Traditional African Religion

This paper will discuss two areas of traditional African religion; the initiation of young people into society through circumcision, and the subject of marriage.

In most traditional African societies, it is customary for both boys and girls to undergo some type of initiation rite which marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. Frequently, these rituals involve circumcision. For boys, circumcision means that the foreskin of the penis will be cut away, whereas for girls the procedure is far more involved and indicates anything ranging from clitoridectomy (the removal of the clitoris) to infibulation, in which the labia are removed as well and the two sides of the vulva are stitched together. Initiation rites which involve circumcision are usually carried out at around the time of puberty; however, this is not always the case. Even though circumcision of both boys and girls typically represents their transition to adulthood, the procedure is sometimes carried out when the individuals are small children. The actual age for circumcision varies among different tribal cultures. For example, Mbiti has noted that "in some parts [of Africa], boys are circumcised at a very early age (even a few days after birth). In most cases, however, this is left until the period of puberty and after" (Mbiti, 1975, p. 96). Sometimes there are age variations even within the same ethnic group. Among the Afar people of Ethiopia, for example, the Asaemara group circumcise boys at

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to a secret place on the outskirts of the village, where they are excised and taught about their role as future wives and mothers, as well as how to respect their elders. This rite of passage is marked by a ritual ceremony, during which all the women of the village dance and eat with the girls upon their return to their families" (Walker and Parmar, 1993, p. 163). It must be emphasized that although circumcision is a relatively minor operation for boys, the same is not true for girls undergoing the procedure. Circumcision of girls involves the "removal of the clitoris - a brief, bloody operation that is performed without anesthetics [and] reduces the woman's potential for arousal during intercourse, making sex a female activity of procreation, not pleasure" (Lamb, 1982, pp. 36-37). Many societies which practice female circumcision also require the girls to undergo a still more dangerous and painful operation called infibulation, a surgery which "excises the clitoris, labia minora, and inner walls of the labia majora and sutures up the two sides of the vulva" (Harden, 1990, p. 139). A very small opening is left for the passage of urine and menstrual blood. This practice can cause a lifetime of pain and medical problems. For

Category: Science - T