Adrian Reid Wolf explores male rites of passage from around the world
(from
http://www.sacredhoop.demon.co.uk/HOOP-10/WILDMAN.html )
Imagine a world in which you cannot trust the word of any man you meet, a world where the only thing about men of which you are certain, is that they will always think of themselves first, using their strength for personal gain. Daily, you know that men will not take responsibility in any form; will find others to blame for their mistakes and lacking vision, courage and joy, will damage and destroy rather than create and construct. In this world the strong and powerful would control and, void of any but self serving morals, would perpetuate and instigate fear, distrust and subversion, as well as exploitation of all that was weaker. The instability of the culture thus created would mean that everyone, including the very men causing the problem, would constantly be under threat of unprovoked attack and hence need to be permanently on guard.
Now imagine a world in which the opposite was the case. You could trust all a man committed to, knowing that men held vision and were accountable; you could trust that they would care for all about them, using their strength and power to enhance the life of others - in the process creating an enriched and safe environment.
Whereas the former may sound an extreme version of our own way of life, the latter vision may well appear as a naive Utopian fantasy. And yet it would serve well as a short summary of by far the largest proportion of men in native cultures throughout the world, for thousands of years. This discrepancy is remarkable and, given our present predicament, worthy of some analysis.
What factor was common to men in tribal societies throughout the world which is remarkably missing nowadays and would account for the difference in behaviour? The answer is a Rite of Passage. a universal process
Researching male initiations one is struck by the universality of the basic structure regardless of which continent or belief system; whether it be New Hebridian, Aboriginal Australian, Native American or African tribes; even modern Western rites of passage based on the remnants of ancient European customs. In all, to a greater or lesser extent, the following framework is common.
In the first stage, the initiate is primed by blatant, or subtle means, so as to begin the psychological process of trans-formation (being the central issue of initiation). In some cultures this is done by a direct approach such as with the Arunta of central Australia. Once the initiate was deemed ready, an elder would approach him, and, presenting him with a sacred stick, would inform him that he was soon to be called to participate in the ceremony of initiation. During this the stick, having magical properties, would protect him.
In other cultures no indication would be given at all. However, it would be common knowledge within the tribe that come puberty, the young men would be expected to take part. The women of the tribe, especially, would make remarks to the prospective initiates that the time would soon be approaching. The vital role of women in male initiation will be touched on again later.
The idea behind this first stage is to instigate a mixture of anticipation and fear, so as to create dissidence, laying one open to one's own personal dysfunctional behaviour, and thus creating the potential to recognise and transform it. crossing over
The process of the next part of the initiation varies greatly. Sometimes the women's compound, where the boys live with their mothers, is 'attacked', and during a mock battle the women, crying that their sons will all die, futilely try to stop the abduction. This version is common in the New Hebrides and with some Aboriginal Australians.
With other Australian tribes, a boy would hear a 'spirit voice', often a bullroarer used only for this purpose, and having previously been told to follow the voice, went himself to the site chosen. In Masai tradition, a father would buy his son a special spear and shield and the boy would move to the men's compound.
In all cases the role of women at this stage is vital. Whether they pretended to resist his leaving, or openly chased out the boy, the women were always aware of the larger picture, and consented to it. They knew, through experience or intuitively, that only through passing the test of initiation could the childish boy be allowed to 'die', to make way for the adult male. More often than not, the final decision as to whether a boy was actually ready, would lie with the mother and/or the female relatives, though it would always be the men's duty to perform the rite.
The purpose of this second phase is to provide a portal, so that once crossed, the initiate feels there is no turning back.
As the initiates step into the initiation proper, all forms of security that they may have had before are purposefully stripped away, so that only the self remains. The reason for this is to enable the boy to discover that he has his own independent strengths that, knowingly or not, have been there all along. This stage can last from only a few hours, to days, or weeks. It may, as with tribes in Papua New Guinea, include such trials as not being allowed to sleep properly, not being allowed to look in anyone's eyes, and beatings, though such shaming is not necessarily part of initiation as such. In this case it was believed to strengthen the initiate.
An integral and vital part of initiation is, however, begun during this phase - that is, instruction in the male secrets. As each tribe, even those within close proximity, may have very diverse creation stories and male behaviour expectations, the contents of these secrets are also most diverse. transcending the physical
Much has been written in the last years about a new approach to this vital subject and it is worth noting Robert Moore's 'King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine', in which he discusses the need to include all of those archetypes in a balanced whole. His book also gives us an insight into some of the contents of formerly secret male rites.
Again, these secrets have a deeper purpose, namely to enable the boy to create, in his psyche, a framework with which to gauge and evaluate his own feelings and to formulate acceptable responses to daily interaction and occurrences. Thus he is enabled to fulfil his part in society, as well as enjoying an enriched persona.
At some stage after the first set of trials, which usually are presented to the whole group of initiates as one, each individual is involved in a separate testing. This may take the form of a solitary vision quest, as amongst many Native American peoples, or can be a physical challenge. In Papua New Guinea, initiates are cut with a crisscross pattern on their shoulders, which is then rubbed with ash so that it scars, resembling a crocodile skin. In parts of Australia initiates had a front tooth knocked out. Elsewhere in Australia, large cuts would be made on the thighs of the boys, which would also be allowed to scar.
