@masukum you must read this. And while you're still in West Africa, can you confirm the story?
Folks forgive me for sharing this ritual, I almost didn't finish reading
Sambia of Papa New GuineaIn the small country of Papau New Guinea, over 1,000 different culture groups exist. Among them is the Sambia tribe, a group with perhaps the most insane rite of passage into manhood in the world.
1. The initiation begins at age seven with the separation of the boy from the mother.
2. After being separated from the women, the young boy is subjected to several brutal hazing rituals. The first involves ceremonial bloodletting from the nose. The procedure is crude, but effective. The boy is held against a tree and stiff, sharp grasses and sticks are shoved up his nose until the blood starts flowing freely.
3. Next is emen drinking (yuk!!!)
The Sambia believe that both men and women are born with a tingu. The tingu is a body part that allows for procreation.
They believe that by drinking the male essence of other men, the boys will become strong and virile.
Done in the privacy of the forest, a boy will perform fellatio on young, usually unmarried men between the ages of 13 and 21.
The boys are encouraged to “drink the male essence” as much as possible in order to become strong.
4. Around age 13, a young man has started puberty and another stage in the initiation begins. Another ritual nosebleed takes place along with some beatings to purify the young man. The boy is now considered a bachelor and will now provide the “man milk” to young boys just starting down the path of manhood
5. ... eish! What a culture