As you know, each country has its own traditions and customs. The whole world knows about some of them, while others are carefully hidden from strangers. There are some that are simply shocking. So what are they, interesting customs different countries?
Southern states
1. In Australia, you need to be prepared for the fact that instead of the traditional handshake in many countries, the greeting will be followed by touching the head of the penis.
2. In one of the states of Central Africa, during the first wedding night, a wife ritually beats her husband, and this happens every night for seven whole days! According to representatives of the Bahutu tribe, this is the only way the spouses can get used to each other.
3. B modern Greece You shouldn’t praise the decorative items of your guests’ apartments, otherwise the owners will be forced to give them to you.
4. A shocking ritual is performed by residents of the Indian state called Maharashtra. Newborn babies are thrown down from the 15 meter high temple wall. No, the kids don’t fall to their deaths – they are met below by people with stretched cloth. It is believed that only after this will children grow up smart, strong, healthy and happy.
5. An extreme event is held annually in Phuket unusual festival. In autumn, for 9 days, none of the island's inhabitants eat meat. In addition, crowds of people walk through the streets whose cheeks are pierced through with spears, knives, metal rods, etc.
6. Maasai warriors living in Kenya cut the veins of cows and drink hot blood mixed with milk. It is believed that this way they can increase their vitality many times over.
7. In Taiwan, there is an unusual tradition - striptease at funerals. Especially for the deceased and those who came to say goodbye to him, they order a truck, in the back of which the rhythms of dance music Strippers squirm. There is nothing wrong with this for the Taiwanese.
Nordic countries
1. Eskimos living in Northern Kamchatka line up to greet the guest. No, no one will extend their hand. If you are a stranger, they will give you a good whack on the top of the head, while expecting the same from you. So does everyone else. The strange ceremony continues until someone falls to the ground.
2. Several unusual traditions available in Norway. Firstly, it is not customary there to praise students and announce their grades - otherwise the teacher from whom the praise comes, even the most sincere, will be caught in rude flattery. Secondly, do not even think about giving up your seat on public transport to an elderly person in this country - this way you will show your physical superiority over him. Thirdly, it is not customary to ask about your well-being after an illness - Norwegians consider this to be too intimate a thing.
3. In Sweden they love to eat fish with flavor. There is even a fermented herring festival. It is prepared in a special way: a little salt and seasonings are mixed, the resulting mixture is rubbed onto the fish and left in the sun for two to three days. The main thing is that the fish should ferment and not go rotten. The disgusting smell of the dish is compensated by its magical, according to the Swedes, taste.
Shocking Asia
1. The Chinese slurp as loudly as possible when visiting - there is no other way to show how delicious everything is, words of gratitude for an excellent dinner will not be heard.
2. Guests are not particularly careful when eating. The dirtier the tablecloth, the more satisfied the hostess will be - after all, everything was eaten with gusto.
3. If the Chinese come to visit, they under no circumstances give flowers to the hostess of the house, because it is believed that if they give you flowers, it means your home is ugly. Another custom: fresh flowers are a symbol of death, so artificial bouquets are common.
4. In Mongolia and its neighbor Buryatia ( Russian region) After eating, no one can stop burping. If a guest burps loudly, it means he is full and satisfied.
5. During meals in South Korea(and there it is very sharp) you should not hold back the flowing tears and snot. The more of them, the better - by holding back, you will offend the one who offered you the treat or prepared it.
Of course, these are not all the interesting customs of different countries, but only a small fraction of them. As you can see, our world is full of eccentricities that are passed down from generation to generation for many hundreds, or even thousands of years.
Japan is generally a strange country, and those who have visited this country talk about the strange sense of humor of the Japanese. So, they have this “prank” - kancho, usually only schoolchildren play with it junior classes, however, adults at a party also like to have a “kancho”. The point of the prank is to perform an “enema” - a person folds his two hands and puts his index fingers forward, which he tries to insert into the anal passage of the person being pranked, who suspects nothing.
