S6kq6ZwcI/AAAAAAAABAM/LY9V0pAszGg/s1600/cowa.PNG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The preparation of a young man involves half shaving his head and cleansing himself from impurity. The young man has to scrub sand on his body then splatter it on his body with poop supposedly to give him strength. Then the bulls have their backs splattered with poop making the tasks almost impossible to do because of its slippery texture. If a young man will fail in cow jumping, he is considered shamed, but he can try to jump again until he can complete the task of jumping four times of the line between 10 to 30 bulls.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Once the cow jumping is completed by the young man, he can now go with maza (men that already did their ritual) and they have to shave his head completely. </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> The sisters of the young man undergoing the ritual have to subject themselves to whipping with cane and thorns by the maza. This way, the young man is considered indebted to them. He is required to help them if ever his sisters face difficulties in the future. For women, whipping is a way of showing their strength, maturity and devotion to men in the tribe.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-rQKO6FCMM/U3S6knOCEeI/AAAAAAAABAI/Vopgw8fNnr8/s1600/snip.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-rQKO6FCMM/U3S6knOCEeI/AAAAAAAABAI/Vopgw8fNnr8/s1600/snip.PNG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> Drinking and dancing (evangadi) will also follow in the night time and girls can now flirt with men they like by kicking his knee. </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Note:</b></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> In marriage, the man has to give 30 goats, 20 heads of cattle and guns as a dowry to the bride’s family. A married man can beat his wife whenever he wants to and he does not have to explain the reason behind the beatings. Neighbours are allowed to intervene only when they think the beating is too much. Once the wife has 3 children the man must stop beating his wife. </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div>

news places story The Rite of Passage: Hamar Tribe in Ethiopia

The Hamar also called the Hamer tribe from Africa do their own unique rite of passage. They inhabit the territory east of the Omo River...

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Happy Mother's Day, If you would...

