The loss of a loved one can be traumatising and result in emotional anguish as well as physical as in the finger amputation ritual of the Dani tribe.
Some cultures consider this outward manifestation of emotional suffering to be crucial to the grieving process.
If she loses a child or member of her family, a woman will cut off the top of her finger.
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The finger amputation ritual served to both appease and drive away the spirits, and it also gave people a way to express their sorrow and suffering via physical pain.
According to the Dani tribe’s doctrine, if a person had been influential when they were alive, their spirit would have lingered in the community, causing persistent spiritual unrest.
To begin the finger amputation ritual, one must first securely tie a string around the upper half of the finger for roughly 30 minutes.
Finger amputation ritual to mourn a loved one
This enables a “nearly” painless removal by causing the finger to numb.
An axe is used to cut off the finger, and the open wound is cauterized to stop the bleeding and create new, calloused fingers.
The leftover piece of finger is dried, and after that it is either stored in a specific location or burned to ashes.
Although this finger amputation ritual is no longer practised in New Guinea, it is still evident in some of the community’s older women who have their fingertips amputated.
The tips of babies’ fingers have reportedly been chewed off by moms as part of other rituals.
It is said that if a mother bit her child’s fingers, the child would be unique from the others and live longer.
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Meet the Himba tribe of Namibia who don’t bathe for months
Meanwhile, the Himba tribe, who reside in Namibia’s Kunene region, are also known as the Ovahimba or Omhimba people.
They are custodians of very bizarre cultures such as offering free s3x to their visitors and dressing newborns in necklaces made of beads.
They are an introverted huddle of people and are adamant about maintaining scarce contact with external influences.
