10:50 am Wednesday, 26th April, 2017
We may consider ourselves somewhat sexually liberated, or at least headed in that direction, and while that may be the case, there are some societies out there that make us look like painfully repressed prudes. Some of these cultures no longer exist, but there will always be people to take their place.
With so many tribes and small groups out there, it is impossible to list all of the strange sexual customs and adulthood rites that each group might practice. Many societies likely keep their ways of life close to the proverbial chest, away from the judgmental eyes of outsiders. Here are just a few of the sexual lifestyles that we…ahem…came across.
Indonesia
The event of 'Pon' is held seven times a year, during which participants travel to a sacred mountain on the island of Java to perform a ceremony of good luck and fortune through sex. Participants have to spend the night and have intercourse with someone other than their wife or husband. it is said that their wishes of good luck will only come true if they have sex with the same person at all seven celebrations throughout the year.
India
The Deer Horn Muria are a forest-dwelling tribe who live deep in Central India’s Chhattisgarh region. They practice something called Ghotul, which is a festive mingling of teenage men and women to teach them songs, lore, tribal dance… and sex. At night, they engage in ceremonial orgies and sexual romps. Girls drink a natural liquor as an herbal contraceptive to avoid pregnancy and then choose different sexual partners every night. If the herbal drink doesn’t work and the girl becomes pregnant, the entire village will adopt the baby since no one knows for sure who the father is.
Niger - Gerewol Festival
The “people of the taboo,” or Wodaabe, are a tribe in Niger known for their beauty and rich cultural ceremonies. Traditionally, a person’s first marriage is arranged by their parents while they’re infants, and they must be married to cousins of the same lineage. At the annual Gerewol festival, Wodaabe men dress in elaborate costumes and makeup and then stand in a line in front of women to show off their beautiful teeth, faces, and features. Women pick new husbands from the men they are most impressed by, and if the new couple leaves without their current husband knowing, they become socially recognised. As opposed to the formal first marriage, this form of union is called a “love marriage.”
Himalayas
In the populated Himalayas, there is not much land available for farming and grazing, so families with more than one son would have to divide their land when each son starts his own family, providing even less agriculture per family. The solution to this is in finding a single wife for all of the sons of a family so that they can keep the plot and land intact. In some Nepalese communities, many brothers might share a single wife. Anthropologists call this form of polyandrous societal practice “fraternal polyandry”, where a group of brothers share one wife. Apparently, the wife must be adept at scheduling time with each brother to keep jealous flares from rising.
Cambodia
The Kreung tribe in Cambodia built love huts for their girls when they reached their mid-teens. Different boys spend a night in the hut with the young girls until she finally finds a match. Divorce is illegal here, so think of the love hut as a ‘Sexual Sorting Hat’.
Sex can be a bonding or loving experience, a formality, or fun and exciting. Whatever you want to call it, there’s no doubt that sex makes the world go ’round. Every culture is different, with different morals and lifestyles, and that is a great word to describe these practices: Different.
So folks, what do you think? Heard of any more unusual sex customs? How open-minded do you think you are when it comes to sex? Share with us in the comments.
