The Vikings are well-known for fighting and exploring, yet religion and ritual practices were a big part of their culture and everyday life. Their religious beliefs included many different gods and goddesses, so much so that it is considered a “non-doctrinal community religion.” This means that their beliefs and rituals varied among people.

Although they all had the same gods and beliefs, there were no set practices that had to be followed and people worshiped only the gods that were relevant to their lives. Vikings also worshiped their dead ancestors, communicated with spirits, practiced divination and sorcery, and had a wide variety of burial practices. This resulted in a large range of ritual practices, both within and between communities.

The Vikings passed on knowledge through oral history rather than writing things down. Thus, accounts from the Viking era were either written by outsiders, who may not have fully understood what they were witnessing or being told, or written long after the Viking period had passed.

Descriptions of rituals are sometimes conflicting, potentially inaccurate, or made up, either to paint Vikings in a bad light or to tell a more tantalizing story. Yet here are 10 rituals that are generally considered to have been practiced by the Vikings.

10 Blot Sacrifice

The blot was a sacrifice practiced to gain the goodwill of the gods. These rituals were carried out in large groups on the estate of the local chief who functioned as a priest during the ceremony. They were both a way for people to honor the gods and for the chiefs to show off their wealth.

A blot supposedly happened at four fixed times a year, close to winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice, and autumn equinox. They would also have additional ones if they were having problems, like a bad harvest.

In the 13th century, Snorri Sturluson wrote a detailed description of a blot performed by Sigurd Hakonsson. He said that all the local farmers gathered at the temple. There, they sacrificed many animals, mostly horses, and cooked the meat. Twigs were used to spray blood from the animals around the temple and on the participants.^[1]

The cooked meat and glasses of beer were blessed by the chief. While drinking the beer, they toasted to Odin and other gods. Lastly, they toasted to their dead ancestors.

A different story was told by the Arab al-Tartuchi who visited Hedeby, Germany, during winter solstice. He said that people from around the area came together to feast and anyone who sacrificed an animal stuck it on stakes in front of their farm.

9 Human Sacrifice

Though not a common part of Viking life, human sacrifice was practiced at times. As stated, stories from the Viking period are not always reliable, but archaeological remains indicate that human sacrifice did happen occasionally.

In the 11th century, Adam of Bremen wrote about the Vikings based on secondhand accounts. He talked about a tradition practiced at Uppsala, Sweden, every nine years at the beginning of spring. This ritual lasted nine days, with a feast and sacrifice every day. There were nine sacrifices each day for a total of 81 sacrifices.

Each day, they sacrificed a male human and eight male animals. The bodies were hung from trees in a sacred grove that was next to the temple in which the ritual was carried out. This tradition was practiced to honor Odin and secure victory in the coming year. Although they normally sacrificed criminals or slaves, they once sacrificed a king at Uppsala during a time of extreme famine.^[2]

In Snorri Sturluson’s saga, he says that they appeased the gods by sacrificing a large number of oxen one fall in the seventh century. When that didn’t work, they sacrificed a group of men the next year. The following year, they blamed the king for the continued famine and sacrificed him, covering the altar in his blood.

8 Yule Celebrations

Yule, spelled “Jol” in Old Norse, was the name for the period between the winter solstice and the blot associated with it, which is speculated to have happened on January 12. It is uncertain exactly why Yule was celebrated, though it may have been to honor the dead, to receive good luck in the new year, to celebrate the Sun and light as the days were getting longer, or to honor Thor as he was the god who protected the world from the darkness.

The exact rituals followed are also unclear, but texts refer to it as “drinking Jol.” Thus, drinking alcohol was probably a large part of the celebration. There was also a feast that lasted for three days and nights with games and singing.

Vikings would make a large sun wheel (a circular symbol with a cross in the middle), set it on fire, and roll it down a hill to get the Sun to return. They made Yule logs from large pieces of oak, decorated them with yew, holly, or fir, and carved runes into them. This was their way of asking the gods for protection, and a small piece was kept until the next Yule to protect the family and start the first fire of the new year.

They decorated evergreen trees with food, clothes, and carvings of runes and gods to get the tree spirits to return in spring. Young people would dress up in goat skins to represent the goats that pulled the wagon that Thor rode through the sky. Then they would go from house to house to sing and perform plays in exchange for food and drinks.^[3]

7 Berserkers And Ulfhednar

Vikings are well-known for their battle fury, and there was nothing more terrifying than their berserkers and ulfhednar. Both were the result of shamanistic war rituals, but they took on different totem animals. Berserkers (“bear-shirts”) were those who became bear-men and ulfhednar (“wolf-hides”) became wolf-men.

Sometimes wearing nothing but animal furs and heads, these men would go to war, using their bare hands and teeth to fight instead of weapons and shields. Others would get so worked up that they would start biting down on their own shields. According to legends, they also felt no pain and kept fighting despite being badly injured.

To reach this state in battle, they first had to join the ranks of their fellow fighters. To do this, they would live in the wild like their totem animal. This would strip them of their humanity and allow them to take on their animal’s strength.

There were likely many techniques used to reach the frenzied state for which they were famous on the battlefield, including exposure to extreme heat, ritual weapon dances, and fasting. This could cause a self-induced hypnotic trance, resulting in them losing their sense of pain and conscious control of their movements.^[4]

It has also been theorized that they used psychedelic mushrooms or a poisonous fungus to reach a state of delirium before battle. However, these have never been mentioned in sagas and several of the strains proposed would either have been too poisonous or would have resulted in apathy and depression, the opposite of a battle frenzy.

6 Tooth Modification

Vikings put great effort into their appearance with practices such as bleaching their hair with lye, combing it often, and ironing their clothes with hot rocks. However, archaeologists have fairly recently discovered that Vikings also modified their teeth.

Skeletons show signs of intentional changes in the form of horizontal lines carved into the upper front teeth. The researchers believe that the grooves were filled in with dye, most likely red. This practice was not seen anywhere else in Europe at the time.

This may have been a ritual conducted by warriors to incite fear in those they were about to attack or as a symbol of an achievement. However, there are no written records about this practice. As a result, further information about this ritual and any associated traditions are still unknown.^[5]

5 Cremation Rituals

The Vikings had many different ways of disposing of the dead, which included cremation. The ashes could be buried in graves, under piles of rocks, or sometimes with grave goods. The ashes could also be burned with a ship, though this was reserved for high-ranking members of society as ships were expensive.