<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">Do you love your mom? Most of us will probably answer yes of course. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The truth is...it</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> is easy to say “</span><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> love my </span><span style="font-size: medium;">M</span><span style="font-size: medium;">om” in words but </span><span style="font-size: medium;">not</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> in action.</span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">When your mom is too old to care for herself will you </span><span style="font-size: medium;">still </span><span style="font-size: medium;">love your mom enough to care for her? </span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Or</b></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>b</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>ecause mom is old would you...</b></span></div> <ul> <li><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> “<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>T</b><b>hrow Momma from the train?” </b>just like this movie? </span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhSK5EBuhb0/U3AEnn9EmjI/AAAAAAAAA_o/TLNo2BEgFLs/s1600/train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yhSK5EBuhb0/U3AEnn9EmjI/AAAAAAAAA_o/TLNo2BEgFLs/s1600/train.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> </div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">In this movie mom is old, so crabby, impatient and always put Owen (son) down all the time until he wanted mama dead. </span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> </div> </li> <li><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>B</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>ring your mom to the woods hoping she can't find her way back to your house?</b></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bEFt3zYFZlU/U3ABzFxME3I/AAAAAAAAA_A/ewis4UnwHH0/s1600/forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bEFt3zYFZlU/U3ABzFxME3I/AAAAAAAAA_A/ewis4UnwHH0/s1600/forest.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> <br /> </li> <li><div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>P</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>ut your mom </b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>o</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>n </b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>an</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> iceberg and let her float away to die? </b></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eXdxgtRYMvM/U3ABAoZqpbI/AAAAAAAAA-0/AiK9tmUd5EY/s1600/ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eXdxgtRYMvM/U3ABAoZqpbI/AAAAAAAAA-0/AiK9tmUd5EY/s1600/ice.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div> <br /> </li> <li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">E</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ncourage your mom to sign a paper for euth</span><span style="font-size: medium;">a</span><span style="font-size: medium;">n</span><span style="font-size: medium;">a</span><span style="font-size: medium;">sia </span><span style="font-size: medium;">or overdose her medication</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">to end her </span><span style="font-size: medium;">life as soon as possible</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">because mom is intolerable and burdensome?</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sR2yydYAYhM/U3ACcWqA7eI/AAAAAAAAA_I/IK8NBch-1sg/s1600/med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sR2yydYAYhM/U3ACcWqA7eI/AAAAAAAAA_I/IK8NBch-1sg/s1600/med.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> </li> </ul> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <ul> <li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">P</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ut your mom in a cage with your pets?</span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ul1nMA6arI/U3AEhH-xiuI/AAAAAAAAA_g/DViEaedDhXg/s1600/fenc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ul1nMA6arI/U3AEhH-xiuI/AAAAAAAAA_g/DViEaedDhXg/s1600/fenc.jpg" width="196" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> </li> </ul> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">          <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Some family from the third world whose </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">mother has alzheimer </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">would </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">put their</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> mom</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in  cage so she will not wander away.</span></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <ul> <li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ake care of your mom but would wash her once a year or change her diaper </span><span style="font-size: medium;">once in a while?</span></b></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WYs7dl8fHYs/U2_9pFcxwiI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/zGQ2hCiFljo/s1600/tara.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WYs7dl8fHYs/U2_9pFcxwiI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/zGQ2hCiFljo/s1600/tara.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara Dawn Smith </td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A woman from Georgia </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">was jailed for neglecting her mom's needs. Police say </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">she </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">hadn’t bathed her mother for months and forced her to lay in bed while her diaper was soiled. </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Her mom was packed with feces </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and as a result</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> ha</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">d</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> 2 bedsores on her hips and ha</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">d</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> infect</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ed down to </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">her bones.</span></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> </li> <li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">P</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ut her in </span><span style="font-size: medium;">an</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> institution a</span><span style="font-size: medium;">nd visit her again </span><span style="font-size: medium;">if you can remember?</span></b></div> </li> </ul> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OY6mWyqoCcU/U3AHWtHudPI/AAAAAAAAA_0/1juAJziFt4Q/s1600/pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OY6mWyqoCcU/U3AHWtHudPI/AAAAAAAAA_0/1juAJziFt4Q/s1600/pic.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <ul> <li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">O</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ffer mama to your god (cult)?</span></b></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3T_q5T6Hrc/U2_9pA29eeI/AAAAAAAAA-U/xV5Ovfb0R74/s1600/p.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3T_q5T6Hrc/U2_9pA29eeI/AAAAAAAAA-U/xV5Ovfb0R74/s1600/p.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The brothers that killed their mom</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Th</span></span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is h</span></span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">appened in Ampatuan, Philippines, t</span></span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">hree sons </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">butchered their </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">own</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">mom or </span></span><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">nanay</span></span></span></i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (na.nigh) </span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">with </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">a </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">machete and </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">feasted</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">on </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">he</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">r ...</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">in an apparent ritualistic </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">killing. They said their mom was po</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ses</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">s</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ed and they </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">were </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">just  trying to </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">drive away </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the bad spirit that possessed </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">her</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span></span> </div> </li> </ul> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">A mom's love:</span></b></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can do a lot of bad things to your mom when they are helpless but one thing I am sure, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">a</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">s long as your mom is able, she will care for you until she can no longer.</span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N-wWy0fTbxQ/U2_9pLHoAmI/AAAAAAAAA-c/8v8_YYpGrsw/s1600/mom+97.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N-wWy0fTbxQ/U2_9pLHoAmI/AAAAAAAAA-c/8v8_YYpGrsw/s1600/mom+97.PNG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is Zhang </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">in 2011</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(97 </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">yo</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">) </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">feeding her invalid son in their home in Bozhou, Anhui province, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">China.</span></span></div> <div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <dl><dd style="font-weight: normal;"></dd><dd><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A song for every mom:</b></span></dd> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tap90z44WR8" width="550"></iframe> <dd></dd><dd style="font-weight: normal;"></dd><dd style="font-weight: normal;"></dd></dl> <span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">To all Maa, mami, Māma, Maman, Mamai, Em, Ima, Mā̃,Nanay, Mẹ, Mom, Mum Happy mother’s day!</span></i></span><br /> <ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <b>Thank you for everything mom...</b></div> </ul>

love news places story Happy Mother's Day, If you would...

Do you love your mom? Most of us will probably answer yes of course. The truth is...it is easy to say “ I love my M om” in words but no...

