Growing Up Sexually

NAGAS (India)

More: Abor, Lingayats, Bengali, Punjabi; Rājpūts, Brahmans, Chamars, Nayar, Todas, Hill Maria Gond, Hill Saoras, Sinhalese, Purum, Veda, Santals, Garos, Muria Gonds, Baiga, Nimar Bahalis, Telugu, Lepcha, Lodha, Uttar Pradesh, Andamanese, Nicorbarese

“Until puberty there is little contact between children of different morung [men’s house, entered variably at ages 9 to as late as 16]. They rarely play together and especially the girls are not often seen outside their own khel. But as soon as interest in the opposite sex awakens, things change radically. An Oukheang boy will sneak at night to the house of a Balang girl” (Von Furer-Haimendorf, 1938:p362)[1].

The Tankhul Nagas prescribed an ivory ring to be worn from puberty onward on “the person”, allegedly to prevent erectio penis (Watt)[2].

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology, Berlin

Last revised: Sept 2004