A description of a Viking ship cremation was written by the Arab Ahmad Ibn Fadlan in the 10th century. He told of the treatment of a chief from the Rus Vikings.

After his death, the chief’s body was left in a grave for 10 days while they made new clothes for him. A slave girl was selected to be sacrificed with him and was then kept drunk and dressed in fine clothing.

On the 10th day, the chief’s ship was pulled up to land and filled with expensive furniture, drinks, food, weapons, and animals. The slave girl had to go to each tent in their settlement and have sex with the man in charge. Afterward, he told her, “Tell your lord I have done this out of love for him.”^[6]

When the girl was ready to get on the ship, the men who had slept with her held their hands together, forming a sort of walkway for her to walk across. The chief was already on the ship.

She went into his room, where six of the men followed and had sex with her again. Afterward, they laid her down next to her master and a woman came in, giving the men a rope with which to strangle the girl. Meanwhile, the woman repeatedly stabbed the girl in the ribs. The ship was then set on fire.

4 Warding Off Draugr

Draugr (aka aptrgangr) and haugbui were the Vikings’ versions of modern-day zombies. Once a person was buried, it was believed that his corpse would be animated again. The haugbui would live innocently in its barrow, protecting its grave goods from grave robbers. However, a draugr would wander out of its barrow and harm any humans it could.

To prevent this, many precautions were taken when burying a body. Pieces of straw would be placed in crosses under the shroud while a pair of open scissors was placed across the chest. The deceased’s big toes were tied together so that it couldn’t walk, and nails were pressed into the foot soles.

When the coffin was carried out of the house, the bearers would stop before walking out the door to lower and raise the coffin three times in different directions, creating the shape of a cross. Sometimes, the dead person was carried out of a house through a special “corpse-door,” a hole in the wall covered in bricks. It would be torn open to remove the deceased and then put back together.^[7]

Vikings thought that the dead could only return the same way that they came. As a result, the deceased wouldn’t be able to enter the house. The body would also be carried out feet first so that it couldn’t properly see which route they took to the burial mound.

When the coffin was out of the house, all the jars, saucepans, and any chairs and stools previously used by the deceased were turned upside down. If the dead were buried in a churchyard, the parson was meant to bind the dead to their graves with magic words.

3 Wedding Ceremonies

Before a wedding, the bride would remove her kransen, a gilt circlet worn by unwed women with their hair loose. She would likely replace this with a wedding crown, and her kransen would be saved for her future daughter.

The groom would have to acquire a sword from one of his ancestors. It is uncertain whether this was done by breaking into the grave of a dead ancestor and taking the sword, breaking into a fake grave prepared for this occasion, or asking a living relative for his sword. During the ceremony, the groom would carry his sword and possibly a hammer or axe to symbolize Thor. Neither the bride nor groom wore special wedding clothes.

The wedding would be held on a Friday as it was Frigg’s day. (Frigg was a goddess of fertility.) The ceremony would start by getting the gods’ attention, possibly by sacrificing or dedicating an animal to one of the gods.

During the ceremony, the groom would give the sword from his ancestor to the bride so that she could keep it for their future son. In turn, she would give the groom a sword. They would then exchange rings and vows.^[8]

After the ceremony, they would head to a hall to feast. Here, the groom would help his bride over the threshold before he plunged his sword into a pillar. The deeper it went in, the more luck and children they would have. The couple had to share some bridal ale (usually mead) that night and for the next month.

At the end of the feast, the couple would be accompanied to bed so that witnesses could testify that their union had been consummated. The next morning, the bride’s hair would be tied up and covered with a cloth to show her status as a wife. The groom would then give her the keys to his house.

2 Infant Rituals

When a baby was born, a couple of rituals were needed for the infant to be considered a real person. Before this, the baby was not considered a human yet, probably as a way for people to protect themselves emotionally as infant mortality was so high.

When the baby was born, he was placed on the ground until the father picked up the child and placed him inside the father’s coat. This symbolized that the father accepted that the baby was his child.

He would then inspect the child. If the baby had any problems, he would be left exposed to die. If he was healthy, they would perform a ceremony called ausa vatni in which they sprinkled water over the baby.

At this point, the child would be named in a ceremony called nafnfesti. For this, the father would state the child’s name and give him a gift. The gifts usually consisted of things such as a ring, weapon, or a farm or land deed. After this, the child could no longer be subject to exposure as it would then be considered murder.^[9]

1 The Blood Eagle

Popularized by the TV show Vikings, this gory method of execution was possibly committed in real life, too. The blood eagle consisted of the victim being placed facedown and restrained. An eagle was carved into his back, and then the ribs were severed from the spine with an axe.

The ribs and the skin around them were pulled outward to represent the wings of the eagle. Next, salt was rubbed into the wound. (The victim was still alive at this point.) Then the lungs were pulled out of the body and stretched across the ribs.

As the victim died, the lungs were fluttering in the wind, reminiscent of a bird’s wings. This is purportedly the method used to kill King Aella of Northumbria in AD 867.^[10]

Rituals are as old as mankind’s first thought. Modern ceremonies are mostly religious, but in the past, they held a wider purview. From initiation into adulthood to astronomy to honoring the gods, there were rituals for everything—even disposing of enemies and bringing meaning to cannibalism.

The physical remains left by ancient rituals give archaeologists a deeply personal glimpse into long-gone societies. Sometimes, these finds confirm long-held beliefs. Other times, they’ve turned them on their heads.

10 Paleolithic People ‘Killed’ Rocks

A new angle opened up in archaeology when researchers scrutinized small rocks. These were found in a cave in Italy called Caverna delle Arene Candide.^[1] Around 12,000 years ago, an Upper Paleolithic community used the site to bury 20 individuals. Considered a crucial archaeological area since the 1940s, there were plenty of things in the cavern to distract attention away from several oblong pebbles. More recently, however, archaeologists realized that around 29 of the stones did not come from the cave and had been brought from the nearby beach. Each appeared purposefully broken and had missing pieces that could not be found anywhere in the large cavern.

