Strange culture: Sharo, the fulani's festival of flogging to get a wife.

Fulani are the largest migratory ethnic group in the world. They are
among the "super" ethnic groups of Africa with members numbering 30
million and above and spread over western part of African continent. Fulani people despite embracing Islam still practise their culture and. traditions, and one of such is Sharo cultural festival or Tradition festival of flogging. The Sharo cultural festival is a very unique festival observed by the fulani tribes of Nigeria and some other West-African countries.

Sharo is a test of bravery, a rite of passage to adulthood and marriage
ritual ceremonies . According to the Fulani custom of sharo, rival suitors underwent the ordeal of flogging as a means of eliminating those who are less persistent. The
point, however, is that the victim being beaten does not flinch but shows utter indifference to pain and even sneers at his attacker. If he is able to achieve this, his family and friends surround him with joy, offering gifts and congratulations and he's consider worthy of a woman to marry.

The significance of this festival is that the lashing of the groom is to determine the willingness to endure marital pains and ability to undergo hard ship for his wife. But the sad part of it is that many people lose their lives while proving
their manhood.

Weird body modification: The plated tribes.

The lip plate, also known as a lip plug or lip disc, is a form of body modification. Increasingly larger discs (usually circular, made from clay or wood) are inserted into a pierced hole in either the upper or lower lip, or both, thereby stretching it.

Archaeological evidence indicates that labrets have been independently invented no fewer than six times, in Sudan and Ethiopia (8700 BC), Mesoamerica (1500 BC), and Coastal Ecuador (500 BC). Today, the custom is maintained by a few groups in Africa and Amazonia.

In Africa, a lower lip plate is usually combined with the excision of the two lower front teeth, and sometimes all four.
Among the Sara people and Lobi a plate is also inserted into the upper lip. Other tribes, such as the Makonde, used to wear a plate in the upper lip only. In many older sources it is reported that the plate's size is a sign of social or economical importance in some tribes.






However, because of natural mechanical attributes of human skin, it seems that the plate's size often just depends on the stage of stretching the lip and the wishes of the wearer.






The tradition to wear plates has appeared not because of beauty, rather vice- versa. For example when Ethiopian Mursi,were captured and taken into bondage, they violently had crippled themselves, and nobody wanted to take them after that. Now the size of a plate is a beauty criterion. The more is plate, the more cattle will be given for the bride. Girls-
mursi always have a choice to do the hole in a lip or not. But for the girl without the stretched lip a very small repayment is given.







The original purpose of lip plugs may have been to deform, affording women a sort of protection against Arab slavers. However,David Livingstone asked a
chief the reason for them and in surprise the chief answered; for beauty!




He continued in his wisdom that " They are the only beautiful things women have. Men have beards women have none. What kind of person would she be without Pelele? She would not be a woman at all."

What a beauty enhancer ! I hope most female readers will get a lip plug or plate too to make them look beautiful.

Weird Marriage Custom : Kidnap and Marry

Lotuko (also, Lotuka ) is an ethnic group in South Sudan . Their population exceeds 200,000. Their
traditional home is Equatoria area on Southern Sudan. They speak Otuho language , a Nilotic language .

This set of people has a very weird marriage tradition.If a guy wants to
marry a girl,he kidnaps her. After kidnapping, elderly people of his family go to girl’s father and ask for her hand. If girl’s father agrees he beats the guy as a symbol of acceptance and if he doesn’t agree, the kidnapper marries the girl
forcefully.

Now all the girls should thank God, they are not born in Lotuko.