3 Girls One Guy: A Survey of "Modern Primitive" Body Modification Rituals: Meanings of Pain

Ritual Piercing

Body Piercing is a form of body modification by using a sharp pointed object to go into or through the skin. It been known since before century. Body piercing can be used as identity, manhood, femininity, social status, or fashion.

Identity

http://www.neatorama.com/2008/06/23/unusual-tribal-piercings-of-a-papua-new-guinea-tribesman/

In Papua New Guinea, nose piercing is a form to identity one tribe to another.

Manhood

http://fs.huntingdon.edu/history/jalbritton/101sg6.html

In Roman, piecing is used to show their manhood. Julius Caesar pierced his nipples to show his strength and his identification with his men.

Femininity

http://celebritynoserings.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

In India, nose piercing is usually worn in the left nostril because in Ayurvedra medicine the piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain.

Social Status

http://www.king-tut.org.uk/egyptian-pharaohs/pharaohs-timeline.htm

In Egypt, wealthy Egyptian wore earrings to display their wealth. Only Pharaoh is allowed to do navel pierce.

Fashion

http://rohrbachlibrary.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/celebrate-shakespeare-and-national-poetry-month/

In Renaissance and Elizabethan eras, almost any male member of the nobility would have at least one earring. Even William Shakespeare wore earring to show his social status and to show that he is fashionable.

Ritual Hook Hanging

Hanging Suspensions a cultural ritual that is on the extreme outer edges of the body modification scene. Hooks are attached to a person as temporary piercings; these hooks are then used to hang them in the air—much like cuts of meat in a butcher’s window.

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=746&tbm=is

This ritual is said to have life affirming affects and change those which are troubled for the better—mental and physical preparation for suspension are of equal importance.

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=746&tbm=isc

Depending on personal preference, there are several ways in which you can be hung, as you can see from the gallery. Each has their own name depending on the shape of the body during the ritual, like ‘Superman’ or ‘Suicide.’

While this is something that should never be tried on your own, if people do find this a life-changing experience, who are we to say that they are wrong?

http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1440&bih=746&tbm=isch&tbnid=NPpNm45wIWLXcM:&imx=93&ty=52

One of the rituals was performed by the Mandan, a tribe that lived in villages along the Missouri River (now North and South Dakota). This suspension ritual was called the O-Kee-Pa, and was a rite of passage for all young men, as well as a vision quest ritual for the shaman. This ritual was performed by piercing two hooks into the chest and two hooks into the back of a young man about to enter adult life. This young man was then suspended for about twenty minutes to seek communion with "The Great White Spirit", under the guidance of someone who had taken the journey before called a Ka-See-Ka, or guide.

---Xindi

Sun Dance

"The human body can be a vehicle for spiritual, psychological, and physical transformation, primarily through the use of body modification and associated rituals"

The first of the body modifications that were ever recorded were a stone age man, a Siberian Ice Maiden, and mummies of Xinjiang, China. They had tattoos, and piercings which led researchers to believe that these were used to determine social status, life-stags, cultural ideals, and participation in medicinal and spiritual rituals.

The sun dance was an eight day spiritual ritual practiced by North American Plains Indians. They would fast and dance for three days and three nights until the participants would have incisions made in their backs or chests, and pieces of wood attached to leather straps that were then inserted through freshly cut incisions in their back or chest muscles. They were then hoisted up and left hanging from their wounds facing the sun. This was called “Sun-Gazing”. The warrior would only be able to get down once the piercings had been ripped. They were said to have achieved a spiritual transcendence after passing out from the pain.

http://www.karenkuehn.com/people/peopleBW07_Sundance-Ritual.html

In modern times, this is now illegal, but is still secretly practiced.

- Jovanna Reyes

3-D Implants
3D implants are 3d teflon and surgical steel implanted under the skin. It was created by Steve Haworth, a modern primitive. His most noteable work is doing a 3d metal mohawk, all implants were placed along top center of the scalp. The
implants were square in shape. People who get this done say is
a positive pain experience which leads them to participating in
more rituals.