This could be evidence of a known ancient behavior: the symbolic “killing” of inanimate objects during a funeral. If so, the flat pebbles reveal an unknown funerary rite, during which they were used as spatulas to apply decorations to the deceased and then “killed,” with the missing pieces perhaps being kept as a link to a lost loved one. The ritual slaughter of artifacts was believed to have first appeared around 8,000 years ago. This find could move that back by as much as 5,000 years. It also sets a new caveat that even rocks cannot be ignored if ancient sites and their connected cultures are to be fully understood.

9 The Secret Crocodile

In 2015, archaeologists focused on the ball court of an ancient Mesoamerican city. Discovered in the 1960s, Lambityeco’s ruins included two palaces with art linking it to a more powerful neighbor, Monte Albon.^[2] Researchers looked for something that had both ritual and civic purposes and were naturally drawn to the game area. During excavations, something odd came to light: The ball court received a makeover when it was around 150 years old and still hosted games. The adjustments betrayed a hidden pathway, barricaded all the way, that lead to a stone crocodile.

The rectangular artifact was a secondhand ritual edifice. Originally, it was likely a the balustrade of a stairway before it was tipped against a building, an action that turned the crocodile image upside down. Rituals happened around it, proven by the bits of charcoal, scorched human skull fragments, and incense ceramics found nearby. Carved sometime between AD 500 and 850, the crocodile’s hidden sanctuary hints at an attempt by Lambityeco to become independent from Monte Alban’s influences. By altering the court and crocodile stone, they changed what researchers believe was a ceremonial path walked by both cities, but Lambityeco’s was altered when its leaders broke away and focused on independent power and rituals.

8 Source Of Yinxu’s Sacrifices

China’s Shang dynasty (16–11th centuries BC) witnessed a lot of human sacrifice. Around 13,000 people were killed in the capital of Yinxu.^[3] Oracle bones from the city revealed the victims to be spoils of war, captured outside of Yinxu. Oracle bones represent China’s earliest writings, etched on bone. However, there has never been proof to back up the writings.

Researchers visited the Shang Dynasty Royal Cemetery, which holds nearly 3,000 sacrificed individuals. Tests were performed on 68 victims to find chemicals linked to diet. When compared to 39 ancient Yinxu citizens, the results provided the first evidence that the two groups had separate origins. The larger bones’ nutrients, deposited over a long period of time, were different. Millet featured heavily in both, but only the locals received extra food such as rice, wheat, or meat.

Where the bigger bones backed up the oracle texts, the smaller bones busted a long-held belief. Scholars thought captives were killed within days, but the minerals in their small bones resembled Yinxu natives. This could only happen if they had lived in the city for years. Shang experts originally didn’t believe the captives became slaves, but considering that they lived for years, they were probably used as forced labor.

7 The Dancing Kudu

In the 1970s, an archaeologist named John Kinahan found an image of a kudu in the Namib desert.^[4] Oddly, it had been carved into the rock panel with a polishing technique. The antelope was a female, a significant factor that did not become clear until Kinahan learned more about the ancient artists over the years. The research suggested that female kudu art was important to initiation ceremonies for girls from the local hunter-gatherer societies. Aged around 3,000 years old, the so-called “dancing kudu” would have seen girls participate in shaman-led initiation rituals.

The initiates would have been schooled about the qualities they were to cultivate as adults while staying at special shelters. The remains of one such residence, a stone circle, was found nearby. The pregnant animal is believed to symbolize the culture’s desired female characteristics of gentleness, cooperation, and motherhood. The exact ceremonies performed by the ancient Namib shamans remain a mystery. The polished antelope is an important step to unravel at least some part of how the girls ceremonially entered womanhood.

6 Moon Marks

An ancient stone in Cornwall could prove that rocky monuments in the UK, Stonehenge included, were used during the night. Archaeologists were at Hendraburnick Quoit, an engraved slab shaped like an ax that was maneuvered onto a platform around 2500 BC.^[5] Its 13 engravings were old news, but during a nighttime study, the sheer number of hidden marks was exposed. Over 100 additional carvings suddenly showed up in a camera’s flash. These same ones were only visible in moonlight or low sunlight coming from the southeast.

Bits of smashed quartz were another clue that the site was active during the night. The crystals had been broken on purpose and scattered around Hendraburnick Quoit. In moonlight or in the presence of fire, they added a glitter not visible during daytime. This, in theory, was perhaps meant to reveal the art and give the stone an awe-inspiring presence during rituals.

While not definite proof that all Neolithic sites were nocturnal temples, most (like Stonehenge) do have engravings. Others have smashed crystals. Conventionally, Neolithic structures are linked to the Sun due to the summer solstice lining up with Stonehenge. Another look at them after dark might add a new dimension to the familiar ancient sites.

5 In-Between Ritual For Cannibals

A zigzag pattern is helping researchers understand a particularly gruesome question. In the 1980s, Gough’s Cave in Somerset was found to contain human bones.^[6] The 15,000-year-old remains showed signs of cannibalism. Why did the group resort to eating their own, including a three-year-old child? Suggestions included starvation or showing respect to the deceased, caveman style.

A 2017 study had another look at the bones and provided more insight into the people who colonized Britain after the last Ice Age. The bones had been expertly filleted, and human gnaw marks left no doubt about what followed. But in between the butchering and the breaking of the bones to eat the marrow, something else occurred. One arm bone had been decorated with a zigzag pattern. Tests determined it was not a result of the slaughtering but a deliberate, perhaps symbolic, addition before consumption.

Previously, the cave yielded skulls that appeared to have been modified into drinking vessels. It is not known if the skulls belonged to those who were eaten, but the unusual pattern, together with the polished craniums, were likely part of a complex death ritual.

4 The Wolf-Men

Another possible initiation site, this time for boys, was identified in Russia. The remains of two ceremonies could prove that legends about “wolf-men” were true. Myths of wolf-like war bands began circulating 2,000 years ago throughout Eurasia. The men wore dog and wolf skins, stood for war and death, and operated outside the law. Initiation called for teenagers to consume a canine.

