Shocking customs and traditions of ancient China (10 photos). The most shocking traditions of various countries regarding women

Polygamy is widespread across the Earth in many cultures. Much less common is polyandry - when one woman has several husbands at once. If polygamy (polygyny) occurs in most traditional cultures (much more often than just monogamous marriages), then polyandry (polyandry) occurs in less than a hundred. True, historical evidence shows that in ancient times, polyandry was much more widespread throughout the planet than a hundred years ago.

What is polyandry anyway?

Pure polyandry - the marriage of one woman to several husbands at once - is rare. Much more often, such a marriage is furnished with various additional conditions, and in addition, it exists mixed with other forms of marriage.

The most common is fraternal polyandry, when two or more brothers have one wife. In these cases, as a rule, the elder brother marries himself and his younger brothers. It is the elder brother (respectively, the elder husband) who is the head of the family and has the freedom of marriage choice. He also establishes the order of marital relations between his brothers and their common wife. With this form of marriage, the freedom of a woman is only apparent. In fact, this is a very regulated form of marriage, and it is based on the primacy of the eldest man in the family. Such polyandry is still common among many peoples of Nepal, among part of the population of Bhutan, among the Dards - the fair-haired and light-eyed people living in the Himalayas (there is a legend that they are descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great), among the Tibetans, among some small peoples of South India, among many Indian tribes of South America, etc.

In Tibet and the Himalayas, polyandry often coexists with polygamy. The older brother, married to himself and all his brothers, can take both a second and a third wife. At the same time, they will only be his wives, but not the wives of his brothers. His other wives, in turn, may be married to other men who are not the husbands of his first wife. Such a marriage is called polygynandry and differs from group marriage, in which marital relations within a group of men and women are fairly free.

A variation of polyandry is multiple paternity. It is found in some peoples of Melanesia. It is interesting that for them the main role in determining kinship is played not by biological paternity, but by participation in the upbringing of children. Their relationship is counted exclusively by the mother (matrilineal), but the brothers of a woman living with her in the same house are considered in the tribe as the fathers of her children, and husbands who do not live in the same house with their wife are not recognized as such.

There is also biandria, when one woman has two husbands, who are not necessarily related to each other. In the New Hebrides (Oceania), until recently biandry was mandatory for widowers and widowers. Associative polyandry - when marriage is first concluded as a pair, but then the wife can take more husbands.

Why did it happen?

Ethnographers see the main reason for the emergence of polyandry in the economy: polyandry made it possible to avoid the fragmentation of land ownership between brothers-heirs (in medieval Europe, the principle of majorat played such a role). This reason "works" for Tibet and the Himalayas with their poor soil or for India with its overpopulation. But it does not explain the rooting of polyandry among many peoples of Oceania, and especially among the Indians of the Amazon, who lived mainly by hunting and gathering. In some cases, polyandry may have been caused by a shortage of women due to the selective killing of newborn girls. Probably, the reasons for the emergence of the custom of polyandry were varied in different societies of the Earth, and there is no one universal one.

Polyandry among historical peoples

We find the first historical mention of polyandry in the law of the king of the Sumerian city of Lagash, Uruinimgina (XXIV century BC), who prohibited this custom under pain of death by stoning a polyandry woman (nothing is said about execution for men). From this we can conclude that polyandry was more common among the Sumerians in earlier periods of history. Polyandry was considered legal in Media, a region of ancient Persia, as well as among the Hephthalites (“White Huns”), who formed a state in Central Asia in the 4th-6th centuries. There are indications of the existence of polyandry among the Arabs in the pre-Islamic era. In ancient India, polyandry was a common and unsurprising phenomenon, as follows from the Mahabharata epic.

In the "General History" of the ancient Greek writer Polybius (2nd century BC), there are indications that polyandry was once widespread in Sparta. There are references to the revolt of ancient Roman women who demanded the legalization of biandry. There is evidence (epitaphs on the graves) of happy civil biandric marriages in the same ancient Rome, when a husband and lover lived for many years with one woman in love and harmony and raised children together.