2. Sex in the temple
You will be surprised, but this is not even some kind of Hare Krishna temple or a temple of some such conditionally free religion. On the island of Java, in most beautiful place, there is a temple called Gunung Kemukus, which is considered Muslim. Such a strict religion (but only this temple in this place) has a belief that if you have sex with a stranger in its vicinity at night, you will be lucky and rich for the rest of your life. Whether because of the beauty of the temple, or because of basic instinct, thousands of “pilgrims” come here, and the surrounding area is dotted with brothels.
3. Greeting in Eskimo
While some comrades are proud of their handshake strength, the Eskimos have gone further. When a guest comes to their village, they line up and take turns greeting the guest with a slap on the back of the head. The guest must respond in kind, and the turn passes to the next Eskimo, who must strike harder, and so on in increasing order. The welcoming ceremony ends only when someone, either the guest or one of the Eskimo men, does not fall to the ground from the blow.
4. Tears and snot
South Korean cuisine is famous for its spiciness. Some dishes are impossible to eat without your nose hurting or tears coming to your eyes. However, if you are not snotty and tearful enough, you will be considered a callous person who does not respect the laws of hospitality and does not want to please the hostess. To be good guest, and also show the hostess that she is an excellent cook, you will have to emit your physiological fluids from your eyes and nose to the maximum.
5. Sad wake
In India, during the holiday of remembrance of the holy Khoja Moinuddin Chishti, thousands of fakirs and pilgrims walk through the streets of the city of Ajmer. To prove their commitment to religion, and to show how much they grieve, participants in the procession pierce themselves with needles, and especially popular is gouging out their eyes with sharp metal objects.
6. Dolphin Killing
All over the world they admire dolphins and watch their performances in dolphinariums, but in the Faroe Islands the position is completely different. In order for local youths to become men, the following custom is arranged. Boats drive pods of dolphins into the bay, and there, in the shallow waters, the beating of innocent fish with knives, fittings, axes and stakes begins.
The newly minted “men” usually release one dolphin - this is part of the custom, on next year he will “bring in” a new flock. It’s extremely sad, because if earlier this was due to hunger, and the killed dolphins were at least eaten, now this is done only for the sake of the custom itself.
7. Photos of the dead
In Russia at the end of the 19th century, a wild tradition came from Europe - photographing dead children. It is clear that the infant mortality rate was high, the parents grieved greatly, but it was considered good form to take the “last” photograph and keep it as the most valuable. The kids were dressed up in the best clothes, they were seated next to their living brothers, sisters and parents, pets, and in general they tried to create such an environment so that it seemed that the child was alive; they were also often painted with open eyes and a smile.
8. Not a light burden
Let's end on a more or less cheerful note. Japan celebrates a local holiday of spring and labor - the Shinto festival Honen Matsuri. Instead of festive columns with an orchestra and slogans, in Japan a 25-kilogram wooden phallus is carried through the city, which symbolizes the onset of spring and fertility. Carrying this is considered very honorable and volunteers compete for such an honor, so not everyone has the honor of carrying a 2.5-meter-long penis across the entire city.
9. Resourceful Indians
In India there is a ban on having a third wife. Moreover, historically, the custom literally sounds like this - you cannot have a third wife. First, second, fourth and subsequent ones - please. Resourceful lovers of marriage easily get out of this situation and choose a tree for a third marriage.
He is dressed in festive clothes and the wedding ceremony is held, and at the end of the celebration, the groom's witness cuts down the poor tree and announces that his friend is “widowed”, and thus can look for a fourth, “permitted” wife.
Tradition, custom, ritual are a centuries-old connection, a kind of bridge between the past and the present. Some customs are rooted in the distant past; over time they have changed and lost their sacred meaning, but are still observed today, passed on from grandparents to their grandchildren and great-grandchildren as a memory of their ancestors. IN rural areas traditions are observed more widely than in cities where people live separately from each other. But many rituals have become so firmly established in our lives that we perform them without even thinking about their meaning.
Traditions can be calendar, related to field work, family, pre-Christian, the most ancient, religious, which entered our lives with the adoption of Christianity, and some pagan rituals mixed with Orthodox beliefs and changed somewhat.