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The Rite of Passage, Madudjara Aborigines in Australia

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-58_ZgNHjQpc/U2zG6C26mRI/AAAAAAAAA9w/W42Gm9-GM6Q/s1600/aust1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-58_ZgNHjQpc/U2zG6C26mRI/AAAAAAAAA9w/W42Gm9-GM6Q/s1600/aust1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The traditional rite of passage from boyhood to manhood of the Mardudjara aborigines (Australia) consists of two parts: circumcision and sub-incision. </span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /> </div> <span style="font-size: medium;">The aborigine boy will have to learn the ceremonial language <i>dami</i><i>n or </i><span style="font-style: normal;">d</span><span style="font-style: normal;">e</span><span style="font-style: normal;">miin</span><i> </i><i>(</i><span style="font-style: normal;">not dammit</span><span style="font-style: normal;">)</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span style="font-style: normal;">before the </span><span style="font-style: normal;">ritual</span><span style="font-style: normal;">. </span></span> <br /> <div style="font-style: normal;"> <br /><br /> </div> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">W</span><span style="font-style: normal;">omen will </span><span style="font-style: normal;">not </span><span style="font-style: normal;">be allowed near the holy spot. Any wom</span><span style="font-style: normal;">a</span><span style="font-style: normal;">n found eavesdropping will be killed at once.</span></span><br /> <div style="font-style: normal;"> <br /><br /> </div> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Circumcision:</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">When an aborigine boy is between 15 or 16, the tribal elders will bring the boy to the holy spot to be circumcised. The boy has to lie down near a fire while members sing and danced for him. There will be another group of men called the mourners that wail and cry while the this ritual is performed. While the boy lays down for the circumcision, they have to put a boomerang between his teeth and he has to keep it there while undergoing the operation. The tribal elder sits on top of the boy's chest. The elder facing the boy’s penis will pull up the foreskin and then twists it to make sure it can be cut off. Two men take turns cutting away the foreskin with knives and will keep the foreskin for later use.</span><br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HY3UCezNvrs/U2zG9vfBW6I/AAAAAAAAA94/G1YbtR1z2kI/s1600/aust8.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HY3UCezNvrs/U2zG9vfBW6I/AAAAAAAAA94/G1YbtR1z2kI/s1600/aust8.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mourners</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">When the circumcision is complete the boy kneels on a shield that’s put over the fire to purify his wound.</span><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Then here comes the yucky part... </span><span style="font-size: medium;">While the boy sits </span><span style="font-size: medium;">with of course intense</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> pain the tribal elders tell him to open his mouth and swallow some “good meat” without chewing it. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The good meat they will be referring </span><span style="font-size: medium;">to</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> is the boy's own foreskin</span><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">He will be told he has eaten 'his own boy’, </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: medium;">it will now grow inside him and make him </span><span style="font-size: medium;">a</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> strong </span><span style="font-size: medium;">man</span><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The sub-incision:</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">A few months after the circumcision the sub-incision will follow. The tribal elders again will take the young man in the holy spot. The young man has to lie down near a fire. There will be singers and men mourning at the ceremony. Then the elder sits on the boy’s chest and this time he will take hold of the boy’s penis not the foreskin. The small wooden rod will be inserted into the urethra to act as a backing for the knife. An elder with the use of a knife will make a split on the underside of the penis from the frenulum to near the scrotum.</span><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">After the sub-incision the young man will stand above the fire and will let his blood to drip into the fire. It is said that the blood letting will be repeated through out adult life.</span><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">With the sub-incision the young man will have to squat when he urinates just like a woman.</span><br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Note:</b></span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Some anthropologists believe that the sub-incision ceremony is done to simulate menstruation of a woman and by doing so the male can sympathize with the women in the group. </span> <br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">However, others believe that the sub-incision was done as a form of birth control as it is difficult to sustain large number of people in the group with minimal subsistence. </span><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">With sub-incision, the ability to impregnate will be decreased. </span> <br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">This ritual is no longer practiced. Do not attempt!</span><br />

health history news places story The Rite of Passage, Madudjara Aborigines in Australia

The traditional rite of passage from boyhood to manhood of the Mardudjara aborigines (Australia) consists of two parts: circumcision...