Polyandry was widespread among many aboriginal peoples of North America (Shoshone, Navajos, Apaches, etc.) before the start of white colonization of their territories.

The current state of polyandry

The spread of Christianity, with its ban on any intimate relationship other than monogamous heterosexual marriage, outside the Old World in modern times led to the extinction of the custom of polyandry in many cultures. The change in the form of management was also important, in which many of the economic factors that previously supported this practice disappeared.

However, polyandry is still practiced by a number of peoples in the Indian subcontinent. In Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, polyandrous marriages are officially permitted by law. In a number of other countries, polyandry exists de facto, under the guise of official monogamy. It still apparently prevails among many non-contact peoples (that is, those who voluntarily avoid communication with the outside world), such as a number of Amazonian Indian tribes.

In some countries, polyandry is not explicitly prohibited by law, and this contributes to the revival of such a practice. So, in 2013, the Kenyan authorities registered a biandric marriage for the first time. At one time, polyandry was practiced among the Masai - one of the largest peoples of this country and neighboring Tanzania.

culture

In world history, many different cultures have intermingled, facilitated by globalization and the technological process.

And yet, in some corners of our planet, it seems as if civilization has not reached.

So Indian people Satere Mawe makes special mittens with hundreds of bullet ants sewn to the inside. The young man must put on mittens and hold his hands for 10 minutes to complete the ritual. By the time the initiation is over, the young men's hands are paralyzed by the poison, and the unbearable the pain may last for several days.

Moreover, the process is repeated several times. To become a "real man", a mitten must be worn 20 times over several months or years.

Women with rings around their necks

Another well-known tribal tradition is the wearing of neck rings, which is common among Burmese Padaung women. Those who wear them long enough can accommodate up to 20 neck rings.

Like lip plates, neck rings are worn from childhood. Usually they start with 5-10 rings, and as they get used to, they begin to add them.

Many women wear these rings all the time, which has led to the misconception that their neck would break because it would not be able to support the weight of their head if the rings were removed.

Another false impression is that rings can elongate the neck. In fact rings put pressure on the shoulders, lowering the collarbone.

A lot of interesting and unknown is concealed by the traditions of different peoples of our planet.

And the mysterious, sometimes even forbidden, theme of sex could not remain aloof from customs and, accordingly, was reflected in various rituals, sometimes very unusual.

Sexual caresses and arousal of a partner

1. Among the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands, one of the sexiest caresses is considered to be biting the eyelashes of a partner.

2. In Korea, it was believed that the best way to increase a man's arousal was to prick a needle into the root of the penis by 1-2 cm.

3. Men of the Panapé tribe, which lives in Micronesia, stimulate their partners with the help of ants, which sting very painfully. Insects are specially kept in boxes and, in the midst of sexual caresses, are planted directly on the clitoris of their beloved.

4. The sexual traditions of some other African tribes are also associated with insects, namely with the same ants. Partners substitute their buttocks under their stings, which, as a result of poisonous bites, turn into a continuous erogenous zone ...

5. Before making love, a couple from the Siron tribe in Eastern Bolivia had a tradition from ancient times to cleanse each other of ticks, lice and fleas. For greater excitement, lovers also swallow these insects.

It was believed that this atavism remained in the Siron tribe from monkeys. However, a more detailed study turned out that one of the varieties of lice that can live on the human body has a pronounced stimulating effect. It continues sexual arousal for hours and makes it more stable. Maybe that's why Siron Indians can have sex every day for 5-6 hours.

6. But in Zimbabwe they love dry sex. It is believed that the friction must be hard. Therefore, before sexual intercourse, local women rub their intimate organs with special herbs that create increased dryness. And men make special scar notches on the penis so that the friction is as strong as possible.

Defloration and amputations

7. Men of the Hottentot tribe from South Africa have retained the tradition of amputating one of their testicles. This is done so that twins are not born in the family, the appearance of which is considered a curse for the tribe.

