HHS4M1 Young Singles

Unit 2

Rites of Passage
Ceremonies that mark a change in a person’s social position

o Help society deal with important life changes

o Often a combination of chronology (time) biology,
psychology and social maturity
o Can be both formal and informal

Usually involve 3 stages

Separation incorporation
Transition

Formal Example – Bobongo Tribe Africa – Young Adult

Videos are on blog

HHS4M1 Young Singles
Unit 2

Step 1 Separation :

 Adopted by an elder (separate from parents/tribe)

 large celebration day of initiation with whole village
 prick tongue of the initiate
 fed mixture of shredded iboga leaves (hallucinogenic) and forest honey
 isolated in hut overnight with elder and fed Tabernanthe (iboga root)

Step 2 Transition :

 elder sings softly to encourage hallucinations

 violent purging of body
visions of past wrong doings and out of body experiences
 see the deity of the Mbuti religion
 next morning anointed in river with Mbuti leaves and water
 more hallucinations while village sings and dances

Step 3 Incorporation :

 after seeing fire spirits at night elders approve of visions

 given tribal name to signify manhood
eat real food
 men plant forest around initiate’s symbolic tree and break forest