During excavations at Krasnosamarskoe, the skeletal remains of dogs and wolves were found.^[7] Around 2,770 bones belonged to dogs. Some skulls had been cut into angular panels, an act that called for immense skill. This suggested a ritual element. Signs of roasting raised suspicions that the animals were consumed. A focus on male animals (very few were female) reinforced this as the first archaeological evidence for the boys’ rites described in legends.

Other experts agree dogs were perhaps eaten during the Bronze Age by Indo-Europeans. However, the lack of more sites throws doubt on real wolf-men initiates. The archaeologists, who found the bones between 1999 and 2001, stuck to their guns nevertheless. They also discovered that cattle were slaughtered year-round at the site, eliminating hunger as a reason to eat the dogs. None of the cattle and goat skulls were sawed into small panels, either.

3 Aztec Game Offerings

Below Mexico City sprawls the ancient Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. In 2017, a long-standing project to rediscover lost buildings revealed more details on Aztec games and sacrifice. More gruesomely, it showed how the two activities were ritually blended. A massive area that stretched seven modern city blocks was identified as a temple. It was dedicated to the major god Ehecatl and was located near a ceremonial ball court.^[8] Close to the court was a stairway that could have led players onto the field. Underneath the steps was wrenching sight: the neck bones of 30 children and babies.

It is believed that they were decapitated as part of the game’s rituals. They weren’t the only losers. Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes (who would eventually conquer Tenochtitlan in 1521), witnessed Aztec players in action and claimed that the losing side was put to death. A second grisly find could confirm this rule. Next to the court was a pit. Inside was a team-sized number of male neck bones. They belonged to 32 young men, most probably warriors, who were ceremonially sacrificed when the game ended.

2 The Magdala Synagogue

During the first century AD, the Roman occupation of Jerusalem made it increasingly hard for priests to uphold Jewish traditions. Some priestly families were believed to have fled to Galilee, but there existed no proof that they continued the holy rituals. In 2009, archaeologists surveyed an area in Galilee’s Magdala.^[9] They unearthed an extremely rare synagogue dating to the first century AD, which yielded artifacts confirming an active priest class. One item was the Magdala stone, a unique Torah-reading table. Carved reliefs on the stone show the earliest depiction of a menorah and what could be the Jerusalem Temple.

Significantly, the Magdala stone also had four horn-like structures. This links it to contemporary altars in Jerusalem. The artifact, probably crafted by someone with firsthand knowledge about the city’s Temple and Holy of Holies, is among the most prized finds from Israel.

The site also delivered ritual baths, the only ones found in an ancient gentile city in Israel. They were also uniquely filled with groundwater, not rainwater or spring water like other baths. More finds included priestly vessels, oil lamps (also depicted on the Magdala stone), and an incense scoop.

1 Final Plea Of The Maya

The Maya did something puzzling: They entered caves to perform sacrifices.^[10] These weren’t your average sort of caves. The Maya went into tunnel systems and caverns that even today, with modern equipment, represent a daunting trip. When there were plenty of grand temples on the outside, holding ceremonies in dangerous places was mystifying. The priests meant business. Hundreds of caves contain abundant human and animal sacrifices, elaborate rituals, altars, and vast monuments. Several major locations showed visits occurred for hundreds of years.

Then, leading up to the ninth century, ceremonies became more frequent. They were also held increasingly deeper in the caverns. Then they suddenly ceased. The ninth century saw the Maya’s sophisticated civilization collapse, and until 2000, nobody knew why. A study proved that a devastating drought decimated crops and populations. Galvanized by the information, archaeologists looked closer at Mayan legends and art. They discovered the god Chac brought the rain that the Maya so desperately wanted—and that he lived in caves. The increase in offerings is a testimony to the people’s growing desperation to please Chac. It would never come in time, and the survivors moved away, leaving their magnificent cities to the forests.

Coming-of-age rituals occur when someone who was considered a child is transformed into an adult in the eyes of society. This is usually done through some sort of test or celebration, though it varies greatly around the world.

Modern-day rituals are common, and many of these extend far back in history. Examples of these ceremonies, which can include a religious coming-of-age, are a quinceanera, bar or bat mitzvah, First Holy Communion, Rumspringa, bullet ant initiation, sunrise ceremony, or a sweet sixteen.

These types of transitional rituals into adulthood were highly prevalent in ancient cultures, too. Here are the traditions that 10 ancient cultures followed to turn their children into adults.

10 Roman Citizens

As teenagers, Roman males would have coming-of-age ceremonies to mark that they had officially become citizens of Rome. The exact timing varied depending on the boy, his father, and the era in which they lived. However, it was usually between the ages of 14 and 17.

For the ceremony, the boy would take off his bulla, a necklace that provided protection and was given to the child at birth, and offer it to the Lares (guardian deities). He also stopped wearing a toga with a crimson border, which signified childhood. Instead, he started wearing a pure white toga, just like that of a grown man.

Then there would be a large procession to the Forum. There, the boy’s name would be added to the list of citizens. Afterward, the boy and his family would go to the temple of Liber on Capitoline Hill to make an offering before they returned home for a feast. After this, the boy would spend a year with a man chosen by his father. The man would teach the teen how to excel in either army or civic duties.^[1]

A Roman girl did not have a ceremony signifying her ascent to adulthood. Instead, it was marked by her wedding. This could happen when the girl was as young as 12. She would take off her bulla and give away her toys. Once married, she was officially an adult.

9 Spartan Training

When male Spartans turned seven, they were taken away from their families and moved to the agoge, which was their version of boarding school but with military training and extreme hazing. Their training included physical and mental teachings so that they would become fierce and strong warriors.

This period lasted for 13 years. They underwent different tests to see if they were becoming strong and self-reliant. Their last test was the most important coming-of-age ritual—the krypteia. During this year-long test, they had to live by themselves in the wilderness, surviving off the land and killing Helots, the servant class. For this, the teens were not given any weapons or tools and they were not allowed to be seen for the duration of the test.

If a teen passed this test, he would become a full-fledged soldier. He would move to the barracks and be on active military duty. He could also marry. If the teen failed the test, he would not be able to join the military ranks. Rather, he was shamed and forced to join the servant ranks.^[2]

8 Greek Pederasty

Pederasty started in Crete and spread throughout Greece, becoming part of Spartan culture and an important factor in Athenian upbringing. It was the practice of an older male courting a pubescent boy. The older man would woo the boy with gifts until the boy accepted or rejected the adult (thus choosing to wait for another).

