Coming of age Rituals

Amish Rumspringa & Mardudjara Aborigines Sub-incision

Rumspringa 

"Holy Rumspringa! An Amish Reality Show?!" Prince.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

The Amish are a subsect of the Anabaptist Christian movement, who intentionally segregate themselves from other communities as part of their faith. As a coming of age ritual, the Amish indulge in a practice known as Rumspringa. The word Rumspringa was originally  derived from a german word “springa,” meaning  “to jump.” The ritual occurs whenever a boy or girl turns the age of sixteen (although it can occur as early as age fourteen), and ends with the ritual of Baptism into the Amish religion. It is at this age the Amish believe a person becomes mature.

"Amish - A Haiku Deck by Autumn Wallace." Presentation Software That Inspires. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

"13 Amazing Coming of Age Traditions from around the World." 13 Amazing Coming of Age Traditions from around the World. N.p., 28 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

After reaching the age of maturity, teenagers are allowed to explore the world outside their community for a weekend, without family supervision. The elders of the amish community encourage the young adults to partake in the pleasures of the outside world.  these includes but are not limited to the use of  modern clothing, alcohol, smoking, and the use technology. Though they are completely free to go where they want, most do not wonder far into the outside world. instead they usually take a trip to the nearest city or town.

"Devil's Playground - Google Search." Devil's Playground - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

"MIX NEWS COLOMBIA..." MIX NEWS COLOMBIA... N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

 The purpose of this weekend is to widen the perspective of the Amish youth. It is at this time that the teenagers reflect on whether they see themselves in a quiet, peaceful lifestyle or in a fast-pace society. Although these teenagers are considered adults, they are not yet seen as devoted members to the faith. Induction to the faith occurs only after they recite the Schleitheim and Dordrecht Confessions of Faith. The Schleitheim Confessions are the Anabaptist’s most representative statements of principles.  The Dordrecht Confession is a statement of religious beliefs that emphasize salvation trough Jesus Christ, baptism, and nonviolence. Since returning to the community is not mandatory, those who do return are excepted to be whole heartily devoted to the Amish lifestyle. Fortunately for the Amish community, the majority of their teenagers do return after Rumspringa and pledge full devotion for their faith. 

Mardudjara Aborigines Sub-incision

"Past Lives, Other Lives, and The Vast Hole of the." The Great Reveal by SillyMickel the PlanetMates. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

The Australian Mardudjara Aborigines’s rite of passage consists of two parts: circumcision and sub-incision. Aborigine boys ages fifteen and sixteen undergo this passage. It is only through these body modifications that a boy will come of age. After reaching the age of maturity the Aborigines boys are led by the tribal elder to a bonfire, where they are giving orders to lay down. After a couple moments have passed, a group of singing and dancing men surround the boys. These men are followed by group of men called the Mourners, who moan and cry throughout the circumcision and sub-incision.

The tribal elder goes one by one performing the circumcisions. He sits on the chest of the boys, twist and pulls the foreskin of the penis, and slowly cuts off the foreskin. This ritual is done without any anesthetics. The boys are only given a boomerang to bite down on to ease the pain. When the circumcision is completed, the boys kneel on a shield that’s placed over the fire so the smoke can rise up and purify their wounds. As the boys are recovering from the pain, the tribal elder insist that they chew some “good meat.” He gives the boys a piece of “good meat,” and without much hesitation the boys eat it. Moments after swallowing the meat the elder informs boys that it was actually their own foreskin. He explains that eating their own foreskin,  allows the flesh to grow inside them, thus allowing the boys to become strong men. 

  

"Past Lives, Other Lives, and The Vast Hole of the." The Great Reveal by SillyMickel the PlanetMates. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

A few months after the circumcision passes, the second part of the initiation begins. Just as before the tribal elder takes the boys to a bonfire and he sits on top of them. Again, the group of male singers and mourners are present. The tribal elder takes hold of the boys penises and a small wooden rod is inserted into their urethras to act as a backing for the knife. The tribal elder splits the penis on the underside form the frenulum (underneath the head of the penis) to the scrotum.  The pain is so unbearable that the boys began to cry. Lucky for them their rite of passage is now complete and their pain will soon subside. The boys stand over the fire allowing the blood to trip into it. From now on the boys will have to sit to urinate, very similar to how a woman would. Most anthropologist believe that the sub-incision ritual is done to stimulate a woman’s menstruation, which allows the boys to sympathize with the women.

