From the moment they regained their sovereignty, the peoples of South Africa began to value their traditions.
In the past, the white British rulers tried to weaken their sense of traditional etiquette. They thought that by limiting the spread of national culture, they could limit the black mind.
It was hard to say whether this worked or not, but eventually, under the leadership of Mandela, the black people regained control of the country.
However, the black people recognized the sinister intentions of the white people. Later, when they regained control of the country, the various ethnic groups launched a movement to preserve their traditions and revive their culture.
In addition, the Zulu tradition of polygamy, and the status of women was not given due attention. This made some women indifferent to the concept of chastity. As a result, the number of unmarried mothers increased, and the phenomenon of children only knowing their mothers but not their fathers increased.
For several reasons, the Zulu people resurrected this ancient ritual and gained the support of the news media.
Slowly, throughout the Zulu region, the tradition of testing whether an unmarried girl was a woman was promoted again, and even became a fashion event.
Usually, when this kind of activity was carried out, young girls of fifteen or sixteen years of age would come to a specific place on a specific day and lie on a straw mat on the ground in a row to be examined by the elderly women of the same race.
These older women had undergone a certain amount of professional training, learning from an old virgin who served the goddess, and knew the mysterious method of identifying a complete hymen.
Hearing the introduction, Li Du was stunned and said, "This is unheard of!"
Big Ivan was puzzled and said, "Hasn't it been scientifically proven that a woman is pure by showing her hymen? Isn't it unreliable?"
The lion hunter took a deep drag on his cigar, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and said, "There is no science in our Zulu territory, only traditions left by our ancestors — stupid, isn't it?"
His words were blunt, and his face was full of disdain. The Zulu men around him, who had been laughing, were embarrassed.
Because of the lion hunter's wealth and status, they could not refute him, so they could only mutter a few words.
For the Zulu people, this was a solemn ceremony during which no men, including little boys, were allowed to approach. If they did, they would be punished.
The open space was surrounded by long blue cloth, creating a relatively enclosed space. Li Du did not know what was going on inside and wondered, "Sophie is not a Zulu girl. Why is she staying in there?"
The lion hunter said, "Because when this ceremony is held, in order to show fairness, important people from other races are usually required to observe. Sophie is your fiancée, my guest of honor, and is regarded as a big shot from a developed country."
Li Du smiled and said, "I thought your people would hate white people. After all, white people used to rule over you. Seems like that's not the case."
The lion hunter shrugged and said proudly, "They hate white people, but they can't hate my guests."
After more than ten minutes, the blue wall was opened, and a group of five girls walked out.
These girls had yellow mud smeared on their foreheads, just like the old woman from before.
They walked carefully and proudly. They only wore jewelry on their upper bodies, and their breasts were still exposed.
The lion hunter nodded. "They have passed the test. They are still pure girls and will be blessed by the goddess in the future."
"Will they be blessed to marry a man who loves them wholeheartedly? A man who will not marry another woman? "Lu Guan said casually.
The lion hunter looked at him and said, "Young man, our culture is different. In our tribe, if you marry only one woman, it means you are incompetent. You are a coward."
Li Du said, "According to probability, the proportion of newborns in the tribe should be the same. Some people marry more than one wife, and some can't, right?"
The lion hunter nodded and said, "Yes, these people are not even cowards. They cannot be recognized and respected unless there is a war, and they go to the battlefield to prove their worth."
What else could Li Du say? The value of marriage among the Zulu people was too strange. Men who could not marry had no social status?
The lion hunter was telling the truth. In order to ensure that their men could marry, the Zulu people had a custom of exchanging marriages, similar to the closed mountainous areas in China.
According to Zulu tradition, men and women of the same family could not marry. As long as they were members of the same family, they would always be brothers and sisters, no matter how many generations they were apart.
So, in order to ensure that their men could marry and that their families could grow, the elders of many families sometimes held marriages.
As for whether such marriages were affectionate? Don't worry, most Zulu couples had no affection for each other — polygamy was always an injustice to women. In this social position, how could a woman fall in love with her husband?
Besides, many men did not regard women as lifelong partners. For them, they were cheap labor and fertility machines.
Girls who passed the test could continue to bare their breasts in the future, which was a kind of recognition, similar to a 'female certificate.' Unlike in other parts of the world, women could go topless, which was a symbol of purity and beauty among the Zulu people.
Li Du had a sense of déjà vu. In Chinese history, there had been something called the Chastity Memorial Arch, which seemed to be the Zulu women's chastity memorial arch.
He, Lu Guan, Big Ivan, Big Quinn, and others felt that it was an insult to women. The lion hunter did not care. He waved and said, "Come on, I will take you to another ceremony. Then you will know that we do not look down on women and discriminate against the great mother."
This new ceremony was even more bizarre. When the Zulu people tested the purity of women, they also tested the chastity of the young men in the tribe.
In the same open space, a group of naked boys with their buttocks out were waiting to be examined.
When Li Du entered, he was shocked to see so many dark, strong, naked men!
He looked at the lion hunter in disbelief and cried, "My God, isn't this nonsense? How do you judge a man's chastity? "
The lion hunter said, "This is an activity started by the Zulu King of South Africa two years ago. He consulted with many andrologists and folklore experts and came up with a judgment."
Li Du could not resist his curiosity and asked, "How? This is amazing! "
"First of all, experts believe that if a man is really chaste before marriage, then his genital skin must be quite tight. If an unmarried man's foreskin has become loose, then nine times out of ten he has already had sex. "
The lion hunter grinned contemptuously. "Also, these children have to pee. They have to pee with their heads facing up …"
Li Du asked, "It's not to test the height and strength of the urine, is it?"
Listening to his words, the lion hunter snapped his fingers. "You are right. According to the standard, if a man can eject urine high enough to reach his head or even exceed his height, then he is pure. On the contrary, I don't have to say more, do I? "
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