RITES OF PASSAGE

(the strange ones)

by: Daryl Ian Raja S16063 Jason Koh S16302 Nazmie

WHAT IS A RITE OF PASSAGE?

A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. Rites of passage are often ceremonies surrounding events such as other milestones within puberty, coming of age, marriage and death. Some are as an initiation stage. eg: Baptism, Bar Mitzvah

STRANGE RITES OF PASSAGE Vanuatu Land Divers

Naghol , Ngol or land diving is a ritual performed by the men of the southern part of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu Both a harvest ritual and a rite of passage, land diving is now a tourist phenomenon. After the boys are circumcised at the age of around seven to eight, the boys can participate in the ritual. When a boy is ready to become a man, he land dives in the presence of his elders. His mother holds a favourite childhood item. After completing the dive, the item is thrown away, demonstrating that the boy has become a man.

 Vines used arent elastic too long, the diver can hit the ground hard, but if the vine is too short, then the diver can collide with the tower. The diver crosses his arms over his chest to help prevent injury to the arms. The head is tucked in. Right after a dive, other villagers rush in and take care of the diver.

Satere-Mawe Tribe
Bullet ants are used as part of the Satere-Mawes rite of passage. The ants are collected and drugged before being woven into the ritual glove. Boys who are ready for manhood will have to wear the gloves and endure the pain for more than 10 minutes without showing any signs of discomfort. Must be done 20 times to be officially considered a man.

 After-effect: - the hands of the boys will be swollen and numb. -violent spasms which last for days -pain will only totally wear off after 24 hours.

Maasai Warrior Passage

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic tribe in Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Emuratare is a rite of passage for when a Maasai boy become a man or in their terms, a warrior. The night before the ceremony, the boys sleep outside in the forest. They drink a mixture of milk, cows blood, and alcohol and eat piles and piles of meat. After the festivities, boys who are of age (12-16) are circumcised. Once circumcised, they are considered a man or a warrior. As they make their way to where the elders will circumcise them, friends and family members will taunt the boys by saying things like If you flinch, we will disown you.

 The Maasai tribe value bravery and circumcision is a boys first way to prove his courage even in the face of severe pain. It takes about 3 months for the circumcision to fully heal. The Maasai boy is now a warrior and will undergo combat training for the next 10 years. After 10 years, the warrior will undergo another ceremony, Eunoto, that marks the transition from a warrior to a senior warrior.