If the man was accepted, they would enter into a sexual relationship in which the older man was always dominant and the boy was submissive. During this time, the older man was supposed to teach the boy important things for later life and adulthood. The man was a teacher, a protector, and a model for virtuous behavior.

Once the boy was considered mature enough, the relationship would end. He could then take on his own submissive boy if he chose. In modern society, this sounds highly immoral and sexually abusive, but the Greeks considered it a normal part of a boy’s upbringing. This stage was an important part in the transition from childhood to adulthood.^[3]

7 Yucatec Clothing

In different Mesoamerican cultures, the appearance of a child or teenager would indicate which stage of life they were in. Changing this appearance was part of a ritual performed as a person entered a new phase in life.

Yucatec children did not wear clothes until they turned five. At this point, the boys would don loincloths similar to those of their fathers and the girls would start wearing skirts like their mothers. Each boy would also get a white bead to tie in his hair, while each girl got a string with a red shell on it to wear around her waist.^[4]

These symbols of childhood were worn until they were taken off in a ritual ceremony that signified that the children had started puberty. They were not allowed to marry until they had passed through this ceremony and discarded the indicators of their youth.

As the parents decided when their children could marry, the youngsters would sometimes go through the ceremony before they had reached puberty. The ceremony was conducted for a group of kids close in age rather than for one individual at a time.

6 Mexica Appearance

Markers of age were more permanent among the Mexica (aka Aztecs). Mexica girls would receive marks through scarification on one hip and breast to show that they could start school. Meanwhile, boys got lip plugs for the same stage.

They received these rites of passage in a ceremony where they were taught how to behave and what their families would expect from them in their new chapter in life. The children would stay in their new school until they married, which was symbolic of their transition from childhood to adulthood.

Hairstyles were also significant among Mexica boys. As kids, they had shaved heads. When they turned 10, they could grow out their hair and essentially have man buns.

Most boys would catch their first enemy warrior when they were about 15. They would then cut their hair so that it was only long over the right ear. This would signify their approach to adulthood. However, they still had to capture another enemy. Until then, they had to keep their hair long on one side, which was a female hairstyle.^[5]

5 Inca Puberty Rituals

For the Inca, a girl became a woman once she had her first period. When this happened, the girl would stay inside her house without eating. On the third day, she was given some corn and her mother bathed her, braided her hair, and gave her new, clean clothes.

Her relatives would visit, and she would exit the house to serve them food and drinks. This was an important ceremony where her closest uncle would give her a new, permanent name and her other relatives would give her gifts.

For noble boys in Cuzco, there was a transition ceremony in the December of their fourteenth year. Before the ceremony, they would make a pilgrimage up Huanacauri, a mountain southeast of Cuzco, to sacrifice a llama. A priest would smear the animal’s blood on the boy’s forehead, and he was given a sling to signify that he was a warrior. This was followed by a period of dancing, more pilgrimages, and more llama sacrifices.^[6]

On one of the hikes, the closest uncle would give the boy a sling, a shield, and a mace. His legs would also be whipped to toughen them up. In the last ritual, he would get one ear pierced so that he could wear the plugs that signified his noble status.

4 Aboriginal Walkabout

Historically, the Australian Aboriginal ritual of a walkabout, or temporal mobility, was performed by teenagers as their initiation into adulthood. This usually happened when an individual was 10–16 years old, though the elders of the tribe decided when a child was ready for it.

Prior to the walkabout, the elders would teach the child all about adulthood, how to survive in the wild, and how to perform the ritual. The walkabout itself would last for around six months, and the child sometimes walked up to 1,600 kilometers (1,000 mi).

During this period, the child was expected to survive in the wilderness on his own without interacting with another human. This would prove that he could live off the land and be self-reliant as he would have to make his own shelter and find his own food and water.

The child would leave his tribe wearing nothing but a loincloth, though his body was likely decorated with paint and ornaments. Some tribes would remove one of the child’s teeth or pierce his nose or ears.

This ritual was not only a test of survival skills. The child was also meant to discover himself and communicate with his spiritual guides. As he was walking, he would sing ancient songs that were used to guide him through the land. These songs were called “songlines,” and their use was believed to invoke the help of spirits. Once the child successfully returned to his tribe, he was considered an adult.^[7]

People still go on walkabouts today, though it’s more of a self-discovery act rather than a transition into adulthood. Rather than sending out children, adults go on these journeys.

3 Chinese Capping Or Hairpin Ceremony

In China, a tradition from the Zhou dynasty turned boys into men through a capping ceremony and girls into women during a hairpin ceremony.

Males went through the ceremony during February when they were 20. They chose an honored guest who would roll their hair into a bun and put a cap on their head during the ceremony. The two of them and the host, who was usually the father, would wear ceremonial clothing for three days before the ceremony.

After the honored guest had fixed the boy’s hair, the guest would give a speech wishing the boy good luck in his future and telling him that he was an adult now. The boy then bowed to his mother before the honored guest gave him a new name.^[8]

For a female, the ceremony happened between her engagement and wedding, though it could happen no later than age 20. It was a similar procedure, though someone would roll her hair into a bun and fasten it with a hairpin rather than give her a cap. The ceremony also included mostly women and was held in her home.

2 Viking Men

To be considered men in Viking society, boys had to prove themselves. But they didn’t have a set ritual that everyone followed. Legally, boys were considered men once they turned 12. At this age, they could marry.

However, in many places, boys were not deemed to be men until they had lived through 15 winters. In Iceland, a boy had to prove that he could ride a horse properly and was able to drink with men.

As all the kids had to help out on farms, some places didn’t consider boys to be men until they had learned to accomplish all the tasks needed to run a farm. Once they proved that they could be completely self-reliant and did not need their families anymore, they were men. This included being a successful hunter and warrior as well.^[9]

Specifics about how a female passed into adulthood are scarce, but girls were often married as young as 12. Thus, the wedding was most likely the main transition ceremony turning a girl into a woman.

1 Celtic Quest

Among the Celts, at least the Irish Celts, the coming-of-age ritual was very important for boys. It was a highly religious event that was supposed to turn a boy into a warrior and, subsequently, a man.

