|
|
Post by cabintom on Jul 20, 2015 16:57:40 GMT
Comments?
|
|
|
|
Post by trehopr1 on Jul 21, 2015 6:34:36 GMT
I recently saw a program on television which showed 3 different "painful rites of passage" endured by the young teenage boys of different tribes. The tribes depicted were from South America, Africa, and New Guinea. The South American portion was either Ecuador or Peru. The young boys show up at a "sacred house" where they don these large mits (gloves) which have been interwoven with Ponerine ants. This rite of enduring pain (without outwardly showing it) is all part of young boys becoming men in their culture. The stronger your resolve in dealing with the pain means you will be a very desirable strong male in the village and much in want by the ladies. Lesser males will only get the leavings (if their lucky).
Anyway, unlike the blithering fool depicted in the video the whole idea is only to show strong resolve. You take the pain ! And it does take many hours for the pain to subside and the swelling to go away. And get this --- the whole thing must be repeated 9 more times for you to prove your worth in the pecking order within the village. It is extreme, however this is the way a number of South American tribes have conducted their rituals for millennia.
I'm sure a number of different Ponerine ant species are utilized by tribes in different countries. And Ponerines are no joking matter. They truely are nasty !
The only other ants which I know of with similar toxicity and nasty irritability are the various species of Bulldog ants native to Australia.
|
|
|
|
Post by trehopr1 on Jul 21, 2015 6:44:12 GMT
I should also mention that yes the Driver ants of Africa are certainly worthy of mention. However, I don't believe they possess the same level of venom "toxicity" when comparing them to Bullet ants or Bulldog ants.
|
|
|
|
Post by wollastoni on Jul 21, 2015 7:44:24 GMT
I prefer our Western rite of passage which consist in drinking 2 liters of tequilla and trying to look sober in front of the girls...
This said, I have always found that in the jungle, the little ant nests in the trees are the most disturbing things. There could be many of them, and as you are looking to your feet, you often see them at the very last moment. That's also why I always were a cap in the forest.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul K on Jul 21, 2015 7:47:39 GMT
The stronger your resolve in dealing with the pain means you will be a very desirable strong male in the village and much in want by the ladies. Lesser males will only get the leavings (if their lucky). In our culture we better stick to our rules " the bigger wallet in the village the more desirable male. Thin wallet male will only get the leavings (if their lucky).  P.S. One must to have a lot of guts to insert hand into such inviting, cozy glove . Paul |
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on Jul 21, 2015 14:45:16 GMT
Yeah, driver ants are horrible little things... I've had the "pleasure" of accidentally stepping in a column of theirs. I still can't believe the number of ants that were able lodge themselves in/on my pants and shoes in that split second.
|
|
