Many African traditional tribes include rites of passage for male teenagers. These traditions, which may differ from culture to culture, include sacrifice, hunting, bravery, strength, and fortification testing. The Fulani of West Africa are one such indigenous people. These people devote themselves to the Sharo Festival. Sharo is a term that means whipping. It is a public ritual that honors the bravery and endurance of boys as they grow into men. The festival takes place twice a year. The first festival takes place during the dry season, when guinea corn is harvested, while the second takes place during the Muslim feast of Id-el-Kabir. (Stella Ibru, 2017)
Stella Ibru observed that the Sharo Festival lasts a week and is held in an open space such as a market square. The event begins with a variety of tricksters, minstrels, and maiden dancers performing. The main event begins with the appearance of bare-chested, unmarried men, who are brought to the center ring by gorgeous young girls. The beautiful drumbeats and booming cheers of the audience increase hopes, while competitors examine their adversaries. The families of the contenders watch and pray that their sons to not shame the family by being unable to bear the flogging.
The pastoral Fulani have an egalitarian social structure, in contrast to other Muslim communities such as the Hausa and most sedentary Fulani. The general preference for cousin and other intralineage marriages demonstrates Islam’s influence on kinship patterns. The average home unit consists of the family leader, his wives, and his unmarried offspring, and the majority of men are polygynous. If a contestant surrenders, he will be viewed as lacking in manliness. If he survives the flogging, his family and supporters will greet and celebrate him. To prevent serious injury, such as blindness, a referee is always present during the festival to oversee the floggings. The challenger raises the cane in the direction of the referee and lands it on the back of the contender, who is supposed to be dancing, singing, laughing, and calling for more in a mockery of his opponent.
According to legend, once the candidates survive the flogging, they are recognized as men and pursued by attractive ladies. Many contestants say mantras during the flogging ritual or go through a traditional fortification process to prepare for the day. | Who is Eligible to Participate in Sharo Festival in Northern Nigeria? | Sharo is often organized by two male adult suitors seeking the hand of a girl in marriage. In the event of the competition, the upcoming groom will be accompanied by friends and family who will be nurturing him to resist the rigorous procedure to ensure that he did not sob or shed even a drop of tears, and if he does, he is then regarded weak and will be rejected by the bride’s family.
The Prize for the Winner | At the end of the festival, the survivor is crowned a man and is allowed to marry the girl over whom the competition was held or any girl of his choice. He can marry as many as four women if he so wishes and is able to tolerate more suffering in other competitions. Players are left with multiple scars on their body after the event, but this is viewed as a sign of energy. The scars demonstrate that the individual was put to the ultimate test of bravery, virility, endurance, and survival.
Although Sharo is a traditional cultural ritual in Nigeria in which young Fulani men compete to find a wife and to test their endurance, the participants are flogged with wooden sticks and canes. However, in recent years, the practice has waned, with some Fulani men denouncing it as hazardous and forbidden in Islam.
Reference
- | Nigeria’s Fulani men who get whipped to find a wife | https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-46476231
- | The Fulani Festival That Is Celebrated By Flogging | https://guardian.ng/life/culture-lifestyle/the-sharo-festival-of-the-fulani/
- | Fulani | https://www.britannica.com/topic/sharo
- | Sharo Festival, a Fulani Culture of Manhood | https://naijabiography.com/history-culture/sharo-festival-a-fulani-culture-of-manhood/
- | The Fulani/Fulbe People | https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fula_2/hd_fula_2.htm
- | Fulani | https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Fulani.html
- | Everything You Need to Know About Sharo Festival | https://northpad.ng/how-sharo-festival-is-celebrated-in-northern-nigeria/
- | Sharo Wedding In Nigeria: Why The Groom Must Be Flogged Before He Marries The Bride. | https://ng.opera.news/ng/en/sex-relationship/e1d863408e300c777c6f2f3ede45178e