8. In many Islamic countries, for example, in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the custom of solemn defloration has been preserved to this day. This is when the hymen is torn with the index finger of the right hand, wrapped in a white cloth, which, of course, should be dyed red. This happens publicly during the wedding ritual. And this despite the fact that the bride, and then the wife, can only show her face to her husband.

9. An even more terrible ritual of defloration occurs in individual tribes of equatorial Africa. The girls are sent to the jungle so that the role of the first man is played by ... a male gorilla. And if the girl failed to attract the "monkey", this cast a shadow on her reputation as a potential wife: they say even the gorilla did not peck! It is clear that most often this ended in an attack, or an imitation of an attack by one of the tribesmen. At the same time, he literally could do whatever he wanted with the unfortunate girl. The more injuries and mutilations a virgin received, the higher position she then occupied in the tribal hierarchy. Such is the price of sexual disability.

10. In the Zakaev tribe (Sumatra island), the bride had to be deflowered by her father, who was assisted by the bride's uncles, i.e. brothers of the father and mother (regardless of age). Sometimes up to 25 men aged from 70 to 10 years gathered at the bed of the unfortunate girl.

11. In ancient India, the defloration procedure was performed for money by people specially trained in this “skill”. The decision to take the girl to such a specialist was made by her mother. Deprivation of virginity occurred with the help of a phallus symbol made of stone, wood or other materials. After that, the girl was injected into the vagina with a special remedy made from medicinal leaves, which heals and reduces discomfort. At the same time, the blood that the girl lost during the process, by the decision of her parents, could be collected and used further as a love spell.

12. Almost all the tribes of South America and some African tribes had a tradition of deflowering themselves with a wooden dildo. After that, the torn hymen was covered with pieces of antiseptic plants.

13. And in Papua New Guinea, the right to deprive a girl of innocence belonged exclusively to the high priest. This was done with a wooden knife. And the groom was obliged to offer the newly-made bride to be “tested” by other men. Only after that they celebrated the wedding and in marriage the wife had to remain faithful.

14. Quite the opposite was done in some African tribes. They fought for the "preservation" of the bride. And they decided this matter radically - the girl’s vagina is simply sewn up at an early age and “opened” it only before the wedding at a special council of elders.

15. In the 19th century, it became popular in Europe to feign virginity, and the art was passed down from mothers to daughters. Girls created bleeding with a fish bladder, a sponge soaked in blood, or other tricks. Even then, the vaginal opening was sometimes stitched together, and sometimes special preparations were used to narrow it. Well, today feigning innocence is a practiced surgical operation.

16. And in Japan, virginity can only be proved by profuse bleeding, therefore, in order to imitate it, special balls filled with a liquid similar to blood were introduced into the vagina.

Traditions of polygamy and substitution

17. But if you think that virginity is a value, then you have never heard of the customs of the Tibetans. In this mountainous region, marriage to an untouched girl was considered a disgrace. And if the village found out about this fact, the couple could be expelled altogether ... Therefore, the mothers literally ordered the girl to give herself to at least twenty men. Moreover, Tibet has never been a place nearby inhabited, which gave the process a special extreme. However, it was considered unethical to inform the husband about the number of partners. The lists of the happy were kept by the mother-in-law with the mother-in-law.

18. Similar traditions still exist on the island of Mangaya, in Oceania. The mothers there approve of their daughters having multiple sexual partners. It is believed that in this way the girl has a chance to choose the best groom. Therefore, after the 18th birthday, if a girl stays away from men, then 20-30 peers and other single men are literally driven through her bed. Group sexual violence is also not forbidden, so girls prefer to be very sociable with the opposite sex.

19. And here is how researcher Jacques Marciro describes a wedding in the Marquesas Islands: “All the men invited to the wedding stand in a shirenga, singing and dancing, and take turns, in order of seniority, have sexual intercourse with the bride.”

