Tattoo parlors can now be found in any area of the city, but this does not mean that the drawings on the body were in fashion years ago. Once tattoos were not considered to be a decoration, but they testified on the status of a person, his role in the tribe or even the status of a criminal. Each tradition has a deep meaning and history of origin.
Customs, torn from the cultural context, may seem unnecessary and even silly. Here are some of the strangest rituals that accompany people from birth to death.
Birth
Perhaps the most curious customs associated with birth, can be seen among the Muslims in the Indian state of Maharashtra. A tradition exists there of throwing a newborn from 15-meter wall of the temple. Those who faithfully observe this ritual for half a millennium believe that this is a way to improve the health of the child, give him/her good luck in the future, and make the baby intelligent and brave. Children, of course, do not hit the ground: they are caught by a large piece of stretch fabric.
Marriage
In Scotland, there is a custom of “blackening the bride”: just before the wedding the bride is covered with such unpleasant substances, like rotten eggs, sauces, syrup, flour, etc.The tradition varies from region to region, but mostly the bride is covered with something sticky and smelly. Later the bride is driven around the city and then tied to a tree or lamppost. This rather unusual tradition is well-known symbol of spreading happiness and life-long devotion to the family ties.
Food Festival Cuts
If you want to see something dangerous, it is worth going to the Phuket Vegetarian Festival. There you can taste various unusual delicacies, but it is not sweets that are prepared for you “for dessert” as the festival offers something more outrageous. Every year in September or October, the inhabitants of the island do not eat meat for nine days. In addition, people observe the incredible masochistic ritual: both sexes pierce their cheeks with spears, knives and other sharp objects. It is believed that the gods will protect those who are doing it from the pain and suffering. It’s hard to believe in this, especially taking into consideration that the scars remain on the faces of casualties after the festival and sometimes possibly for lifetime.
Death
Very few people have the chance to witness this strange rite of unusual character. At Ganden monastery in Tibet there was a custom to dissect the body and place it on top of the mountain. In a sense, any funeral – always a waste of time and money: people buy beautiful coffins, carefully choose the location where to place the remains (up to sending the ashes into orbit), a staff of experts are working hard on the body after death for the person to look well during the ceremony and then try to avoid all the inconveniences that will be caused later on.
And since the majority of Tibetans followed the Buddhist tradition, then, by giving their body to predators, they tried to offer the “unneeded” body to vultures. When Chinese rules have been introduced in this area, such burials were considered to be illegal, but starting from 1980 it is still possible to observe this custom, carried out with the permission of the family.
Fire Purification
Self-immolation is, of course, mostly the practice of religious fanatics and complete madmen or sometimes this is a topic for a TV shows. Nevertheless, since ancient times the fire was a symbol of purification. No religion requires its followers to burn themselves, but sometimes customs encourage walking bare feet on hot coals. Monks, priests and laity in the Shinto and Buddhist temples in Japan are doing this in order to achieve absolute purity, overcome their fears and get energized at the same time. Such “walking on coals” is practiced in North Africa, Haiti, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and even in Bulgaria. The purification seems to be guaranteed. But do you think it’s worth it?
Fertility
Shinto Hounen Matsuri Festival in Japan is known as the largest festival of fertility. On March 15 volunteers are vying for the opportunity to carry a 25-pound wooden phallus through the city. According to legend, the penis of two and a half meters can bestow fertility and increase the birth rate among local residents. The symbolic meaning of the festival is the once problem of Japan of the fertility. They were having a harsh time of the community development and survival.
Blood
In different parts of the world people drink real blood. Before we judge this tradition, remember that all Christians believe in turning wine into blood, and then take it during the Eucharist communion. But we are not able to understand the custom of the Maasai warriors in Kenya who cut the veins of the cows and drink the blood slashing from the wound, mixing it with milk. The symbolic meaning of the tradition that it helps you do a better hunting and to keep you family full while the season of survival.
Initiation
In the category, for the right to receive the title of the strangest custom were competing the traditions of tribes in Papua New Guinea, Australian Aborigines and the street gangs of New York. However, the palm went to ethnic Sateré Mawé from the shores of the Amazon with their gloves.
What harm can cause gloves? Great if you fill them with giant biting ants. Any movement of the hand will inevitably lead to a fresh bite. Boys wanting to become men should wear these gloves for 30 minutes, 25 times in a row, more than half a day continuously receiving all the new portions of the ant venom. After such a pain only one can be considered a full member of the tribe. Well, interesting way of status receiving.
the MOST destructively bizarre un natural ritual of all time forced on living humans is none other than the psychotically delusional mind bogglingly irrational genital mutilations .yes that is the real truth and all the other stuff is not half as crazy and not one hundredths less dehumanizing and destructive as cutting ones most pleasurable anatomical structures. my god are we crazy and blind