Calendar rituals
The Slavs were cattle breeders and farmers. In the pre-Christian period the pantheon Slavic gods included several thousand idols. The supreme gods were Svarozhichi, the ancestors of all living things. One of them was Veles, the patron of cattle breeding and agriculture. The Slavs made sacrifices to him before sowing and harvesting. On the first day of sowing, all villagers went out to the field in new, clean shirts with flowers and wreaths. The oldest resident of the village and the smallest one started sowing, and they threw the first grain into the ground.
The harvest was also a holiday. Everyone, even the old and sick, villagers gathered at the border of the field, a sacrifice was made to Veles, most often a large ram, then the strongest and handsome men and young guys with scythes in their hands and simultaneously walked through the first lane. Then the girls and young women, always fast and healthy, tied the sheaves and placed the money. After successful cleaning, a rich table was set for all residents of the village; a large sheaf, decorated with ribbons and flowers, was placed at the head of the table, which was also considered a sacrifice to the god Veles.
Maslenitsa also refers to calendar rituals, although at present it is considered already semi- religious holiday. In ancient times, this ritual invoked Yarilo, the god of the sun and heat, on whom the harvest directly depended. That is why the custom arose on this day to bake pancakes, fatty, rosy, hot as the sun. All people danced in circles, which are also a symbol of the sun, sang songs praising the power and beauty of the sun, and burned an effigy of Maslenitsa.
Today Maslenitsa has abandoned its pagan meaning and is considered almost a religious holiday. Each day of Maslenitsa week has its own purpose. And the most important day is Forgiveness Sunday, when you should ask all your family and relatives for forgiveness for involuntary offenses. Sunday is the turn to Great Lent, the strictest and longest, when believers give up meat and dairy foods for seven weeks.
Yuletide rituals
When Christianity was firmly established in Rus', new church holidays. And some holidays that have religious basis, have become truly popular. This is precisely what should be included in the Christmas festivities, which take place from January 7 (Christmas) to January 19 (Epiphany).
On Christmastide, young people went from house to house with performances, other groups of boys and girls caroled, girls and young women told fortunes in the evenings. All village residents were required to participate in preparations for the holidays. They slaughtered livestock and prepared special dishes. On Christmas Eve, January 6, the evening before Christmas, we cooked uzvar, a sweet compote with rice, prepared cheesecakes and pies, sochevo, a special dish of cabbage with grain.
Young people sang special comic carol songs, asked for treats, and jokingly threatened:
“If you don’t give me some pie, we’ll take the cow by the horns.”
If they didn’t give treats, they could play a joke: close the chimney, destroy a woodpile of firewood, freeze the door. But this happened rarely. It was believed, and is still believed, that generous gifts, songs with wishes of happiness and prosperity, and grain brought into the house by guests bring happiness to the house for the whole New Year, relieve diseases and misfortunes. Therefore, everyone tried to treat those who came and give them generous gifts.
Young girls most often wondered about their fate, about their suitors. The bravest ones told fortunes in a bathhouse with a mirror by candlelight, although this was considered very dangerous, because in the bathhouse they removed the cross from themselves. The girls brought armfuls of firewood into the house; by the number of logs, even or odd, one could tell whether or not she would get married this year. They fed the chicken with counting grain, melted the wax and looked at what it predicted for them.
Family rituals
Perhaps the most rituals and traditions are associated with family life. Matchmaking, weddings, christenings - all this required compliance with ancient rituals that came from grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and their strict observance promised a happy family life, healthy children and grandchildren.
The Slavs used to live in large families, where adult children, who already had their own families, lived with their parents. In such families three or four generations could be observed; families included up to twenty people. The elder of such a large family was usually the father or older brother, and his wife was the head of the women. Their orders were carried out unquestioningly, along with the laws of the government.
Weddings were usually celebrated after the harvest or after Epiphany. Later, the most successful time for weddings was “Red Hill” - the week after Easter. The wedding ceremony itself took a fairly long period of time and included several stages, and therefore a large number of rituals.
The groom's parents came to woo the bride together with their godparents, and less often other close relatives. The conversation should have started allegorically:
“You have goods, we have a merchant” or “Didn’t a heifer run into your yard, we came for her.”
If the bride's parents agreed, a viewing party should be held where the bride and groom would get to know each other. Then there will be collusion or handshaking. Here the new relatives agree on the wedding day, the dowry, and what gifts the groom will bring to the bride.