The ritual consisted of a quest, though the nature of it differed depending on the tribe. Some boys were sent out into the forest on a scavenger hunt. They had to come back with certain items to show that they were self-reliant and capable. Others had to head far into the wilderness on longer expeditions. This would show how well they could take care of themselves.

To manage this, the Celts believed that the boy would be able to evoke help from a god or goddess, an important part of transitioning into an adult. Sometimes, girls would also undertake this quest, though it was not as necessary for them as it was for boys.^[10]

Do you throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder if you spill a saltshaker at the dinner table? This odd little tradition is meant to ward off the Devil who, apparently, will lurk over your shoulder if you spill salt… I think. This is because, according to many famed daemonologists, spilled salt is the Devil’s favourite, uh, meal.

Well, this quirky little superstition is nothing compared with the entries in this list—people all over the world still engage in some pretty extreme, gruesome and downright bizarre behaviour simply because that’s what has been done for generations. From throwing babies from great heights to trying to high-five venomous snakes, faith is still a great motivator. And, sometimes, deranging.

RELATED: Top 10 Bizarre Traditions

10 Snake Handling – Evangelical Christianity, Southern US States.

Moe Syzlak’s faith of choice is a real, living and breathing religious movement. If you love Jesus enough, so the Snake Handlers believe, you won’t get bitten. Not figuratively, they handle venomous snakes. The Bible does seem to hold a justification for the practice, if you squint tightly enough as you read the passages from the gospels of Mark (16: 17-18) and Luke (10: 19) and squeeze an air-horn whenever any pesky theologians decide to question the validity of the practice.

Mainly practiced by off-shoots of the Holiness, Pentecostal, Charismatic and other minor evangelical churches in the Appalachian Mountains, members used to participate in the laying on of hands to heal the sick, speaking in tongues and consumption of strychnine, relying on faith not to die of the effects of drinking the powerful poison (plenty of people died during the last practice). But it is the snake handling that has cost the most lives—as many as 120 deaths since 1910, with around 35 people dying between 1936 and 1973.
Even when snake handlers don’t die when bitten, plenty of parishioners in these churches display atrophied hands and missing digits.

But, at the very least, when a snake handler dies, believers don’t think it was due to a lack of faith—it was simply in God’s plan.

9 Crucifixions – Christianity, The Philippines.

This practice definitely is in the Bible (somewhere near the back, I think). Not sure it was ever suggested as something Christians should do, however. According to some Filipino Christians, that’s nonsense! They allow themselves to be crucified. Not in the silly Easter passion play way with leather straps over their wrists for 20 minutes, either. They actually get properly nailed to some planks of wood.

Catholic leaders have condemned the practice, worried that someone might get hurt (!) Although it’s clearly dangerous, one must admit that it’s an impressive show of faith, as well as an incredible display of endurance and dealing with what is clearly excruciating pain. In 2019, 9 people at 3 different sites across The Philippines were nailed to crosses to celebrate Easter. I think I’ll stick to egg hunting and hot crossed buns. Meanwhile, in Greece…

8 Red Eggs – Greek Orthodox Christianity, Greece.

Let’s take a break from the more extreme rituals for a moment. This fun little Easter game is a staple at dinner tables all over Greece and across the Greek Diaspora. The ‘Red Egg Game’ is a fun, sometimes tense party game played. Eggs are painted red to symbolise the blood Christ shed upon the cross and placed in a basket. Then the fun begins.

According to Select Bakery’s website (a traditional Greek bakery in Toronto, Canada) the rules of the game are thus:
1. Each player selects a red egg and finds an opponent. (Usually the person sitting next to them)
2. One person says, “Christos Anesti” (Christ has risen)… and the other replies, “Alithos Anesti” (Indeed He has risen).
3. The person who said “Christos Anesti” taps the end of his or her egg lightly against the end of the opponent’s egg. (The goal is to crack the opponent’s egg.)
4. When one end is cracked, the winner uses the same end to try and crack the other end of the opponent’s egg.
5. The winner with the unbroken egg then challenges another person and so on around the Easter dinner table until one person remains with an unbroken egg.
6. The player who successfully cracks the eggs of the other players is declared the winner and is said, will have good luck during the year.

Yeesh, that’s a nerve-racking, messy old game!

7 Baby Throwing – Multi-Faith, India.

From egg-cracking to (hopefully) avoiding some baby-cracking. It is considered a portent of great luck for your new infant should it complete a 30-ft plunge from a roof. This ritual is still popular in parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra states in India.

In the city of Solapur, the ritual is completed from atop the Baba Umer Dargha, an Islamic shrine. The tots are flung from a platform 15 meters above the ground and (hopefully) caught in a cloth held below. The tradition is said to date back to a suggestion made by a Sufi mystic who, on hearing about the rise in infant deaths, suggested that ailing babies be thrown in the manner still practiced today. This, he claimed, would show “their trust in the Almighty”. He further suggested that: “the babies were miraculously cradled to safety in a hammock-like sheet that appeared in mid-air.” Today, instead of a randomly materialising cloth, it is brought to the foot of the shrine and held by both Muslim and Hindu men.

6 Burning The Guy – Secular (Historically, Protestant), Britain.

“Remember, remember the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot” is a little rhyme you’ll hear around Britain on ‘Bonfire Night’ before we all head out to let off fireworks. Another tradition on this day is for children to go door to door holding a crudely made scarecrow-looking effigy and ask: ‘Penny for the Guy?’ (the ‘Guy’ is the effigy, not some random man who may be skulking behind the kids), before the community assembles at a predetermined location and sit the Guy on top of a pile of wood and set it ablaze. It’s pretty awful when you spell it out like that.

The ‘Guy’ is a representation of Guy (or Guido) Fawkes, a Catholic conspirator who planned the so-called gunpowder plot along with 12 other men—they plotted to blow up the House of Lords during the Opening of Parliament ceremony, killing King James I, (many non-Catholic monarchs had plots hatched against them during this period—King Henry III was assassinated by a Catholic fanatic in 1589, 16 years before the gunpowder plot). The plot was uncovered before it could be executed, and the conspirators were killed. So that’s why, every year, the people of Britain ceremonially burn Guy Fawkes.