20. But in the Shilluk tribe, which lives in Central Africa, the opposite is true. There is a tradition of marrying the king to several dozen beauties (up to 77). But this is the case when the harem is grief, not joy. In essence, harem slaves condemn their master to death. As soon as ten or more women begin to complain that a man does not satisfy them, the poor fellow is threatened not only with deposition from an honorary post, but also with death in terrible agony. For, as the Shilluk belief says, the impotent cannot betray the power of the fertility of the earth. The worst thing about it is the death penalty. Here's Who Viagra Probably Saves Lives

21. In Kamchatka, for many centuries it was considered a great honor if a guest entered into an intimate relationship with the host's wife. Accordingly, the latter made every effort to look as seductive as possible in front of the guest. If a child appeared in a hospitable hostess as a result of such contact, the event was celebrated by the entire settlement ... This blessed time ended at the beginning of the 20th century, but its echoes have survived to this day in the form of jokes. By the way, it is in Kamchadals that there is no concept of adultery in the language, and they treat adultery much more calmly than other peoples.

22. A similar custom was in everyday life and in the Australian Aborigines from the Arunta tribe. True, they shared their wives with each other. Therefore, modern swingers are not innovators at all. The Eskimos of Alaska and the Chukchi reindeer herders observed the tradition of providing their wives for a while to men from a stronger clan.

23. Also in the valleys of mountainous Tibet, it was also believed that if a guest liked someone else's wife, then such a higher will of the gods, and he should be allowed to “use” it. In Mongolia, the owner of a yurt that has a guest will, as a matter of course, offer to spend the night with his wife.

24. Few people know, but some temples in southern India can give odds to brothels. For example, the tradition of sacred prostitution has been flourishing in the temple of Soundatti for hundreds of years. During the holidays and a large flow of pilgrims, "dzhogamma" and "dzhogappa" - young women and boys - copulate with pilgrims in exchange for their donations to the temple. These love acts are dedicated to the "mother of the world" goddess Yellama, her husband Yamadagni and their son Parazuram, who, as the myth tells, cut off the mother's head.

It happens something like this: before entering the chambers, they utter a mantra, leave donations to the temple and the gods, and hide behind heavy drapery. There, believers and clerics of Yellam fall into a trance and half-forgetfulness perform the rite of "maituna" - "saving intercourse." After a while, they, “purified and enlightened,” come out of the door on the opposite side of the hall. At the same time, "jogamma" and "jogappa" look quite exotic - as a sign of piety, they never take care of their hair. There are practically no parishioners at the temple.

29. Imagine a wedding procession: at the altar, a fifteen-year-old bride and five grooms-brothers, from six to twenty-six years old. In the Tibetan tribe of Ning-ba in northwestern Nepal, the land - the main local treasure - is inherited by a woman. By marrying off one of their daughters to several men, the Ning-ba actually hire labor and avoid fragmenting the land. Others are destined for the fate of novices in the monastery.
Men share a woman among themselves very simply: the one who happened to spend the night in the matrimonial bedroom leaves shoes at the entrance, thereby warning the others that "the place is taken."

flirt

30. An interesting concept was flirting in Tanzania. To lure a man, Tanzanian women steal his hoe and sandals from him. It's just that these items are of particular value by local standards. Willy-nilly, the man will have to come after them. And already there...

31. Another interesting custom, which indirectly refers to the Aboriginals of North-Eastern Australia before 1945, they were engaged in ... penis-squeezing. Each foreigner, coming to the local village, had to give his penis to shake the inhabitants of the village of the stronger sex ...

32. But in the Renaissance, sex became more open and acquired new rituals. So, for example, during the wedding, one of the guests climbed under the girl's skirt, sitting at the table, and stole her garter (note that they didn't wear underwear then). The girl had to pretend that nothing was happening, and then the groom bought the bandage.

