Nov 15, 2017 · For their manhood ritual, the Mawé submerge hundreds of bullet ants in a natural sedative, rendering them unconscious. These large ants are then woven into gloves made of leaves, with their stingers pointing towards the inside of the glove.

Oct 27, 2014 · Boys as young as 12 years old must gather bullet ants from the forest, which are then used to make ant-ridden gloves. The young men wear the gloves 20 times for 10 minutes, performing a...

The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural sedative and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made out of the cashew leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stinger facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, the boy slips the glove onto his hand.

Apr 25, 2017 · The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is a species of ant named for its potent sting. The ant is mainly found in humid lowland rainforests of Nicaragua and Honduras. The Bullet Ant has several names from different parts of the world due to its notoriety.

Jul 7, 2022 · In a very unique process, bullet ants are actually paralyzed and then embedded into a sort of glove which puts the wearer's hand in direct contact with bullet ant stingers (via All That's Interesting). Boys are heavily involved in the process of creating these gloves, even venturing into the forest to collect the stinging ants in anticipation ...

Aug 17, 2013 · Once the ants stop moving, they weave them into “gloves,” with the stingers pointed inward. After an hour or so, the ants wake up angrier than ever, and the initiation tradition begins. The young boys take 10-minute turns wearing the bullet ant gloves on their hands.

Oct 19, 2024 · Bullet ant gloves are a wild tradition of the Satere-Mawe tribe in the Amazon. These gloves, filled with bullet ants, are used in a coming-of-age ritual for young men. The pain from the ant stings is intense, often described as one of the most painful experiences a …