That’s a long time to hold a grudge!

5 Knot Tying and Untying. And tying. And Untying – Zoroastrianism, worldwide.

The Boy Scouts have a pretty good reputation for knot tying. So too does the Navy. But none of these people can hold a candle to certain Zoroastrians. These guys take knot tying and untying to another level—a transcendent level!

The traditional Kushti (formerly known as a ‘zonnar’) is a sacred girdle made from tightly wound white woollen strands. It is worn around the waist by devoted Zoroastrians, wound 3 times around, tied twice employing double knots at the front and the back, and left to hang on the back. The 72 separate strands represent the 72 chapters of the ‘Yasna’, the main liturgical works found in the ‘Avesta’ (the Zoroastrian equivalent of the Bible). If this doesn’t sound complex enough, the daily ritual, known as the Nirang-i Kushti, that’s performed using this garment is intense: the adherent must stand in one spot, facing the sun or a light source, untie and then re-tie the Kushti in complete silence. If the adherent is compelled to speak, the ritual must be started over. Plus, you have to do this at least 3 times a day! Priests, at least 5 times.

I’m sure that many young Zoroastrians have the sorts of mothers that call up from downstairs “Where did you leave the remote” in the middle of the Nirang-i Kushti, prompting an answer. Probably followed by a “Never mind, it was on your dad’s belly!”.

4 Finger Cutting – Dani Animism, Papua.

They say that losing a loved one can be like losing a piece of yourself. For women in the Dani tribe on the Indonesian island of Papua, this sentiment is taken quite literally.

Women who suffer a bereavement were once required to amputate the ends of their fingers – for both the spiritual representation of their grief and to ward of the potentially vengeful spirits of the deceased. In times past, even small babies were required to have fingertips removed, often bitten off by their mothers (older, voluntary women have their fingers cut off by a relative using a sharpened stone blade). Now this ritual has been made illegal, but rumours persist that the remote tribe continue anyway. Many Dani women seem to be suspiciously lacking in digits.

3 Penis Power – Hinduism, India.

“Respect the cock!” shouteded Tom Cruise’s charismatic motivational speaker character in the movie Magnolia. Some people around the globe take this quite literally!

Whereas the Japanese take this suggestion in the abstract, having a whole Shinto festival dedicated to the concept of the penis called the Kanamara Matsuri, held each Spring in Tokyo; but in India, a certain holy man garnered respect due to the power of his own one-eyed trouser snake.

Well, at least one guy did back in 2018. The man was a Sadhu, an itinerant Hindu holy man who rejects earthly comforts, accepting the hardships of life as a test of his spirituality. Well-trained in yoga and meditation, these men are known to wear very little or nothing at all, relying on the kindness (and probably awe) of strangers to get by. Plus, the occasional stunt like pulling a small truck with a rope tied to your cock is bound to get a few coins thrown your way. Wonder if these Hindu holy men have ever considered OnlyFans?

2 Bomena – Traditional, Bhutan.

Meanwhile, in Bhutan…

Being the only place in the world that eschews GDP as a measure of the nation’s overall health by repying on a ‘happiness index’, one must question how ‘happy’ people are that the so-called ‘Night Hunting’, commonly referred to as ‘Bomena’ in Bhutanese, continues in the easternmost parts of the country. Author and researcher on Bhutanese culture Dorji Penjore wrote that, “this courtship involves a boy stealthily entering a girl’s house at night for courtship or coitus with or without prior consultation… (Bomena) is an institution through which young people find their partners and get married… Ideally, the process culminates in the morning, with what is locally called jai da jong (meaning ‘coming to the surface’) when the boy is found on the girl’s bed, which is an indication to declare them husband and wife”

With the advent of social media, it seems that this ritual may be a thing of the past. With claims from some that Bonema is responsible for increases in STD transmission, unwanted pregnancy, fathers abandoning their children and many cases of rape, maybe this is one tradition that Tinder will be a better mechanism for the… oh.

1 Jumping Naked Over Castrated Cows – Ethiopia.

You want to grow up and be a real bro? If you are a member of the Hamer tribe of Ethiopia, you better go find a dickless bull, strip off and do some stretches for a spot of jumping (I’m sure kangaroo boots are verboten).

But what does it mean to the Hamer when we say, ‘to be a man?’ Put simply, you’ll be allowed to marry. A massive party is arranged for the event, drinking and dancing all day until sunset. Then, the boy will try to run over the bull’s back 4 times without falling. If he face-plants every time, he must remain a boy for another year before getting another go.

So, if you find yourself living as an adopted son amongst the Hamer people, you’d better hope to pass this tricky test. Unless you want a life as a South-western Ethiopian tribal bachelor-for-life, that is.

Rituals play an important part in our everyday lives. From religious and celebratory events to the innumerable kinds of personal rituals people perform each day, they hold special places in our hearts.

Many people have these rituals as a result of traditions that have been passed down to them, and they will, in turn, do the same.

The origin of various rituals took place during ancient times. Even though history books and websites can teach you the history of some of the most common ones, there are still many that may not have been brought to your attention yet.

Keep reading to learn more about these ten ancient rituals you may have never heard of.

10 The Hanging Coffins of Indonesia

The hanging coffins in Indonesia are actually a tourist destination. You can find most of the area’s available tours and adventures online include this as an attraction spot.

Hanging coffins are not only famous in Indonesia but also in China and the Philippines. While they are peculiar funeral practices, this ritual dates back to the 8th century in China. One of the beliefs informing this ritual was the notion that the dead should stay closer to all the gods. The gods could then reach the dead easily through the hanging coffins, especially when suspended high in the air.

Local legends also mentioned that Torajans from Indonesia believed that the higher a dead coffin was placed, the shorter the journey into Nirvana. Now, while this ritual is no longer practiced today, you can still head to Indonesia to see these coffins. Just make sure to have your wits about you—they’re a bit scary at first glance!^[1]

9 The Retainer Sacrifice of Ancient Egypt

The retainer sacrifice is a dark source of fascination. It involved careful planning of how human beings would be killed. In Egypt and the Near East, retainer sacrifices were involved with funerary practices and elite tombs.

Retainer sacrifice means sacrificing the servants to be buried together with the king. In one of the royal cemeteries in Umm el-Qa’ab, all the dynasty kings’ tombs from Aha to Qa’a were accommodated with subsidiary burials.