Countless other forms of physical test are known from around the world. Every variant from tattooing, to going without food and water is recorded, and many still practised. These customs may well seem quite extreme for our Western senses. However, in all tribal traditions that I have researched, the initiates first were taught techniques of transcendent meditation or trance, techniques that they would use in future not only to brave the rigours of daily life, but also in any shamanic practices. These states were entered into before being cut and a major feature of the cutting would be the level of painlessness experienced.
Furthermore, the scar or mark is a sign, usually visible to all, of the successful completion of the rite of passage. In cultures where this form of physical initiation was not common, a specific item carried or worn exclusively by initiated men. This was usually surrounded by taboos, so that others would not touch it, was used as the distinguishing mark.
The objective of this part of the initiation is the transcending of the material. In some cultures this is achieved through an emotional or spiritual challenge rather than a physical one. This can take the form of the aforementioned vision quest, or through the performing of 'psychic' skills as reputed in Tibet.
In the Western tradition recounted in Arthurian legend, this stage is often seen as the final test proving the knight's (read initiate's) complete mastery over the four elements of the material world. For instance, this skill is shown by Gareth during his great Tournament, when his armour constantly changes colour, demonstrating the controlled use of the forces of Nature in a dedicated and impersonal fashion.
This recurrence of the number four is no coincidence, as it is considered, along with seven, as the number of initiation. A study of the wealth of ancient tales of Europe as recorded in Greek mythology, Grimms fairy tales, the legends of Arthur and the various Celtic, Nordic or Germanic stories, reveals the extent to which initiation both of men and women was common to our ancestors. integrating the wild man
Another prominent part of the European initiating tradition is the process of recovering the Wild Man. The Wild Man is seen as the male life force that needs to enjoin with the four elements of King, Warrior, Magician and Lover so as to empower them and thus the man himself.
The "Urkraft", or original power/force which the Wild Man represents, is not vicious or vindictive, nor is it caring or considerate, it is a dispassionate elemental force that is not to be conquered, but allied. Once this is achieved, the man has this most powerful force available to him. new responsibilities
The final stage of the initiation is the taking up of the initiates into the circle of adult males. Obviously this is a time for celebration which may be only with those who have achieved the rite of passage, or it may be with all the tribe.
In no way does the passing of the initiation free the boy to behave as he likes as is often assumed and sometimes encouraged with modern 'coming of age'. Rather it denoted the beginning of the weight of responsibility being taken by the new man, as he will from then on be seen and expected to behave as such.
As with all things man touches, initiation can just as easily be perverted, and examples of this are not difficult to find. In gang membership, especially, we have a very good instance. The prospective member needs to complete the relevant steps of facing an unknown ordeal, showing accountability, proving himself by trial and acceptance into a 'tribe'.
Looking back at that ideal-sounding second paragraph of this article, we will find that the initiated gang members can trust other members, a common vision is held, and accountability to the gang is paramount. Members care for each other. Also the gang 'patch' is protected and in the gang's own way, enriched. So in this case, where does the great potential of a male rite of passage fall down?
The most obvious difference between gang initiation and tribal tradition is the lack of teaching of the male secrets of maturity. Secret as they are, they are only imparted to those who pass through the initiation, and usually in such a manner that they reach the deeper psyche of the man, remoulding and educating, so as to create the responsible male.
In tribal societies this task nearly always falls to the elders, who not only had heard the same teachings from their elders, but also had been able, through life itself, to verify the truths contained in the secrets.
What caused the demise of rites of passage in Western society? The main culprit in this is again the politics of the Church. In its paranoid rush to exterminate the 'heathen beliefs' of the peoples of Europe, which they perceived as such a threat to their dominance, massacred some nine million people (proportionately a far greater part of the population than during the Holocaust). In this slaughter the elders and leaders of initiations died as well as so-called witches and heretics.
Effectively initiation died out and had not the initiation stories survived as 'fairy tales', we would have as good as no evidence of the existence of initiation in Europe at all. the need today
This leaves us finally with the question of whether the process of initiation should be revived and how. Moves have been afoot for some time now to recreate rites of passage both in America, where the programmes devised lean heavily on Native American traditions, and here in Britain I believe that after the rampant materialism of the Thatcher years, a large proportion of the population has finally woken up to the realisation of the massive spiritual void in Western culture and are beginning to look to our rich past for guidance.
Such classics as Robert Bly's 'Iron John' (an analysis of an ancient European initiation story) are being used as pointers in a new men's movement which is daily gaining ground across the country.
The largest pitfalls to avoid are: trying to include physical trials; initiation without clear introduction to adult male responsibility; and given the lack of initiated elders with experience, the absence of clear, long-term guidance to the developing movement. These last two points are however alleviated by including internal direction givers such as the King alluded to in Robert Moore's book.
The most exciting developments however, are the new initiation processes, for instance 'New Warrior', an initiation programme now in its tenth year in America, and recently introduced over here. Also programmes are being developed for young offenders by various people.
The need for total sincerity of the organisers, and the depth of knowledge required, mean that the reintroduction or appropriate forms of initiation will only slowly become widespread. Adrian Reid Wolfe runs mens workshops all over Britain and Europe. For further information as well as information on New Warrior workshops in the UK,
Taken from Sacred Hoop Magazine Issue Number 10
© Copyright Sacred Hoop Magazine 1995