Baruya people

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Baruya are a people of the highlands of Papua New Guinea. They have been studied since 1967 by anthropologist Maurice Godelier. There are approximately 1500 Baruya people living in the Wonenara and Marawaka valleys.^[1]

The Baruya are characterized by a strong inequality between males and females; all their organizations, institutions, and myths present male domination. They have a ritual in which boys give fellatio to young males and drink their semen, to 're-engender themselves prior to marriage'.

To achieve the status of manhood the young boys go through a ritual in which they drink the semen of young men. The ritual is a lengthy process and can be divided into four stages for the initiates:

At the age of nine, young boys are taken from their mothers to become Yivupbwanya and as a result their women skirts are cut short at the front and removed from behind while their noses are pierced. At age eight they begin to ingest semen from older males twelve and up.

At the age of twelve, the skirts are completely removed and replaced with a male multi-layered skirt and a narrow strip of bark is worn behind, and their noses are pierced with a large nose peg. They are also adorned with many other insignia representing an approach to manhood. The initiates are now known as Kawetnya.