On culture: The Dani tribe

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Losing a loved one can be a terrible event that leaves one with emotional anguish. But in other cultures, the loss can also cause bodily suffering.
In certain traditions, the grieving process is not complete without this physical manifestation of emotional suffering.
The Dani tribe in Papua New Guinea is an example of this. After going to a funeral, several tribe members chopped off the tip of their finger.
This is a rite exclusive to the Dani tribe's female members.

If a lady loses a child or family member, she will cut off the tip of her finger. In addition to satisfying and chasing away the spirits, the technique offered a means of expressing grief and suffering via bodily agony.

Members of the Dani tribe believe that if a person died and was a powerful figure during their lifetime, their ghost would linger in the village and cause ongoing spiritual strife.

To begin the exercise, first secure the upper half of the finger with a tight string for approximately half an hour.

This makes it possible for the finger to get numb for a "near" painless extraction. After chopping off the finger with an axe, the exposed injury is sterilized to halt blood loss and grow new, numb fingers.

The remaining finger fragment is dried, after which it is either preserved in a designated area or burned to ashes. Although New Guinea has outlawed this procedure, some older women in the village nevertheless carry out the custom by having their fingertips amputated.

In another custom, mothers have reportedly been known to bite off the tips of their kids' fingers.

It is thought that if a woman bit her child's fingers, the child would live longer because they would stand out from the crowd.

Happy Weekend 😊

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