33. On the occasion of Worso, an annual holiday that marks the end of the rainy season and the awakening of nature, young men from the Bororo tribe in Niger carefully make up and dress up. The make-up is an important part of the ceremony, which can last six days and six nights. A thick layer of ocher is applied to the face, and then rubbed with fat for shine. During the holiday itself, young men with massive masks (make-up layer sometimes reaches 3-5 cm) on their faces participate in a beauty contest, the jury of which consists of 10 of the most beautiful girls of the tribe. Moreover, they must be completely naked, and the faces of the dancers must be painted the same way so that the virtuoso mastery of the art of makeup does not prevent the girls from impartially assessing male dignity. The eerie smile frozen on their faces is needed in order to show the whiteness of the teeth, and the bulging eyes are needed to show off the brightness of the whites. The one who wins can choose any number of girls and be with them next month. Those remaining in the panel of judges are divided among the closest rivals of the lucky one. Another 4-5 guys get the right to go with one of the young beauties to the nearest forest and become a real man. Well, the rest will wait until next year.

34. Among the Nuba people, from Sudan, the main day of the year is the "holiday of the choice of husbands." As the sun rises, the would-be newlyweds begin their love dances and dance until all the brides have chosen one of their tribesmen. Moreover, when, as a sign of her disposition, a woman puts her hand on the shoulder of the chosen one, he does not even dare to raise his eyes to his future wife. Perhaps because the bride, decorating herself the night before, slightly overdid it with ritual wounds and incisions. However, future family life is by no means a settled fact. Even after public erotic games, the future of marriage remains a big question. Even if the young warrior managed to please the beauty, until he builds a house for her, he will live among the cattle and will be able to visit his beloved only at night, secretly making his way to the house of future relatives.

Sexy accessories

35. On the island of Sumatra, the men of the Batta tribe thrust small sharp pieces of metal or pebbles under the foreskin, believing that this would give their partner special pleasure. At the same time, the “decorations” injured both partners.

36. The Argentine Araucan Indians liked to attach a horsehair tassel to the male member, and sometimes woven jewelry reached 1.5-2 meters in length, and then they were elegantly tied around the neck.

37. The Indians of the Brazilian Topinamba tribe believed that the main thing is size. In their opinion, a woman can only like a large reproductive organ. Therefore, they not only lengthened the penis in every possible way, but also tried to expose their male organ to poisonous snakes, spiders and other insects for a bite, and then bandaged it, trying to keep the swelling.

38. The Indians turned out to be even more inventive! Indian treatises prescribed the use of intimate piercings for men made of gold, silver, iron, wood or buffalo horns to enhance sensitivity. After these tortures, the phallus became literally strung on a rod and pierced in several places. A slightly more humane device was the "yalaka" - a hollow tube with a surface covered with bumps. Compared to her, modern condoms with pimples are nonsense. But the main difference between this accessory and a condom is that sometimes it remained in an intimate place forever. In some cases, by accident, and a little later and on purpose.

39. But on the island of Bali, women tried to adorn themselves. They introduced various small objects into intimate places - rings, pebbles, nuts. On the one hand, in their opinion, this helped the reproductive function, on the other hand, they managed to bring more pleasure to men.

40. Interesting sexual traditions still exist in Japan. For example, at fertility festivals, men come in costumes, part of which are huge penises made of papier-mâché. Calm at the usual time, they have fun and run screaming through the streets after women.

41. In Japan, not only male genitals are sung, but also female ones - at the so-called "Vagina Festival". Then there is a parade during which a huge model of the vagina is demonstrated. It is carried down the street and sometimes opened. Then the girl sits inside and throws out the rice cakes that people catch on the streets.

42. Well, every five years in this country a special ceremony takes place, during which images of both male and female genital organs are shown. She goes to Inuyama. Phallic deities are brought here from the Temple in Taga, and the image of the female vagina is from Ogata. During these phallic festivals, sexual intercourse itself may also be demonstrated. For example, in Chibi, near Tokyo, a huge wooden phallus is inserted into a giant female vulva made of straw. For greater clarity, viewers water the image of the female genital organ with a strong milky color "sake", which is called "frill".

