Subincision - Aboriginal Initiation

Call me Myongo. I am what modern people call an "aborigine" of Australia. Before my ancestor's land was raided by outsiders, we lived in peace with the land and our Gods. Times have changed, and those who have overtaken the land do not respect or understand our ways or culture. This is the reality we face every day, and we must fight to keep our culture and tradition alive.

Most outsiders do not understand or appreciate our customs or spiritual ceremonies. We are labeled as "primitive" and are assumed to be unenlightened. One must understand, however, that our rites and ceremonies have a deep and profound spiritual meaning. They must not be seen from a Western or European viewpoint; they must be respected as a vital part of our spirituality and culture.

This being said and understood, I would like to introduce one important ceremony from my people. It may be a sensitive topic for those who have been educated by the Western systems, yet it remains a normal and sacred part of the evolution of a man from my area. It is the significant rite of Subincision.

The initiation of a young boy into the spiritual life has many phases. A boy must be circumcised - this is one of the first and most basic ceremonies that bring a boy into the spiritual and adult life. A few years after this process, a boy continues on his initiatic path to the subincision rite. This is a very sacred and spiritual ceremony, and the laws of the spiritual initiation do not allow me to share the full meanings and significance behind this event. In fact, a young man who is passing through this time in his life is taken into seculsion, away from the eyes of the village and, especially, the women (a woman must never hear of or witness the male initiation rites or ceremonies, as it is "man's business". Similarly, men do not witness or take part in female initiation rites, as it is "women's business").

The operation itself, when performed, takes about ten minutes. The young man is placed on a human "table" - older men taking part in the ceremony are placed on the backs of local and visitor participants, forming a human platform for the operation. The young man is given a boomerang to help with any pain he might experience during the ceremony. As the underside of his sex is cut, his urethra is also severed. After the operation, the young man stands over a ceremonial fire, allowing the blood from the operation to drip into it.

Later in their lives, many men go through the subincision ceremony again, having their subincision lengthened. This usually takes place at subincision ceremonies in which younger men are getting their first subincision - a special ceremony is not usually required for an older man. Again, the reasons behind the ceremony are purely spiritual reasons which I am not permitted to share.

The introduction of Western culture, ideologies, and values has had an impact on this ritual. Many outsiders cannot understand the significance and sacredness of our traditional ceremonies, and there is great pressure to stop performing our rites. Meanwhile, those who are fighting to keep the traditional life, spirituality, and culture perform initiation rites and spiritual ceremonies, holding fast to our deeply holy spiritual knowledge and practices. It is not for those who do not understand to judge the morality of our ceremonies and culture.