This rituals of coming of age is slowly disappearing each time more and more with the tribes contact with the modern world.

Similarities 

"Wirtualna Polska - Wszystko Co Ważne - Www.wp.pl." Wirtualna Polska - Wszystko Co Ważne - Www.wp.pl. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

"Australian Aboriginal Rites of Passage." Australian Aboriginal Rites of Passage. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

Besides the fact that both the coming-of-age rituals occur at the same point in life, the Aborigines’s and Amish’s rituals differ in many ways. The major difference is that they focus on different aspects of maturity. The Amish Rumspringa is about sticking to your roots. Imagine always hearing stories about the wonders of the outside world, how excited would you be at age sixteen? You would finally be able to see the world for the first time. The thing that I respect about teenagers that go through Rumspringa is that they don't change. Not even seeing the wonders of a new world changes their love for their modest life, family, and religion. The individuals who return are people who truly understand  the phrase “there’s no place like home.” 

Rumspringa is about staying loyal to your roots whereas the Aborigines sub-incision is about facing fear and self identity. If you where an Aborigines boy you would at a young age know about sub-incision. Whether it was from your cousin going through it, looking at your dad naked, or maybe watching the ritual from far, regardless the reason you would soon discover that you are next. Every year you are getting closer to your rite-of-passage. One day you wake up and its the day you feel it and you can not avoid it. There is nothing you can do about it, you might as well lay back with your friends and let the ritual commence. 

The Boys of the Aborigines tribe are facing a fear that has followed them since infancy. Although they might be scared they fully accept the pain because they finally want to be able to be identified with their elders. It is what they have seen all there lives and know it is finally here. 

Small differences 

 Unlike the unisex Amish Rumspringa,only males participate in the Aborigines’s circumcisions. During Rumspringa the teenagers have no elder supervision, they do what they please, which is the polar opposite from the Aborigines ritual in which the tribe elder gives orders to the boys. The Aborigines boys have to be circumcised to become adults, they have to remove a body part, the Amish teens don’t have to remove anything. Rumspringa is a two to three day ritual whereas the Aborigines circumcision and sub-incision take months to complete. At the end of Rumpringa the teens are baptized, they are initiated into the religion, the Aborigine’s circumcised are not baptized. 

Values 

 "Wirtualna Polska - Wszystko Co Ważne - Www.wp.pl." Wirtualna Polska - Wszystko Co Ważne - Www.wp.pl. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

"Australian Aboriginal Rites of Passage." Australian Aboriginal Rites of Passage. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

After, researching both the coming of age ceremonies I noticed some values. The fact that the Amish elders allow their teens to explore the outside world, drink, and smoke, gives me the idea that they have trust in their youth. It is almost as if the elder know that no matter what the teens might see or do they will still stay faithful to the community. 

It may sound demonic at first to read that the Aborigines boys undergo sub-incision, but only after reading that anthropologist believe sub-incision to be a symbolism for woman menstruation, I understood. View the ceremony through a cross cultural perspective  I noticed the amount of respect that the Aborigines have towards women, sub-incision thus allowing men to sympathize with the females of the tribe.

Bibliography:

Coming of age

Amish Rumspringa

Online

Globalcitizen

N.d. About GBC. Globalcitizen http://www.globalcitizen.org/Content/Content.aspx?id=070c47a6-f0df-4680-88e7-a80158cdacc6

"13 Amazing Coming of Age Traditions from around the World." 13 Amazing Coming of Age Traditions from around the World. N.p., 28 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.Online 

National Public Radio

N.d About NPR. National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5455572
"Rumspringa: Amish Teens Venture into Modern Vices." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.

Online

All that is Interesting

N.d about ATII. All that is interesting http://all-that-is-interesting.com/worlds-coolest-coming-of-age-traditions/3
"The World's Coolest Coming Of Age Traditions." All That Is Interesting. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.  

Mardudjara Aborigines Sub-incision

Online

All that is Interesting

N.d about ATII. All that is interesting http://all-that-is-interesting.com/worlds-coolest-coming-of-age-traditions/3

  

Online

Web pages

N.d About. WP Webpages http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/220aboriginal_passage.htm
"The World's Coolest Coming Of Age Traditions." All That Is Interesting. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.