On the eastern Indonesian island of Papua there is the Sepik tribe who consider crocodiles to be very sacred creatures. They claim to have spiritual and cultural relations with these dangerous reptiles. Therefore, the Sepik tribe encourages its youth to complete painful rituals, which are designed to turn their body skin into a crocodile skin. Using a razor, tribal elders will cut the skin of the youth. This painful process produces beautiful patterns that are very similar to crocodile skin. To complete the ritual, the elders then put ash on the gaping wound. After the ceremony was over, the young men were declared as real men. It's a very scary procedure for those who have never seen it.
On the eastern Indonesian island of Papua there is the Sepik tribe who consider crocodiles to be very sacred creatures. They claim to have spiritual and cultural relations with these dangerous reptiles. Therefore, the Sepik tribe encourages its youth to complete painful rituals, which are designed to turn their body skin into a crocodile skin. Using a razor, tribal elders will cut the skin of the youth. This painful process produces beautiful patterns that are very similar to crocodile skin. To complete the ritual, the elders then put ash on the gaping wound. After the ceremony was over, the young men were declared as real men. It's a very scary procedure for those who have never seen it.