An Amazon Boy Needs To Pass Through These Painful Rituals To Prove His Adulthood

When a boy comes of age be it 13 or 15, cultures across the world celebrate such an event with their own rituals like the Jewish Bar Mitzvah. Western cultures, of course, prefer to let young adults experience things for themselves which is, of course, the best way to come to know about the world. Many native cultures have their own rituals that may include a manly performance to mark the coming of age. The Inuit of North Baffin Island go out with their fathers on their first hunt while the Masai tribes of Africa will make their youngster sleep alone overnight in the forest.

Amongst all the rituals, nothing can beat the bizarre tradition of the Satere Mawe tribes of Brazil who live deep in the Amazon rain forests. This is one terrifying ritual that no outsider will ever have the guts to experience regardless of how adventurous or how courageous. Think BULLET ANTS. The huge red ones enough to kill you with their stings. A boy from this tribe will have to wear a glove of bullet ants. 

1Who are the Satere Mauwe?

The Satere Mauwe are the largest tribal group among Amazonian tribes with a population of approximately 10,000 members. The Mauwe are a secluded tribe but they are not hostile and have allowed visitors to document their seclusion and lifestyle including some of their bizarre traditions. The Mauwe are the best example of American natives living by their own culturally rich traditions passed down for centuries.

The Mawe do indulge in agriculture but it isn’t their primary concern, they consider themselves a warrior tribe who values strength and courage above anything else. Thus for the Mauwe, it is extremely important that their youngsters too are nurtured with the same values that embody the fighting spirit of the Mauwe. A Mauwe warrior needs to be brave enough to protect the tribe from hostiles and predators. For that he must show his true worth. 

2For the Mauwe, The smallest predator of the Amazon is the most dangerous

The males from the Mauwe tribe are raised from birth to become warriors and are taught to behave as such. However, it isn’t easy to be a Mauwe warrior. You need to prove yourself and that is when every young male gets his chance in an initiation ceremony that will make your blood run cold.

A Mauwe has to show that he can face the worst the jungle has to offer. In the presence of an enemy, a Mauwe must always remain steadfast and daring while oblivious to the pain inflicted on him. And!! Courage for the Mauwe isn’t facing a dangerous predator; it is the smallest predator possible but by far the worst. The Red bullet ant, the nastiest creature of the Amazon. 

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3What A Warrior Must Do To Prove Himself

The Mauwe test their young warriors, not with the sting of one ant but a whole bunch of them. A sting from just one bullet ant is enough to cause a human hour and hours of swelling and pain. So don’t even think what a hundred can do. A bullet ant scientifically known as Paraponera Clavata can be venomous to some extent but the pain is beyond what any human can bear. 

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