Medical experts will tell you that a boy is biologically considered a man when some parts of his body are already fully developed.
However, there are those who strongly believe that a man can only be called a real man if he possesses certain traits such as bravery, dignity, and accountability.
In some parts of the world, becoming a real man is actually very simple. All he needs to do is participate in a certain initiation ritual, even if it means undergoing extreme physical and psychological pain.
Extreme Penis Modification (Australia)
In order for the boys of the Unambal tribe to be called real men, they need to suffer extreme physical pain first. Elder members of the tribe cut the skin of the boys in various areas of their bodies like their buttocks, chest, arms, and shoulders. Before the wounds can heal, they fill them with sand. This is deliberately done so that the wounds would produce decorative scars once they have completely healed.
Just like Filipino boys, young Unambal initiates are also required to undergo circumcision. However, the ritual does not end there. Once the boys develop beards, they are required to undergo subincision, a medical procedure in which the underside of the penis is cut open from the base to the pee hole. The Unambal tribe believes that performing this seemingly torturous ritual will make their penises more attractive and lighter.
Ceremonial Dog Killing (Russia)
Archaeologists have recently discovered that Early Russian tribes required their young men to kill their own dogs. By doing so, these young boys became real men—worthy to become members of their tribe’s roving warriors. Further investigation showed that the dogs that were sacrificed were between the ages of 7 and 12. This finding simply means that the canines were not chosen randomly. Instead, they were the pets of the young boys!
So what’s the logic behind this brutal ritual? In order for the young boys to be transformed into brave ruthless warriors, they need to be stripped of their innocence first, and the best way to do that was by murdering someone they loved.
Blood Purification (Papua New Guinea)
The Matausa tribe of Papua New Guinea considers women’s blood to be unclean or impure. They strongly believe that in order for their boys to become real men, they need to be purified from the unclean influences given to them by their mothers.
Elders begin the blood purification ritual by sliding two canes into the throats of the young initiates, causing them to vomit blood. Next, the elders insert reeds into their nostrils, causing them to expel both blood and mucus. Ramming the reeds back and forth is believed to cleanse them from the impure influences they might have breathed from the air. Finally, the elders repeatedly stab their tongues using an arrow-like tool, letting out contaminating influences they have received from their mothers. After completing this excruciatingly painful ceremony, the young initiates return to their community as real men.
Blood purification among the Matausas is such an important and secret rite of passage, that not all tribe members have witnessed it. Men who do not participate in this extremely painful ceremony cannot enjoy certain adult privileges like getting married. Also, they are viewed as weak members of the tribe, incapable of fulfilling their masculine roles in the community.
Infliction of Bodily Pain and Poison (Brazil)
The Matis manhood ritual consists of four extremely painful phases. In the first phase, poison is administered into the eyes of the young initiates. The Matis believes that doing so will help enhance the senses and eyesight of their boys. The second and third phases involve infliction of physical pain, as the initiates are whipped and beaten repeatedly.
In the final phase, the boys are injected with a poison called kampo, which is extracted from the monkey frog. Kampo is not hallucinogenic, though it can cause extreme psychological responses. Also, this poison can induce various physical effects such as excessive vomiting, lightheadedness, and uncontrollable bowel movements. The Matis tribe strongly believes that kampo is capable of enhancing the endurance and strength of their young boys, making them real men and adept hunters.
Skin Modification (Papua New Guinea)
The Sepik tribes regard crocodiles as highly sacred creatures. They claim to have spiritual and cultural connections with these reptiles. As such, they greatly encourage their young male population to complete a painful rite of passage designed to transform their bodies into crocodiles.
With the use of a razor, the elder members of the tribes would cut the skins of the young men over and over again. This painful process produces beautiful patterns that highly resemble that of the crocodile skin. To complete the ritual, the elders then place ashes on the cuts. Once the ceremony is finished, the boys are declared real men.
Nowadays, not all male members of the Sepik tribes are participating in this ritual nowadays. This is due to the fact that many members of the tribes are becoming more modernized. Also, this ritual is quite costly, and some parents simply can’t afford it.
