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13 Creepy Rituals from Around the World
Rituals are often seen as a way to unite communities, mark significant life events, or appease higher powers. However, some rituals can be downright eerie, blending the sacred with the macabre. Here are 13 creepy rituals, each with unsettling history and significance.
1. The Aghori Cannibalistic Rituals (India)
The Aghori monks of India are known for their extreme and unsettling rituals. These Hindu ascetics believe that the body is a vessel and that all bodily substances are sacred. To achieve spiritual enlightenment and break the cycle of rebirth, some Aghori monks engage in cannibalistic rituals, consuming the flesh of the dead. They often meditate on cremation grounds, using human skulls as drinking vessels and smearing themselves with cremation ashes. While the practice is rare and considered taboo even in India, it continues as part of their path to spiritual liberation.
2. Sky Burials (Tibet)
In the remote regions of Tibet, sky burials, also known as “jhator,” are a common funeral practice. Instead of burying or cremating the dead, bodies are left exposed on mountaintops to be consumed by vultures. The ritual is rooted in Tibetan Buddhism, which teaches that the body is an empty vessel after death, and offering it to the birds is an act of nature. The sight of vultures descending upon the deceased can be chilling, but it’s considered a sacred act, symbolizing the impermanence of life.
3. The Famadihana: Turning of the Bones (Madagascar)
The Famadihana, or “Turning of the Bones,” is a funerary tradition practiced by the Malagasy people of Madagascar. Every few years, families exhume the bodies of their ancestors, wrap them in fresh cloth, and dance with the corpses around the tomb while playing music. This ritual, which may seem macabre to outsiders, is actually a joyous celebration of life and a way to honor and communicate with the deceased. It’s believed that the spirits of the ancestors bless the living, but only after being properly honored in this way.
4. The Egungun Festival (Nigeria)
The Egungun Festival is a Yoruba ritual celebrated in Nigeria to honor the spirits of ancestors, who are believed to return to the earth during the festival to bless and guide the living. Participants dress in elaborate masks and costumes to represent these spirits. The Egungun dancers believed to be possessed by the spirits, perform ritualistic dances and are considered sacred. The festival can be eerie, especially when the masked figures move through the streets, believed to carry the power of their ancestors with them. Direct contact with an Egungun is avoided, it is believed that the touch could bring misfortune or even death to the uninitiated.
5. Endocannibalism of the Yanomami (Amazon Rainforest)
Among the Yanomami tribe of the Amazon, a tradition of endocannibalism—consuming the flesh of deceased tribe members—has been practiced as a way of ensuring that the spirit of the dead lives on within the community. After the body is burned, the bones are crushed and mixed into a soup for the tribe to consume. This ritual is seen as an act of respect and love, helping the spirit to find peace and ensuring that the community remains connected with its ancestors.
6. The Bullet Ant Glove Ritual (Brazil)
The Satere-Mawe people of the Amazon have one of the most painful initiation rituals in the world. To prove their manhood, young boys must place their hands inside gloves filled with bullet ants. These ants have one of the most painful stings in the insect world, and the boys must endure the excruciating pain for 10 minutes without showing signs of weakness. The ritual is repeated several times over months or years, and it’s considered a rite of passage into adulthood.
7. Thaipusam Piercing Ritual (India and Malaysia)
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mainly by the Tamil community in India and Malaysia. During the festival, devotees make vows to Lord Murugan and perform acts of penance, which often include extreme body piercing. Participants pierce their bodies with hooks, skewers, and spears, sometimes attaching large, ornate structures to hooks in their flesh. The devotees believe their acts of penance will bring them closer to the divine and fulfill their vows.
8. Voodoo Rituals (Haiti)
Voodoo rituals, practiced primarily in Haiti, are often shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding. These rituals are deeply spiritual and involve communicating with the spirits of ancestors or deities known as “loa.” Offerings of food, animal sacrifices, and dancing to the rhythm of drums are common, and some rituals may include possession by the loa. While many view voodoo with suspicion due to its association with black magic, for practitioners, it’s a way to connect with their heritage and seek guidance or healing.
9. El Colacho: The Baby Jumping Festival (Spain)
El Colacho, also known as the Baby Jumping Festival, is an annual event held in the Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia. During the festival, men dressed as devils jump over rows of babies lying on mattresses in the street. The ritual is believed to cleanse the infants of original sin and protect them from evil spirits. While it may seem terrifying to outsiders, the tradition dates back to the 17th century and is an important part of the local culture.
10. The Hanging Coffins (Philippines and China)
The hanging coffins of the Sagada people in the Philippines and the Bo people of China are a unique and eerie burial practice. Instead of being buried underground, the deceased are placed in wooden coffins and hung from cliffs or caves. The practice is believed to bring the dead closer to heaven and protect their remains from scavengers. The sight of these coffins suspended high above the ground, often weathered by time, adds a haunting atmosphere to the landscape.
11. The Oathtaker’s Sword Swallowing (Middle Ages, Europe)
During the Middle Ages, some European rituals involved swearing oaths by performing dangerous acts, such as sword swallowing. This practice was believed to invoke divine witnesses to the oath and ensure the truthfulness of the individual. Sword swallowing as a ritual was an extreme way to prove one’s sincerity and commitment, often performed in front of a gathering.
12. Walking on Fire: Theemithi
Theemithi is a fire-walking ritual observed by Tamil Hindus in India Sri Lanka, and other Asian countries. Devotees walk barefoot across a bed of burning coals as a test of faith and devotion to the goddess Draupadi. The ritual is performed to honor the goddess, who, according to legend, walked on fire to prove her purity. Participants believe that their faith will protect them from harm, and it’s said that those who walk with true devotion emerge unscathed.
13. The Hungry Ghost Festival (China)
The Hungry Ghost Festival celebrated in various parts of Asia, especially China, is when the spirits of the dead are believed to return to the world of the living. During the festival, people offer food, burn incense, and perform rituals to appease the spirits and prevent them from causing harm. The festival has an eerie atmosphere, with paper money and other offerings burned in the streets to ensure that the spirits are satisfied and do not bring misfortune.
Conclusion
These 13 creepy rituals from around the world reveal the deep connections between culture, spirituality, and the macabre. While some of these practices may seem strange or unsettling to outsiders, they hold profound significance for the communities that observe them. Each ritual offers a glimpse into the diverse ways that humans have sought to understand and influence the mysteries of life, death, and the supernatural.