Male initiation rite in Australian aborigine

In Australian aborigines’ culture, an individual’s main purpose in life was to maintain contact with their ancestors and supernatural beings. Tribe members saw themselves as spiritual beings in the search for the reconnection with the sacred world. Past, present and future were directly linked in a never ended continuum. This belief came from the myth of “Dreaming”. In Dreaming, spiritual babies would enter their mothers’ womb, meaning that birth was the act creation. Dreaming beings are responsible for creation and death.
The rite of male initiation was meant to duplicate creation with a continuing flow of life giving power. One of the purposes of the rituals was to transform the boy into a responsible adult able to understand and communicate traditions to future generations. He was transitioned to a new phase of his life and discovered his true spiritual identity. Through the religious rituals the boy, with the help the elder men, was supposed to be united with their ancestors and the supernatural beings. After initiation, he adopted a new role in the group abandoning all things related to childhood, including dependence on a caretaker, lack of responsibility and purity. The child in him would die and the adult would be born, thus he assumed a new social and spiritual role.
The male initiation rite was extensive and would take several days or months to be completed. At the time of puberty, the boy would be segregated from the group. During this time apart, he would receive training from his teachers about religious belief, history of his tribe, moral values, harmony with nature, sexuality and many others matters. Circumcision was important and very symbolic. The act of discarding a piece of his physical male body meant transition to a new life. Other body operations were commonly performed to represent rebirth. Scarification and sub incision was frequent among groups.
It is fascinating to discover how rich and profound this culture finds their relationship with their Dreaming creators and ancestors. Rites are full of meaning and they exist to keep the group together as they seek wisdom from supernatural beings and a life of harmony among themselves and with their land. Initiation rite exemplifies that when boys would transcend their condition as children and acquiring a new life as a full member of his tribe. For aborigines in Australia, rites are essential to meaning of life, connecting them to Dreaming beings.