Uganda
It is tradition in one of the tribes of Uganda to perform a circumcision on young men coming of age. I was invited to attend on of the festivals. The day starts with the young men, dressed in a traditional way, dancing and singing. The day of festivities helps prepare the boys for the anesthetic free circumcision. After the ceremonial, public cutting, the boys retreat to a private hut where they are passed into manhood. To read an excellent first hand account, read Nelson Mandala's autobiography.
It is tradition in one of the tribes of Uganda to perform a circumcision on young men coming of age. I was invited to attend on of the festivals. The day starts with the young men, dressed in a traditional way, dancing and singing. The day of festivities helps prepare the boys for the anesthetic free circumcision. After the ceremonial, public cutting, the boys retreat to a private hut where they are passed into manhood. The white paste on the boy represents purity. To read an excellent first hand account, read Nelson Mandala's autobiography.
It is tradition in one of the tribes of Uganda to perform a circumcision on young men coming of age. I was invited to attend on of the festivals. The day starts with the young men, dressed in a traditional way, dancing and singing. The day of festivities helps prepare the boys for the anesthetic free circumcision. After the ceremonial, public cutting, the boys retreat to a private hut where they are passed into manhood. The man appearing in this photo is the one who performs the circumcision, notice that the certificate states, "this is not a certificate to practice medicine". To read an excellent first hand account, read Nelson Mandala's autobiography.