Jumping over a row of bulls. Sharpening their teeth. Walking over 1,600km. These may sound like hardcore challenges, but they’re tailored for young boys and girls, transitioning to adulthood.
Click start to play today’s Spell It, where we explore different, gruelling ‘rites’ of passage around the world.
Coming-of-age traditions are often either symbolic gestures or physical tests. Here are a few that are worth knowing about:
1. Yunnan, China
The Pumi people of Yunnan, China, celebrate a ritual where young girls step on a bag of fat with their right foot, and a bag of rice with their left. Considered to be a symbolic moment, representing the young girl’s future health and wealth, it’s also an occasion that brings together the entire extended family, who celebrate together after the ceremony, with a big feast.
2. Ethiopia
The Hamar tribe in Ethiopia practice a tradition where boys of the tribe are made to jump over a row of bulls four times. The ritual takes place over three days, and there are many other ceremonies around the bull-jumping event. If young boys successfully make the leap, they are allowed to marry in the tribe and join its upper ranks.
3. Indonesia
The Mentawai tribe in Indonesia has a ritual for young girls that’s not for the faint-hearted. They get their teeth sharpened with a chisel… and no anaesthetic! Sharp teeth are seen as a sign of beauty in this tribal culture, and many of the young girls are usually excited to participate, since it leaves them feeling attractive and confident, afterwards.
4. United States
The Native American Apache tribe conducts a four-day ceremony marking the coming of age of girls in the tribe. In their sunrise ceremony, they re-enact a story from one of their legends, the ‘White Painted Woman’. The ritual involves four days of dancing, chanting, singing and running, and during this time, the girls are covered in pollen, which is thought to help them gain healing powers and become one with Nature.
5. Australia
Young boys in Aboriginal tribes in Australia undergo an intense ritual that can take over six months to complete. Their coming-of-age ritual involves a walkabout that encompasses over 1,600km. During the journey, the boys put in practice all the knowledge they’ve been taught over the years, as they learn to survive in the wild. The experience occurs without any maps or compasses, as the participants are expected to get in touch with their spirit guides for navigation.
What do you think of these rites of passage? Play today’s Spell It at games@gulfnews.com.
