Vanuatu land diving

Less demeaning but more scary than the last two. In accordance with the legend of the tribe’s founding father, who chased his wife-to-be up a tree before plunging to his death, any young man wishing to marry must endure a sacred land-dive. They leap from a purpose built platform with their feet bound to elasticated vines, in a ritual which pre-dates bungee jumping. The vines are measure to stop just as the man’s head touches the ground, allowing him to kiss the earth and gain it’s blessing for his marriage. However, this is hardly an exact science and many a groom has ended up too dead to make the wedding.

Hell’s Angels

Plenty of legends exist over this famous but inaccurately portrayed organisation, not least surrounding their entry test. Some ex-angels have alleged that new members must bring a ‘sheep’ (lady) willing to “cover the crowd” (have sex with everyone), but the veracity is disputed. More plausible and widely reported are cases of a member’s new uniform being smeared with communal excrement, which he is then obliged to wear for a week without washing. Though far from civilized, this makes the bikers slightly friendlier than some other gangs, such as the Roto Gang (witness a disemboweling), or the Triads (have to drink a bowl of their own blood).

Witchcraft

For initiation and each subsequent promotion, a witch must undergo a process of ‘scourging’ at the altar. She must recite an oath of allegiance to the four guardians of the earth, while she is anointed with the sacred oil. In days gone by she would then be beaten to the tune of forty strokes with a club, but in this modern, wimp-infested era this element is deemed unnecessary. There are more rituals for puberty, marriage etc. but these require less organisation.