Male circumcision was widespread among the aboriginals (but not universal). It is still practised in some tribal areas - there was a case in the newspapers a few years ago of an urban aboriginal kid whose tribal relatives wanted to have him initiated.
Subincision was much less common and was done later - ie a boy would be circumcised and later subincised. Some adults would have their subincision lengthened at subsequent subincision ceremonies. So far as I know subincision is no longer practised anywhere.
James
The following is a description of the circumcision and subincision of a 16 year old Australian aboriginee boy exerpted from a book by Robert Tonkinson titled "The Mardudjara Aborigines" published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1978.
"Waga is led to the center of the ground by his visitor Activist "Grandfathers," one of whom lights the main fire while the remaining Mourner men lie down facing away from the ground. Some of the Activists sit nearby, softly singing. Two Visitor Activists leap to their feet and do a rapid dance up and down the ground, holding shields. They then crouch over the weapons near the big fire, to be joined by six more local and visitor Activists, who crawl beneath them from both sides and raise them on their backs to form a human platform for the operation. One of the assistants carries Waga and lays him on his back on the table, then sits on his chest, facing his penis and the large fire. He pulls up the foreskin and twists it, being careful to keep the head of Waga's penis under the thumb of this other hand. The other "WB" operator supports his head and gives him a boomerang to bite on during the cutting. Several "grandfathers" (both "MF" and "FF") circle the table to watch the cutting and comfort Waga, while the rest of the Activists quietly sing, and the Mourners softly wail.
The Two "MB", each with his own newly sharpened and magically prepared stone knife, take turns at cutting the foreskin. Waga neither utters a sound nor struggles in any way, but his teeth have sunk into the hard mulga of the boomerang; he lies inert, as if self-anesthetized, betraying his suffering with an ocasional grimace. Beneath him, the men forming the table joke with one another, complain of the discomfort and Waga's weight, and urge the operators to hurry up and get the job over with, while the "grandfathers" hover and keep up a chorus of reassurances, for the benefit of Waga and the Mourners, saying that the operators have almost finished.
Once the foreskin is finally severed, the "MB" who finishes the cutting pushes what remains down to reveal the head of Waga's penis. Then the operators retire to a small fire that has been set for them, and the "grandfathers" lead Waga to a small fire they have lit close to the two circles of Men. He is told to kneel on a shield over the smoke, with an "EB" supporting him on each side. The "Grandfathers" inspect his penis and report to the rest of the men present that the operation was a good one and that there is little bleeding. The Mourners sit up and view Waga from a distance, and the Activists recommence singing. The operators collect several hair belts and weapons they had left near the ground earlier, and then file past him."
"Waga sits over the smoke fire, dazed and in pain, but silent. One of his "EB" tells him to open his mouth and swallow some "fat" or "good meat", but without chewing on it. The foreskin is dropped into his mouth and he swallows it, gulping at the effort. His "grandfather" Diludu now tells him that he has eaten "his own boy" and that his foreskin will grow inside him and make him strong, and will give him the ability to become a skilled cutter himself when the time comes."
Nine months after the circumcision Waga is subincised.
"Several 'grandfathers' stand nearby to comfort him, and one gives him a boomerang to bite on. One of the operators then sits on his chest and holds his penis upright while the other carefully cuts it open, while the Activists sing and the Mourners quietly wail. The operation takes about ten minutes, since great care must be taken to center the incision, and cutting delayed while a small wooden rod is inserted into the urethra to act as a backing for the knife as it cuts. As soon as the operaton is completed, Waga is led to a small fire that has been made nearby; he sits astride it so that the heat and smoke will stop the bleeding."
Recent discoveries have shown evidence of Aborigines in Australia up to 176,000 years ago. If, as seems likely, there was little contact with other cultures prior to white settlement, their circumcision practices must have developed here.
Further to the Sub-incision messages, all the factual books I have read about Australian Aboriginies and their history and life style (by people who have lived with them) state that circumcision is usually done when a boy is about the age of puberty, then some few years later, when they are in their late teens, or early 20's the sub-incision operation is performed. The youth is placed with his back against a tree, he is held by 2 men, then a slit is made on the underside of his penis from about the frenum area, almost to the scrotum, cutting into the urethra. The lad is then told to stand over a small fire to allow the blood to drip into it, which is supposed to purify it. The usual reason for this operation is given as a form of male menstruation, in "sympathy" with the females. Thereafter the lad has to squat to urinate, but apparently it does not affect their ability to make babies. Apparently they don't marry until quite late, at least 30's, and often take a young boy as a "wife" until they do. When they are married, and usually in middle age, they sometimes sub-incise themselves again, often more than once in their lifetime, possibly for the same "blood-leting" reason.
Bryan
Return to Rites & Practices Around The World
Copyright © 1992 - 2009, All Rights Reserved CIRCLIST.
