INTRODUZIONE SCARIFICAZIONE GB

The images in this section are the result of an expedition along the Sepik River, undertaken aboard a boat carved from a single tree trunk. For days, we traveled upriver with the aim of documenting an ancient ritual still practiced today by the Kaningara tribe, who live along the banks of the Sepik.

It is one of the most extreme and fascinating examples of animal imitation with spiritual significance still existing. In Sepik culture, man and crocodile share a profound bond: the crocodile represents strength, power, virility, and spiritual belonging.

The ritual, reserved exclusively for men, takes place inside the large “House of Spirits,” the imposing ceremonial hut that is the center of the village’s spiritual life. On this occasion, I witnessed a collective scarification involving eleven young initiates.

The ceremony involves deep, deliberate incisions on the body—chest, abdomen, shoulders, back, and buttocks—up to 400 or 450 cuts. Today, razor blades are mainly used, while in the past, incisions were made with sharpened shells. The wounds are then treated with vegetable oils and ash so that, once healed, the skin takes on the appearance and texture of a crocodile’s shell.

For the Sepik people, facing this pain signifies the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Overcoming suffering, fear, and even the risk of infection is proof of the inner strength required to become a true “son of the Sepik.”

After the ritual, initiates remain inside the Spirit House for approximately thirty days, cared for and fed by their families. During this time, they must abide by very strict rules that limit all contact with the outside world and require them to learn the history, traditions, and values ​​of their people.

These rituals, celebrated every four or five years, entail enormous financial sacrifices for local families. Despite widespread poverty, no one gives up saving to allow their children to undergo initiation: the pain passes, but belonging to the tribe and the symbolic value of becoming a man remain forever.