When everything was discussed, her girlfriends gathered at the bride’s house every evening and helped prepare the dowry: they wove, sewed, knitted lace, embroidered gifts for the groom. All girls' get-togethers were accompanied by sad songs, because no one knew what the girl's fate would be. Waiting for a woman at her husband's house hard labour and complete submission to the will of the husband. On the first day of the wedding, the songs sounded mainly lyrical, majestic, farewell laments. Upon arrival from church, the newlyweds were greeted on the porch by their parents with bread and salt, and the mother-in-law had to put a spoonful of honey in her new daughter-in-law’s mouth.
The second day is a completely different matter. On this day, according to custom, the son-in-law and his friends went “to their mother-in-law for pancakes.” After a good feast, the guests dressed up, covered their faces with bandages or canvas, and drove around the village, visiting all their new relatives. This custom is still preserved in many villages, where on the second day of the wedding, the costumed guests themselves harness themselves to the cart and drive the new matchmakers through the streets.
And, of course, speaking of customs, one cannot miss the rite of infant baptism. Children were baptized immediately after birth. To perform the ceremony, they consulted for a long time, choosing godparents. They will be second parents for the child and, equally with them, are responsible for the life, health and upbringing of the baby. Godparents become godfathers and maintain friendly relations with each other throughout their lives.
When the child turned one year old, the godmother sat him on an inside-out sheepskin coat and carefully cut a cross in his hair on the crown of his head with scissors. This was done so that evil spirits would not have access to his thoughts and further actions.
Every year, on Christmas Eve, the grown-up godson always brought the godfather kutya and other treats, and the godfather gave him some sweets in return.
Mixed rites
As we have already said, some rituals originated in the pre-Christian period, but continue to live to this day, slightly changing their appearance. It was the same with Maslenitsa. A widely known ritual is the celebration of the night of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that only on this single day of the year does the fern bloom. Whoever can find this flower that cannot be handed over will be able to see the treasures underground, and all the secrets will be revealed to him. But only a person who is pure in heart, sinless, can find it.
In the evening, huge fires were lit, over which young people jumped in pairs. It was believed that if the two of you, holding hands, jump over the fire, then love will not leave you throughout your life. They danced in circles and sang songs. The girls wove wreaths and floated them on the water. They believed that if the wreath floated to the shore, the girl would remain alone for another year, if she drowned, she would die this year, and if she floated with the flow, she would soon get married.
Traditions conceal many interesting and unknown things. different nations of our planet.
And the mysterious, sometimes even forbidden, topic of sex could not remain aside from customs and, accordingly, was reflected in various rituals, sometimes very unusual.
Sexual caresses and partner arousal
1. Among the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands, one of the sexiest caresses is considered to be nibbling on a partner's eyelashes.
2. In Korea they believed that The best way to enhance a man’s arousal, inject 1-2 cm into the root of the penis with a needle.
3. Men of the Panape tribe, which lives in Micronesia, stimulate their partners with the help of ants, which sting very painfully. The insects are specially kept in boxes and, in the midst of sexual caresses, are planted directly on the clitoris of the beloved.
4. The sexual traditions of some other African tribes are also associated with insects, namely with the same ants. Partners place 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 has long had a tradition of cleaning each other from ticks, lice and fleas. For greater excitement, lovers also swallow these insects.
It was believed that this atavism remained in the Siron tribe from the monkeys. However, upon closer examination, it 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 durable. Maybe this is why the Siron Indians can have sex every day for 5-6 hours.
6. But in Zimbabwe they love dry sex. There it is believed that friction should be hard. Therefore, before sexual intercourse, local women rub their intimate organs with special herbs that create increased dryness. And men make special scar cuts on the penis so that the friction is as strong as possible.
Defloration and amputation
7. Men of the Hottentot tribe from South Africa have maintained the tradition of amputating one of their testicles. This is done to prevent twins from being born in the family, the appearance of which is considered a curse for the tribe.
