Think you're a 'man'?

Think you're worthy of proposing to a woman? Think you are manly enough to provide for your family?

According to the highland tribes of Papua New Guinea a boy is not considered a man until he goes through a brutal ritual.

The ritual is aimed at cleansing and purifying these men of womanly filth that was passed down to them during childbirth. Only after they have been purified of this dirt, they can be considered brave men.
It is believed that a mother's blood remains in the child, until this ritual is undertaken.

The participants must:-

• shove several feet of pit pit cane down their throats in order to empty their stomachs
• ram sharp reeds up their nostrils
• and lastly, they must allow the elders of the tribes to shoot little arrows at their tongues, leaving them with deep wounds.

This entire initiation is carried out by the streams in the highlands in order to let the gushes of blood and vomit drift away from the tribes living area.
Sounds awful aye? That ain't all of it.

In order to fully be considered part of the community, these boys must receive cuts all over their bodies.
When healed, these cuts form bumps all over the body and look somewhat like an alligator's back.

So tell me, think you're a man?

Signed,