A terrible custom

Many traditional cultures have become a part of history (most of them are lovely and good), but many of them are barbaric and evil. Some of these distasteful traditions have ceased only in recent years. Here's a list of top 10 bizarre traditions, most of which people have forgotten.

1. The foot binding

About a thousand years ago, foot-binding was a custom practiced among young women in China. This custom began in the tenth century and ended in the early twentieth century. The Chinese culture of foot-binding meant that around the age of six or earlier, girls' feet were bound with strips of cloth so that they would not grow as they normally would: they were then broken and severely deformed in order to be reshaped. Bound feet are usually no longer than four to six inches (about 10 to 15 centimeters). This is an important reason why some elderly Chinese women today are disabled.

2. Mummification

Legend has it that mummies are Buddhists and monks who die by themselves in a unique way called mummification. The custom is reported to occur almost exclusively in northern Japan. About 16-24 mummies have been found there.

The monks maintained a special diet of nuts and seeds for three years. They rigorously carry out this "treatment" of the body in order to reduce body fat. After three years of this, they began to eat only the bark and heel of the tree, and drink the poison (usually served in lacquered bowls) produced by the sumac. The process still takes three years. This diet makes them prone to vomiting and rapidly lose fluid from their bodies; And can kill the maggots in the body, so that their bodies after death not easy to corrupt. Finally, to keep the body in a lotus shape, the mummified monk is placed in a tomb that is about the same size as his body. The only contact the monks have with the outside world is through a snorkel and a bell. Every day he rang his bell to let the world know he was alive. If one day the bell stops ringing, the people on the outside remove the ventilation tube and seal the tomb.

3. The eunuch

First of all, you may be confused by this picture, which is actually of a male eunuch. Eunuchs are men who have their genitals cut off: Because of their specific social duties, the term "eunuch" has been given to men who have their genitals cut off. Since then, as a common noun, it has become part of many social systems. In ancient China, genital castration was not only a traditional form of punishment (dating back to the Sui Dynasty), but also a way to obtain the position of serving the emperor. At the end of the Ming Dynasty there were about 70,000 eunuchs in the imperial palace. The value of this position is that a eunuch in a certain position can have enormous power -- even more than a monarch -- but self-castration is illegal. In 1912 the profession of eunuchs, who served the emperor, ceased. The number has plummeted to 470.

Eunuchs who are castrated around puberty need to be taken seriously. They need not only multi-cultural training but also to maintain their unique voice. These children have the same natural playfulness and squeaky voices as normal children, but are extremely adaptable. This is what we know as a eunuch. Unfortunately, there is an age limit for eunuchs. The boys must have been castrated without gender awareness. And make sure their voices are still nice and clear after the castration.

4. Human

Martyrdom is a funeral custom in India. But martyrdom is rare in India today and is considered a serious crime. During the funeral ceremony, the widow of her dead husband commits suicide by jumping into the fire where her husband is burned in order to offer herself to her husband. It is assumed that the practice of martyrdom was voluntary, and the available information confirms that most of them were quite voluntary. In some societies widows are expected to be buried with them. In a way, martyrdom is a forced institution. Society puts pressure on them to die. This has been hotly debated in modern society. This is what happens all the time. A widow's expectation of loss of life after the loss of her husband, especially if she has no children. In any event, there are also cases where widows are disapproved of the martyrdom and active efforts are made to prevent such deaths.

5. A duel

From the 15th century to the 20th century, dueling appeared in Western societies. A duel is a fight between two people who have reached an agreement. Each was armed with lethal weapons, by explicit or tacit agreement, and fought for honor. They find people they trust as witnesses (and sometimes fight in private). But it's illegal.

Duels are usually called by the person who wants to fight (the challenger), who is mostly trying to correct an insult. The purpose of a duel is not to kill the opponent but to get the "satisfaction" of recognition, etc. They volunteered to risk their lives and fight to restore their honor.

Duelists would fight with sword weapons, but starting in the 18th century, guns were used instead. To make the ultimate weapon the nobles have carefully trawled handcrafted producers. After such a crime, whether it is true or not, the criminal will have a celebration to get the "satisfaction". Someone would make insulting gestures at him, such as dropping gloves in front of him as a code word for "drop your coat and coat."

6. Side

Seppuku is an important part of Bushido. This is the rule of being a warrior; Seppuku is often used as a way to prevent a warrior from falling into the hands of the enemy or to reduce stigma. Samurai would also submit to performing seppuku with their leader. So later, there were cases of humiliated warriors who would rather commit seppuku than die at the hands of ordinary people. By this time, seppuku was also popular among non-hereditary samurai (who were not ordered or expected to perform seppuku) and became a practice primarily to restore or preserve their honor. But those female samurai can only be carried out by license.

After bathing, the samurai put on a white robe. Eat a favorite meal. When this was done, put his papers on the plate. A Japanese seppuku, dressed in traditional costume, holds his sword in front of him. Sometimes the seat is padded with special cloth. And he would have prepared a suicide note before he died. With his chosen assistant (who will help him with the next step) standing behind him, the seppuku will open his clothes, take his samurai sword and cut directly into his abdomen, from left to right. The assistant then carries out the next step of the "assistant" procedure, which is to decapitate the person with a single knife. (Decapitated in a flash of physical pain)

7. Concubinage

It shows a group of concubines standing behind their protectors, usually eunuchs. A concubine was a social class of women and girls. They form marriage-like relationships with men of high social status. Typically, a man had a formal wife and one or more concubines. A concubine had certain rights from the man. Their children were openly recognized as the men's children, but these children were inferior to the official wives (wives).

Historically, concubines were often voluntary (arranged by the girl or her family). Being a concubine can provide a woman with financial security for the future. Sometimes the concubine (mostly female) was forced, enslaved and part of a sexual slave relationship.

8. A geisha

The orthodox geisha have been replaced by the modern social system. There were once countless geishas. In 1900, geisha numbered more than 25,000. By early 1930 there were 80,000 geishas. Most geishas are in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. Today, there are fewer than 10,000 geishas. There are still about 100 geishas in Tokyo. But geishas are actually very rare. Modern geishas do not come from poor families. They went to geisha schools when they were children. Becoming a geisha in modern times is entirely voluntary. And women who do not become geisha at an early age can also become geisha. In any case, the training of geisha is as rigorous as it used to be. Young girls must take it upon themselves to learn Japanese traditional dance, singing, music and many other skills.