8. In many Islamic countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia In Kuwait, the custom of ceremonial defloration has been preserved to this day. This is when the hymen is torn index finger right hand, wrapped in 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 certain tribes of equatorial Africa. The girls are sent into the jungle so that the role of the first man will be played by... a male gorilla. And if a girl failed to attract the “monkey,” this cast a shadow on her reputation as a potential spouse: they say even the gorilla didn’t bite! 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 could literally do whatever he wanted with the unfortunate girl. The more injuries and mutilations a virgin received, the higher position she then occupied in the hierarchy of the tribe. This is the price to pay for sexual disability.
10. In the Zakai tribe (Sumatra island), the bride had to be deflowered by the father, who was helped by the bride’s uncles, i.e. brothers of 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. B 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. Deflowering took place using the symbol of a phallus made of stone, wood or other materials. After this, 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 the parents, could be collected and further used as a love spell.
12. Almost all tribes South America and in some African tribes There was a widespread tradition of deflowering oneself with a wooden dildo. After which the torn hymen was covered with pieces of antiseptic plants.
13. A in Papua New Guinea the right to deprive a girl of her virginity belonged exclusively to the high priest. This happened with the help of a wooden knife. And the groom was obliged to invite other men to “test” the newly-made bride. Only after this was the wedding celebrated and the wife had to remain faithful in the marriage.
14. Quite the opposite was done in some tribes in Africa. There they fought to “save” the bride. And they solved this matter radically - the girl’s vagina is simply sewn up at an early age and “opened” 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. The girls created bleeding using a fish bladder, a sponge soaked in blood, or other tricks. Even then, the vaginal opening was sometimes stitched together, and sometimes special drugs were used to narrow it. Well, today feigning innocence is a well-established surgical operation.
16. And in Japan, virginity can only be proven by heavy bleeding, so special balls filled with a liquid similar to blood were inserted into the vagina to simulate it.
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 with 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 nearby populated place, which made the process particularly extreme. However, telling your husband about the number of partners was considered unethical. The lists of those who were blessed were kept by the mother-in-law and mother-in-law.
18. Similar traditions still exist on the island of Mangaia in Oceania. Mothers there approve of their daughters having multiple sexual partners. It is believed that this way the girl has a chance to choose the best groom. Therefore, after her 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 prohibited, 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 line, singing and dancing, and in turn, in order of seniority, perform sexual intercourse with the bride.”
20. But in the Shilluk tribe, which lives in Central Africa, the opposite is true. There is a tradition there of marrying the king to several dozen beauties (up to 77). But this is the case when the harem is sorrow, not joy. Essentially, harem slaves condemn their master to death. As soon as ten and more women begin to complain that the person does not satisfy them, the poor fellow faces not only overthrow from an honorary post, but also death in terrible torment. For, as the Shilluk belief goes, an impotent person cannot betray the power of the earth's fertility. The worst thing about this 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 anecdotes. By the way, the Kamchadals do not have the concept of adultery in their language, and they treat adultery much more calmly than other peoples.
22. A similar custom was in the everyday life of 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 loaning their wives to men from a stronger clan.
23. Also in the valleys of mountainous Tibet, they also believed that if a guest liked someone else’s wife, then this was the highest will of the gods, and he should be allowed to “use” her. In Mongolia, the owner of a yurt in which there is 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 a head start to brothels. For example, in the Saundatti temple, the tradition of sacred prostitution has flourished for hundreds of years. During festivals and when there is a large flow of pilgrims, "jogamma" and "jogappa" - young women and boys - copulate with the pilgrims in exchange for their donations to the temple. These acts of love are dedicated to the "mother of the world" goddess Yellama, her husband Yamadagni and their son Parazuram, who, as the myth tells, cut off his mother's head.
It happens something like this: before entering the chambers, they pronounce a mantra, leave donations to the temple and the gods, and hide behind a heavy drapery. There, believers and ministers of the Yellama cult fall into a trance and, half-oblivious, perform the ritual of “maituna” - “saving intercourse.” After some time, 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 near the temple.
29. Imagine a wedding procession: at the altar there is a fifteen-year-old bride and five brother grooms, from six to twenty-six years old. Among the Tibetan Ning-ba tribe in northwestern Nepal, the land - the main local treasure - is inherited by a woman. By giving one of his daughters in marriage to several men, Ning-ba is actually hired labor and avoid crushing the land. Others are destined for the fate of novices in the monastery.
