A young man in the Sepik River area of Papua New Guinea (PNG)displays razor scars on his back from a skin-cutting ceremony to initiate his manhood.


A young man standing in front of his tribal spirit house in the Sepik River area of Papua New Guinea (PNG) displays scars on his back from a manhood initiation ceremony. The ritual involves cutting the skin with a razor blade so that the scars resemble the bumpy hide of a crocodile, a reptile representing strength and masculinity that is worshipped in the region as a water spirit.


Size: 2722px × 3600px
Location: Wombun, Chambri Lakes, Sepik River area, Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Photo credit: © Michele and Tom Grimm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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