The Sambian Tribe’s Bizarre Custom: Consuming Semen to be Recognized as “Adults”.
The Sambian tribe resides in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, a country in Oceania located in the southwestern Pacific, with a population of 2,500 people living in a vast forest, surrounded by rivers and valleys.
Once relatively unknown, the Sambian people gained global attention after being the subject of research by the renowned American anthropologist, Gilbert Herdt.
To be recognized as “adults,” Sambian boys must consume the semen of older men.
The Sambians are a mountain-dwelling tribe that survives through hunting and gathering in Papua New Guinea. They are known for one of the most bizarre customs in the world: semen consumption. In this practice, to be recognized as “adults”, Sambian boys must ingest the semen of older men – believed to imbue strength and facilitate maturity.
The tradition of young boys consuming the semen of older men is continuously upheld and is thought to contribute to the tribe members becoming courageous warriors capable of defending their land.
Boys must undergo tattooing to cleanse the “impurities” left by their mothers during childbirth.
Additionally, Sambian boys are required to separate from their mothers and live with other men in the tribe starting from the age of seven. This separation lasts for ten years and is a crucial step for the boys to be recognized as adults.
During these ten years, the boys do not receive care from their mothers and must also get tattooed to cleanse the “impurities” left on their bodies by their mothers during childbirth. This practice raises concerns that Sambian boys may endure significant physical and psychological trauma until they reach adulthood.
