The Sambia people aka Simbari Anga are a set of people who are mountain dwellers, hunters, and horticultural.
They inhabit the fringes of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea.
The Sambia people speak Simbari, a trans-New Guinea language belonging to the Angan branch. This tribe in the new Papua Guinea has been a wonder to many due to their traditions and beliefs.
This ritual, which is a symbol of a young boy’s rite of passage to manhood, starts when a boy is between the ages of 6 to 10 and comprises of 6 stages.
Imperative to the processes and teaching of the initial ceremony is the notion that women can be dangerous to men.
To become a man, and in essence a “warrior,” these young men are taught how to detach themselves from their mothers and the women around them as a means of showing that they can live without them and prove their masculinity.
In the first stages, a sharp stick of cane is inserted deeply into the young boy’s nostrils until he bleeds profusely. The young boys are also introduced to older warriors who are told that bachelors are going to “copulate” with them to make them grow.
Throughout much of the 6 stages, the act of having the stick of cane inserted into the nostrils and the performance of ‘fellatio’ are integral to the process of becoming a man. While the former practice is often derided by many as ‘inhumane’ and the latter is often referred to as ‘homosexual’ behavior, Sambia’s understanding and purpose behind these two processes differ from our conventional understanding.
Additionally, the act of performing fellatio and the act of ingesting semen is seen as an integral part of manhood because boys are unable to mature into men unless they ingest semen and they adhere to the notion that all men have, ‘eaten the penis’.
According to Sambia belief, the semen of a man possesses the ‘masculine spirit’, which young boys will be able to attain through his ingestion of semen.
Below are the Male Rites of Passage
1.) Maku
This is the first rite of passage for the boys. They are separated from their mothers at this stage and participate in bloodletting( where long sticks are inserted up their nostrils to make them bleed), therefore ridding themselves of their mothers’ presence in them. The Sambia people do not believe that males are born with semen and so, during Maku, the boys participate in fellatio. They are also required to undergo a strict diet during this time period, which is from age 7-10.
2.) Imbutu
This stage is filled with camaraderie, male bonding, and rewards for making it through the first set of Rites.
3.) Ipmangwi
During this stage, the boys begin to go through puberty, and they no longer need to participate in fellatio. They also learn gender roles, and how to have appropriate intercourse. Once they have learned this, they look for a wife and marry during this stage. It lasts for three years as well, during the ages 13–16.
4.) Nupusha
During this stage, the males get married and have appropriate intercourse. This stage happens only after the others have been completed, and they must be at least 16 years old.
5.)Taiketnyi
The males undergo bloodletting again during this stage, as their wives have their first menstrual cycle as married women
6.) Moondung
This stage is when the women give birth to their first child. This is the final step, and signifies completion of the Rites of passage. They can now be considered full-grown, respectable men.
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