e in a majority of the same acts in regards to the transforming young boys into men. However, while circumcision is a major role for the initiation into manhood, the Sambia believe that in order for a boy to start maturing as a male, he must swallow semen. The Sambia “are firmly convinced that manhood is an artificially induced stat that must be forcibly foisted onto hesitant young boys by ritual means” (Gilmore, 147: 1990). The young boys are forced to perform fellatio on grown men, because it is believed that “if a boy doesn’t eat semen, he remains small and weak” (Gilmore, 147:1990). The tribes of the Sambia and the Samburu are not the only tribes that engage in rituals concerning manhood. As illustrated in the slide presentation by Glenn Yocum (March 19, 2001), the boys of Turkey also enter manhood through the initiation of circumcision. However, with the Turks, the boys can be as young as six when circumcised as shown in the slides presented in class. While the age of the young boy does matter greatly, being that they must be between a certain age range, a younger boy might be initiated at the same time as an older sibling who is ready to be circumcised. According to Glenn, this occurs because the circumcision ceremony is a big event in the lives of the young boys, and it is treated as such by their families. Festivities are planned around the circumcision ceremony, and it is treated as if it were a wedding ceremony (Yocum, 3/19/01). The young boys are dressed in special “costumes” to indicate that they are being initiated into manhood. After the circumcision, a lamb is slaughtered to celebrate the event, and a big feast is enjoyed by the family and friends of the young boy(s). It is through these different events which occur to celebrate this occasion that the importance of the ceremony is illustrated to us.Of all the different societies we have discussed in our class, the Mundur...