Other

43. In order not to get pregnant out of wedlock, the Slavs used very unusual positions. So, for example, standing sex was very common, or when a girl was held in her arms. Another way - the "rider" pose, which is still popular today, was also designed specifically to reduce the risk of "flying". Another option - sex in water - was also considered a purely Slavic option and, in addition to hygiene, according to our ancestors, contributed to a decrease in the birth rate. Later, the authorities and the church introduced a ban on the “standing” and “rider” positions - it is difficult to get pregnant with her, which means she is “not for childbearing, but only for the sake of weakness”, that is, for the sake of pleasure. Those who performed sexual acts in the water were declared sorcerers and witches. The norms of Christianity dictated to a woman during sex only one position - face to face, lying motionless from below. Kissing was forbidden. At that time, a “good wife” was considered an asexual wife who was disgusted with sexual activity.

45. In Colombia, in the city of Cali, a woman can only have sex with her husband, and when this happens for the first time, the mother of the bride must be there to witness what happened.

46. ​​It is forbidden for a virgin to marry in Guam. Therefore, there is a special profession - a deflorator. Such a specialist travels around the country and for a fee provides girls with the service of deprivation of innocence.

47. In Libya, men are legally allowed to have sexual intercourse with animals. However, there is an important limitation: the animals must be female. Communication with male animals is punishable by death. In general, in most countries of the Middle East, one of the fundamental laws of Islam still operates: in no case should you eat the sheep with which you had sexual intercourse. A person who decides to eat such a sheep commits a mortal sin, and he will no longer go to heaven.

48. In some African tribes there is a custom: before getting married, the chosen one must prove his perseverance to the parents of his bride. The groom comes to his father, he examines him, feels his muscles, looks into his mouth. After that, the verdict is heard: "17 times." That's how many times a guy will satisfy the mother of the bride! Moreover, the number can go off scale far beyond a hundred, and the guy will have to do it almost continuously! Some do not stand up and run away, and whoever survives the test will become a husband and will be respected by the entire tribe. This is such a tough test.

49. In the tribes of North-West Africa, a sexual lottery is held monthly. Each of the men draws lots for which of the women he is to spend the night with. All the women present throw their erotic talismans into the basket. The man who pulls out the woman's talisman will be her sexy cavalier at this celebration of love. Joy and happiness illuminate those men who got the most beautiful and sexy women. Instantly, they pull their prey into the surrounding bushes and disappear there until the morning. And those who happen to spend the night with ugly women are upset. But such is the custom. If you refuse your lot, you will be permanently banned from further participation in such contests. But what happy old women! They drag healthy and strong men behind their huts, like stubborn donkeys: And you will not escape your fate anywhere - after all, this is a lottery!

50. The following custom is practiced in African pygmies: the bride is taken to the groom's house, after which she runs away from there and tries to hide in the forest. Friends of the future spouse find her, take her to the house of the chosen one's mother and have sex with her for five days! But this is not all. For three days, all the men of the tribe who wandered into the house of the groom's mother can make love to the girl, and only after that she remains forever with her husband. I wonder what condition...

The most unusual sexual rites of the peoples of the world. Undoubtedly, some of the customs of peoples far from us seem terrifying to us, but who knows, maybe our habits would have shocked them.

Australia
Instead of the usual handshake, Australian aborigines demonstrate friendliness with a slightly different gesture, namely, by touching the penis of their interlocutor.

Northern Kamchatka
Until now, in the remote villages of Northern Kamchatka, a centuries-old tradition of copulation of a guest with the wife of the owner of the house has been preserved. Moreover, for the sake of the consent of the guest, the woman is ready for anything, as this is considered a great honor. And if after the act a woman becomes pregnant, then at all, good luck and happiness will be to this house and the whole village.

Tibet
In order to get married, a Tibetan girl must have at least a dozen sexual partners on her account.

Polynesia
Here the number of sexual relations of the bride is not particularly important, but at the same time she must have at least two children.

Germany
Germany, as well as many other European countries, is famous for the promiscuity of sexual relations between people. The following German custom is especially interesting: when the Cologne festival takes place, passers-by quite seriously offer each other to have sex and have it, sometimes without even getting to know each other.

Oceania
Local customs force the bride to marry a virgin, and before the girl is admitted to her fiancé, she has to go through the rite of deflowering with a stone knife. The ceremony is performed by the groom's friends, who can have sex with their friend's future wife for another three days. Then, the “happy” newlywed goes to other men of the tribe and, only after them, to her lawful spouse.