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A Rite of Passage, Becoming a Man in the Philippines

<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">For most boys summer is the fun time but not for many boys from the Philippines. Every summer, young boys have to do the traditional rite of passage called "pukpok". Not being circumcised is maddening as they will be teased forever by their peers as  “supot”, a paper bag. So boys will choose to suffer the pain of circumcision this way rather than be called paper bag. Sometimes, boys are also called "pisot" or "pakang" when not circumcised.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The rite of passage which is circumcision is scary and looks painful but since this signifies manliness boys have to endure the pain. </span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-zk3pTBpFQ/U2KaKdXWQHI/AAAAAAAAA9I/JI20lnCAKn8/s1600/pain.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-zk3pTBpFQ/U2KaKdXWQHI/AAAAAAAAA9I/JI20lnCAKn8/s1600/pain.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ouch!</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">At the age of eight years old the boys can participate in this ritual.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The ritual has to be done near the river so before and after the ritual the boys can jump in the river to clean themselves. The man that will do the circumcision will prepare a piece of wood and a machete. </span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aseNAvu6UnM/U2KaKmUGz2I/AAAAAAAAA9g/tuo2jT3SeyQ/s1600/wood.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aseNAvu6UnM/U2KaKmUGz2I/AAAAAAAAA9g/tuo2jT3SeyQ/s1600/wood.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Insert foreskin here!</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The boys will be required to chew some kind of leaves (guava leaves) which have healing properties and will stop wounds from bleeding and being infected. The quack doctor that perform the ritual will require the boy to chew the guava leaves before the circumcision. </span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffwci2cEyNE/U2KaJzdmRZI/AAAAAAAAA9A/Ow5UIXS4UTI/s1600/guava+leaves.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffwci2cEyNE/U2KaJzdmRZI/AAAAAAAAA9A/Ow5UIXS4UTI/s1600/guava+leaves.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guava leaves to prevent infection</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The procedure:</b></span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The boys have to swim in the water first to help not feel the pain then the piece of wood will be inserted to the foreskin. The quack doctor then partially slices the foreskin with his knife or machete. Then when the foreskin is cut the boy has to spit out the chewed leaves and the quack doctor is going to spread it on the wound. </span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvPabrJbVzQ/U2KaLNM-O2I/AAAAAAAAA9U/uTCumvbaZe0/s1600/LEAF.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvPabrJbVzQ/U2KaLNM-O2I/AAAAAAAAA9U/uTCumvbaZe0/s1600/LEAF.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chewed leaves for the surgery</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The quack doctor is going to use cloth to wrap around the wound to keep the leaves there. Later the boy will soak himself again in the river to clean and help stop the bleeding. The boys will be required to use a loose shirt or better yet his mom’s dress for the thing to heal faster. </span><br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7stNRdmdyYA/U6Q0TNsRFNI/AAAAAAAABDk/_qmi8BRnhLw/s1600/tuli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7stNRdmdyYA/U6Q0TNsRFNI/AAAAAAAABDk/_qmi8BRnhLw/s1600/tuli.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div> <span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes boys will just keep the guava leaves from the surgery without soaking again in the river.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sUiq_3fHA8M/U2KaJ3uOEOI/AAAAAAAAA9E/81GtFxJyR48/s1600/SOAK.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sUiq_3fHA8M/U2KaJ3uOEOI/AAAAAAAAA9E/81GtFxJyR48/s1600/SOAK.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys soaking cleaning themselves in the river</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /></div> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Note:</b></span> <br /> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">If you are a cross dresser or gay with no plan to be circumcised, do not pass near where they do the ritual, some will taunt and tease and drag you to the piece of wood to be circumcised. </span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Belief:</b></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">People believe that when you are not circumcised you will not grow properly and you have stinkiness. When you make love with your partner you will pass your stinkiness to her. Also, when you have a child your child’s’ eyes will always have eye weeds and your child will be stinky and short just like you.</span></div>

health news places skin story A Rite of Passage, Becoming a Man in the Philippines

For most boys summer is the fun time but not for many boys from the Philippines. Every summer, young boys have to do the traditional rite...

Read more »