11 banned religious rituals, operating to this day

In this collection you will be able to learn about the most bizarre religious rituals, which are forbidden to perform in civilized countries. However, most of the adherents of these beliefs can hardly be called civilized - in the truest sense.

1. Cannibalism and necrophagia

The tribe Aghori Babas living in Varansi in India, is famous for the fact that eats dead. They believe that the greatest fear of man - the fear of his own death, and that he is an obstacle to spiritual enlightenment. Only when faced with death, it is possible to overcome this fear.

According to Hinduism, there are five types of people that can not be cremated children, saints, pregnant and unmarried women, and died of leprosy, and snake bites. These people descend into the water of the Ganges River, where Aghori their pull and eat.

2. Sun Dance

The Native Americans are known to embody the numerous ceremonies in honor of the spirits of the land. Through offering himself as a sacrifice they pray and show honor of the Great Spirit. The skin on his chest pierced with special rods, which are tied to a pillar, symbolizing the Tree of Life. Then the ritual participants move back and forth, trying to free himself from the bars. This dance can last for several hours.

3. Self-flagellation

The followers of Shia Islam hold annual ritual of mass self-flagellation during the holy month of Muharram. Thus, they revere the martyrdom of Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson. Fanatics beat themselves special whips, which are located at the ends of the blade. Apparently in a state of religious trance, men do not feel pain.

4. Jumping on the vine

In Bunlap village, which is located on an island in the Pacific Ocean, there is a strange ritual, called "Gkol" and reminiscent of bungee jumping. While the villagers sing, dance and beat drums, one of the volunteers decided to jump. Tying ankle vine daredevil jumps with great designs, erected for this purpose. Not paying attention to the broken bones, the participants of the ritual jump upside down, one after another. What most people will jump height, the greater the blessing of the gods, he will get (if you survive).

5. Wood and obsession with

Voodoo - a belief system of some areas of West Africa. One of its rituals aimed at the adoption of a spirit. A man goes into the forest in order to connect with the Spirit of the Earth - Sakpata and stays there for three days without food and water, and when the suffering from exhaustion begins to lose consciousness - at that moment the spirit supposedly descends into it.

6. Heaven burial

In Tibet Buddhists have practiced ritual called "Dzhhator" or "celestial burial". Buddhists believe in the cycle of rebirth, is therefore considered that there is no need for a burial or maintaining body. In addition, the burial ritual in these rocky mountainous areas would be too difficult to follow, so the dead bodies simply carry away to the mountains and left at high altitudes to be eaten by vultures. To quickly get rid of the body, it is cut into small pieces and spread out at a distance from each other.

7. Walking on coals

Taoist Festival of the Nine Emperor Gods is held in Penang, Malaysia. One of the rituals of purification of the soul involves walking barefoot on burning coals with a view to disperse by themselves of evil spirits. In addition, walking on burning coals indicates virility and determination to be free from evil forces.

8. Dancing with the dead

famadihana means "turning over bones," and is a traditional festival held in Madagascar. Its members believe that the faster the body decomposes, the faster the spirit reaches beyond the world, so they dug their loved ones, their flesh dance with live music at the grave, and then perezahoronyayut them. This unusual ritual takes place every 2-7 years.

9. A puncture

At the annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket in Thailand, participants performed one of the most radical and masochistic rituals: they pierce their cheeks with spears, knives, hooks and swords. It is believed that at this time the gods are part of the body, protecting the human from evil and attract good luck.

10. Death rites

According to the representatives of one of the most primitive tribes of the Amazonian Yanomami deaths generally not a natural phenomenon. After cremation ashes mixed their carcasses bananas, and then the mixture was eaten tribe members giving spirit deceased possibility to live with them further.

11. Scarification "crocodile"

The tribe in Papua New Guinea called Kaningara bloody practices of body modification for the purpose of strengthening the spiritual ties with the outside world. One of the rituals held in the House of the Spirits. Teenagers are isolated, and they live in seclusion, preparing for the ceremony of initiation into adulthood. Then their bodies were cut special characters sharpened bamboo stalks. These figures resemble crocodile skin, because the tribes are considered the ancestors of all living crocodiles.