A tribe in Uganda named Banyankole, has come under the radar, due to its way of preparing its women for marriage.
This is because the tradition of Banyankole people is to totally different from other African tribes when the issue is marriage.
It is the tradition of the Banyankole people to test the sexual ability of the groom by having him have sex with the aunt of the bride.
The aunt is also expected to learn all the sexual tricks of the groom and all the sexual styles he likes so that she can teach her niece who is the bride since she is expected to be a virgin on the day of marriage.
Marriage in this culture is of great importance as parents derive joy and pride from their children’s marriage. According to the Banuakole tradition, when a girl gets to the age of eight or nine, it is the duty of her aunt to groom her for family life.
The aunt teaches her every single thing she needs to know about her role as a woman but most importantly, as a wife. Additionally, the Ankole people consider the slim physique unattractive. To them, fat is simply sexy. So when girls get to the ages of eight and nine, they are required to go through a fattening process where they are force-fed with, millet, beef, and milk. This is usually done to speed up the weight gain of the girls so they can attract a husband.
In this tribe, It is the duty of a Banyankole father to find a wife for his son as he pays the bride price as well. This consists of some cows, goats and pots of beer, depending on how rich a person is. Once the bride price is paid, the marriage preparations begin.
On the day of the wedding, a feast is organized at the bride’s home where the father is to slaughter a bull while at the groom’s home there is also a feast to consummate the marriage. But first, there has to be one last traditional ceremony, a ceremony that involves two tests that must be carried out by the bride’s aunt.
Since virginity is the marriage standard for the girls of the Banyakole tribe, every bride must be tested by her aunt to confirm her virginity before the marriage. If the bride passes the virginity test, it’s presumed she has no knowledge of sex or how to please her new husband sexually, and if a girl is found to be not a virgin before marriage, she is to face the death penalty or ostracisation from society.
The second test involves the bride’s aunt testing the sexual ability of the groom by having sex with him. This is to make sure that the groom is potent and can satisfy the bride sexually. During this act, she also learns all his sexual tricks as well as favourite styles so she can gift her niece with pointers on what the goom likes sexually. This is believed to help the bride better please her husband in the marriage.
Although, this outdated practice may sound weird, it shows how the people of Banyankole, hold virginity in high esteem.