South Africa
The men of the local tribes, afraid to bear offspring in the form of twins, who here are the prototype of sin and the most terrible curses, cut out one testicle for themselves. However, as you know, the servants of the harems of the East - eunuchs, subject themselves to a more terrible execution - absolute castration.
Other African tribes force the representatives of the stronger sex to undergo some kind of test before the wedding. Namely: to have sex with the mother of the bride as many times as necessary in order to prove their worth. True, before that they undergo a mandatory examination (in the literal sense of the word: teeth, body, and so on) before their future father-in-law.

Central Africa: the Shilluk tribe
The leader of the tribe has the right to marry the most beautiful girls, even if there are more than a hundred of them. But God forbid his wives start a conversation about the fact that their husband - the leader - does not satisfy them. In this case, the poor fellow is threatened not only with overthrow from his honorary post, but also with death in terrible agony, for, as the Shilluk belief says, the impotent cannot transfer the power of fertility to the earth and the barnyard.

Brazil: Jerusalem artichoke Indians
Local tribes believe that women only like the huge size of the genitals, and therefore these very organs are subjected to the bites of the most poisonous snakes (for swelling and enlargement)

Micronesia: the Panape tribe
To excite women, bites of stinging ants are used.

Japan and Korea
Since ancient times and still, to enhance passion, Japanese and Korean women use their “crown” technique - a prick of the groin with a golden needle.

Every country, every nation has its own traditional customs. But sometimes they seem too strange for a modern person. We will tell you about some of them.

The inhabitants of the Republic of Madagascar are distinguished by exceptional attachment to their relatives. But sometimes such a connection becomes abnormal, especially when it comes to the already deceased. To this day, the Malagasy strictly follow the ancient custom of periodically digging up the dead from their tombs, dressing them in the best clothes and taking photographs with them. This will seem wild to a modern European, and the inhabitants of Madagascar believe that such behavior is nothing more than a manifestation of love and respect for those who are already in another world.

In India, there is a rather shocking custom associated with strengthening the spirit of a newborn. As soon as a child is born, they are thrown from the wall of the temple (10-15 meters high). At the bottom, a newborn is caught, for this a large piece of matter is stretched, which is held by at least 8 people. It is believed that such a procedure from an early age will make the child more successful, and also give him courage.

In Scotland, in some regions, the medieval wedding custom has survived into the 21st century. The bride, dressed in a spotless white dress, adorned with flowers (and rich with jewels) is completely covered in mud. Dirt can be spoiled food, earth, flour, honey. In this form, she must pass along the main street, bypass the central square, and also ride a horse around the city. Today this is done, for the most part, for the sake of entertainment, but earlier people believed that through this the girl cleanses her soul from all sorts of earthly sins.

Most nations have always had an original relationship with death. But in conducting funeral rites, Tibetan monks distinguished themselves most of all. The body of the deceased, according to their belief, should not only return to the earth, but also be useful. And so it was not buried, but divided and carried to the top of the mountain, where wild animals live. Thus, people believed that the spirit of the deceased was again reunited with nature in the most natural way: by being included in the natural circulation of substances.

Walking on kindled coals has been practiced in Japan and Africa since ancient times. But you can meet this custom there today. The fire was called upon to purify a person, instill in him courage, firmness and steadfastness. It was believed that if you walk along the road of fire without fear, then there is nothing more to be afraid of in life.

The Japanese, as observational practice shows, are rather strange in their customs. And the Japanese Spring Fertility Festival is proof of that. At the beginning of spring, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun gather on the streets of cities (only some cities, since not everyone takes part in the holiday) to contemplate the sacred action. The strongest and healthiest men get the opportunity to carry a wooden male genital organ, weighing 25 kilograms, through the whole city. Such a tradition involves not only ennobling the land and increasing the level of productivity, but also brings “fertility to the family”, increasing the birth rate and strengthening families.