Burials were arranged in blocks, extending or surrounding the royal tombs. And the subsidiary tombs’ positions determine the servants’ relationships with the rulers.

When tombs containing skeletal remains were found, researchers believed the servants buried inside were at least 25 years old. This means there might be individuals who chose to be buried together with the king.^[2]

8 The Blood Eagle Death Rite

The blood eagle death rite, an execution technique allegedly performed by the Vikings, was probably the most ritualized and brutalized killing method. It was so gruesome that scholars and researchers are unsure whether doing it was actually even possible on an individual’s body.

The process of this death rite was written in various prose and poems from the 11th to 13th centuries. Nordic people would capture the victims during battles.

The blood eagle death ritual goes like this:

• Captors cut large skin flaps and open them to reveal the victims’ muscles from their backs.
• Ribs were severed from the spine to open them outward to both sides, forming wings.
• The ritual is complete when the captors pull out the intact lungs and lay them over the “wings” or extended ribs.
• Toward the end of the ritual, the victims were already dead.

As horrifying as that death rite is, it wasn’t considered cruel at the time. In fact, to the Vikings, this was an important death ritual that they used to sacrifice their victims to the gods.

Today, some still celebrate the ancient Viking religion known as Asatru. However, the religion is an extremely peaceful one, and all remnants of this type of brutality have been carefully hidden from those who follow the religion.^[3]

7 The Living Ghosts of Benin

Living ghosts in Benin were strange, robed figures or Egunguns. The villagers believed these figures were representatives of dead souls returning to Earth.

Most believed the purpose of the Egunguns was to give pieces of advice and words of wisdom to the living. The living should not make contact with these Western African living ghosts, or else they would suffer deadly consequences.

When the robed figures entered villages, they would also pass judgments that were believed to be from the gods. Villagers believed in their power, and they feared they would die if they touched these mysterious figures. Egunguns could appear anytime and attract crowds, but a village’s minders used sticks to protect the villagers and ensure no one would get touched.

These living ghosts created an impression that the dead were visiting the world of the living. They would speak in inhuman and high-pitched falsetto tones. There are rumors that the living ghosts are still around today. However, since this is such a secretive religious movement, it’s hard to confirm or deny.^[4]

6 Thaumogenesis

Thaumogenesis was one of the mythical consequences of individuals who attempted to resurrect their loved ones. It was a process that would occur when a resurrection technique was used to summon demons. Thaumogenesis created two spiritual entities and portals which entered the land of the living.

One of the spiritual entities would be the spirit to be resurrected, while the other was a spirit of demonic nature. Because this process also opens a portal, demonic energy could enter from one dimension and attach to the resurrected spiritual entity.

Upon reaching the land of the living, the demonic energy could create a whole new demon. From the process, you can see that thaumogenesis is like a spiritual debt that needs to be paid for an inhuman paranormal act.^[5]

5 Mayan Bloodletting Rituals

Bloodletting and human sacrifices were common practices in Mesoamerican cultures, especially the Maya.

Mayan bloodletting rituals meant puncturing a particular body part to offer to the gods. For instance, they chose the cheek or tongue for women or the penis for men. After puncturing, blood was collected that would be burned as an offering.

The Mayans performed these rituals during significant dates in the Mayan ritual calendar, but the most common times were during the beginning and end of each calendar cycle. Important life stages when bloodletting was essential were the following:

• Ascension of a king to the throne
• Building of dedication monuments
• The beginning and ending of war
• Birth, death, or marriage of the kings or queens^[6]

4 The Rituals at Pömmelte

Like the famed henge in England, Pömmelte—the German Stonehenge–was also believed to be a place for various occult rituals. When scientists and archaeologists visited the site, they found a variety of interesting buried objects and remains:

Bodies of ten women and children, four of which sustained rib fractures and severe skull trauma
Carefully arranged burials in one of the sites’ earthen rings
Other items buried, including grinding stones, millstones, and animal bones

While the reason for these burials remained a mystery lost to time, researchers believe they were related to ritual sacrifices.^[7]

3 The Dionysian Mysteries

The Dionysian Mysteries were a famous ritual in Ancient Rome and Greece. It included trance-inducing techniques and intoxicants, removing social constraints and inhibitions. The ritual was believed to liberate the participants and help them return to their natural states.

The Dionysian Mysteries were accepting of marginalized individuals in Greek society, as they included slaves, non-citizens, and outlaws as participants. Just don’t confuse the Dionysian Mysteries with the Eleusinian Mysteries. While both were religious festivals meant to honor the Greek gods, they celebrated two very different deities.

Additionally, there was actually a lot more secrecy surrounding the Dionysian Mysteries. As a result, there’s still much about the mysteries that scientists are trying to uncover today.^[8]

2 Utagaki

Utagaki was a Japanese Shinto social ritual in which villagers would meet on mountaintops and interact with one another in a matter of ways. During these meetings, villagers would sing, dance, eat, and have sexual intercourse freely in ritual offerings to local gods. It was believed that this practice brought the blessing of the gods, bringing fertility to women and virility to men. Poetry reciting was also common to celebrate the start of autumn or spring.

Utagaki rituals were also considered an opportunity for unmarried individuals to meet partners.

Eventually, the rituals were outlawed by the reigning Buddhist government for their “excessive unruliness,” although less-sexualized remnants of the tradition are still alive in certain areas of Japan.^[9]

1 The Sacred Marriage of the Babylonians

Sacred marriages in Babylonia meant humans took the place of fertility gods during religious rituals. These involved sacred sexual union rituals, also known as hieros gamos.

The sacred marriage involved an act of re-enacting the marriage between Dumuzi, the shepherd god, and Ishtar or Inanna, the fertility goddess. During the re-enactment, Inana would engage in sexual intercourse with the king or high priest of the city.

The intercourse performed was considered to unleash abundant divine energy to the land, giving fertility to its women and crops. What’s interesting is that sacred marriages didn’t actually have anything to do with traditional marriage. Babylonians still celebrated marriage and did so in the usual way—big celebrations with lots of eating and drinking.

Let’s just hope the ancient Babylonians didn’t get jealous!^[10]