Men share a woman among themselves very simply: the one who happens to spend the night in the matrimonial bedroom leaves his shoes at the entrance, thereby warning others that “the place is occupied.”
Flirting
30. An interesting concept was flirting in Tanzania. To lure a man, Tanzanian women steal his hoe and sandals. It’s just that these items are of particular value by local standards. The man will have to come for them, willy-nilly. And there already...
31. Another one interesting custom, which indirectly refers to the Aborigines of North-Eastern Australia before 1945 - they were engaged in... penis-sucking. Every stranger, coming to a local village, had to give his penis to the inhabitants of the village of the stronger sex...
32. But during the Renaissance, sex became more open and acquired new rituals. So, for example, during a wedding, one of the guests climbed under the skirt of a girl sitting at the table and stole her garter (note that underwear weren't worn 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 festival marking the end of the rainy season and the awakening of nature, young men from the Bororo tribe in Niger carefully paint and dress up. 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 (sometimes the layer of makeup reaches 3-5 cm) on their faces participate in a beauty contest, the jury of which consists of the 10 most beautiful girls of the tribe. Moreover, they must be completely naked, and the dancers’ faces must be painted identically, so that their masterly mastery of the art of makeup does not interfere with the girls’ impartial assessment manhood. The eerie smile frozen on their faces is needed to show the whiteness of their teeth, and their 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 for the next month. Those remaining on the panel of judges are divided among the closest rivals of the lucky winner. 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 considered the “holiday of choosing husbands.” At sunrise, the potential newlyweds begin their love dances and dance until all the brides choose one of their fellow tribesmen. Moreover, when a woman places her hand on her chosen one’s shoulder as a sign of her affection, he does not even dare to raise his eyes to his future wife. Perhaps because the bride, while decorating herself the night before, slightly overdid it with ritual wounds and incisions. However, the future family life- this is by no means a settled fact. Even after public erotic games the future of the marriage remains in doubt. 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 sneaking into the house of future relatives.
Sexy accessories
35. On the island of Sumatra, men of the Batta tribe inserted small sharp pieces of metal or pebbles under the foreskin, believing that this would give their partner special pleasure. In this case, the “decorations” injured both partners.
36. Argentine Araucan Indians loved to attach a tassel made of horsehair to the male penis, and sometimes the 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 was size. In their opinion, a woman can only like the reproductive organ big size. Therefore, they not only lengthened the penis with all possible ways, but they also tried to expose their male organ to poisonous snakes, spiders and other insects for a bite, and then bandaged them, trying to contain 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 impaled on a rod and pierced in several places. A slightly more humane device was the “yalaka” - a hollow tube with a surface covered with knobs. Compared to it, 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, on purpose.
39. But on the island of Bali, women tried to decorate themselves. They entered into intimate parts various small objects - rings, pebbles, nuts. On the one hand, this, in their opinion, helped fertility, 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 wear costumes that include huge penises made from papier-mâché. Calm at normal times, they have fun and run screaming through the streets after women.
41. In Japan, not only male genitals are celebrated, but also female ones - at the so-called “vagina festival”. Then there is a parade during which a huge model of a vagina is shown. It is carried along the street and sometimes opened. Then the girl sits inside and throws away the rice cakes that people catch on the streets.
42. Well, every five years in this country there is a special ceremony during which images of both male and female genital organs are shown. It takes place in Inuyama. The phallic deities are brought here from the Temple in Taga, and the image of the female vagina is brought from Ogata. During these phallic festivals, the sexual act itself may be demonstrated. For example, in Chibi, near Tokyo, a huge wooden phallus is inserted into a giant female vulva made of straw. For greater visibility Spectators pour strong, milky sake, called frill, over the image of the female genital organ.
Other
43. To avoid getting pregnant out of wedlock, the Slavs used very unusual positions. For example, sex was very common while standing, or when a girl was held in her arms. Another method, the “rider” pose, which is still popular today, was also intended specifically to reduce the risk of getting knocked up. Another option - sex in water - was also considered a purely Slavic option and, in addition to hygiene, in the opinion of our ancestors, contributed to a decrease in the birth rate. Later, the authorities and the church introduced a ban on the “standing” and “riding” positions - it is difficult to get pregnant with it, which means it is “not for childbearing, but only for the sake of weakness,” that is, for pleasure. Those who performed sexual acts in water were declared sorcerers and witches. The norms of Christianity dictated only one position for a woman during sex - face to face, lying motionless from below. Kissing was prohibited. Back then, a “good wife” was considered an asexual wife who had an aversion to sex.
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 bride's mother must be nearby to witness what happened.
46. In Guam, a virgin is prohibited from getting married. That's why there is a special profession there - deflorator. Such a specialist travels around the country and, for a fee, provides girls with the service of deflowering.
47. In Libya, men are officially allowed to have sex with animals. At the same time, there is important limitation: Animals must be female. Relationships with male animals are punishable by death. In general, in most countries of the Middle East one of the fundamental laws of Islam is still in effect: under no circumstances 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 will never 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, who examines him, feels his muscles, looks into his mouth. After which the sentence is heard: “17 times.” That’s how many times a guy will satisfy the bride’s mother! Moreover, the number can go far beyond a hundred, and the guy will be forced to do this almost continuously! Some cannot stand it and run away, and whoever passes the test will become a husband and will be respected by the entire tribe. This is such a difficult test.
49. The tribes of North-West Africa hold a monthly sex lottery. Each man draws lots with which woman he will spend the night. All women present throw their erotic talismans into the basket. The man who pulls out the woman’s talisman will be her sexy gentleman at this celebration of love. Joy and happiness illuminate those men who got the most beautiful and sexy women. Instantly they drag their prey into the surrounding bushes and disappear there until the morning. And those who had to spend the night with ugly women are upset. But that's the custom. If you refuse your lot, you will be forever barred from further participation in such competitions. But how happy the old women are! They drag the healthy and strong men, like stubborn donkeys: And you can’t escape your fate - after all, it’s a lottery!
50. The African pygmies practice the following custom: 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 that's not all. For three days, all the men of the tribe who wandered into the house of the groom’s mother can make love with the girl, and only after that she remains forever with her husband. I wonder what condition...
Every country, every people has its own ancestral customs. But sometimes they seem too strange for modern man. We will tell you about some of them.
Residents of the Republic of Madagascar are distinguished by exceptional affection for their relatives. But sometimes such a connection becomes abnormal, especially when it comes to those who have already died. The Malagasy people to this day strictly follow ancient custom periodically dig up the dead from their tombs, dress them in best clothes and take photos together with them. To a modern European this will seem wild, but 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. The newly born child is thrown from the wall of the temple (height 10-15 meters). Below, the newborn is caught; for this, a large piece of material is stretched, which is held by at least 8 people. It is believed that such a procedure with early years will make the child luckier and also give him courage.
In Scotland, in some regions, medieval wedding customs have survived into the 21st century. The bride, dressed in an immaculate white dress, decorated with flowers (and rich in jewelry), is completely covered in mud. Dirt can be spoiled food, soil, flour, honey. In this form, she must walk along the main street, go around the central square, and also ride a horse throughout the city. Today this is done, for the most part, for the sake of entertainment, but previously people believed that through this a girl cleanses her soul from all sorts of earthly sins.
The relationship with death among most peoples has always been original. But in conducting funeral rites, Tibetan monks distinguished themselves most of all. The body of the deceased, according to their belief, was supposed to not only return to the earth, but also bring benefit. And therefore it was not buried, but was divided and carried to the top of the mountain, where wild animals live. Thus, people believed that the spirit of the deceased was reunited with nature in the most naturally: being included in the natural cycle of substances.
Walking on lit coals has been practiced in Japan and Africa since ancient times. But you can still find this custom there today. Fire was called upon to purify a person, to instill in him courage, firmness and perseverance. 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 practice shows, are quite strange in their customs. And the Japanese spring fertility festival is proof of this. At the beginning of spring, residents of the country rising sun gather on the streets of cities (only some cities, since not everyone takes part in the holiday) to witness the sacred action. The strongest and healthiest men get the opportunity to carry a wooden male reproductive organ weighing 25 kilograms across the city. This tradition involves not only improving the land and increasing the level of productivity, but also bringing “fertility to the family,” increasing the birth rate and strengthening families.
