Weird Drinking Rituals

In line with our current Red Bull brief, I've done a search for drinking rituals. There is some weird shit out there peeps. My search mostly found articles about how how stupid university students are, but amongst the passed out frat boys there were some descriptions of enticing cultures and scary habits. Not to say enticing and scary can't describe bad ideas as well.

Drink it All, then Burn it Down

Anthropologists have discovered that Peruvians sure did know how to party - a thousand years ago that is. Before evacuating their frontier town in Southern Peru, they took part in a "systematic evacuation ritual, they brewed one last batch [of beer] and drank it all."  They drank everything and then burnt down the brewery, the temple and the palace. Way to make an exit.

Alcohol + Flames = Bad Idea

Those Norse Guys Were Frat Boys

That’s right folks, I have found the original funnel. The Vikings started out with “simple cones made of rolled birch and rown bark” (no idea what those are) but later graduated to these pimping “drinking horns” which were used for specific "festivities and seasonal celebrations”.

Later there were glass vessels, which were more like beakers, known as "Hrimkaldar", used in the 10th Century.

I’m happy to report that today’s funnels aren’t made of glass, as that has disaster written all over it.
 
Drinking from Human Skulls

You wouldn't think so, but your skull is multi-purpose. Indian Buddhist Monks like to use it as a cup. I came across this article that reports on a few smugglers who were found with tons of bones on their way to Bhutan. They said that the skulls are used as vessels during a religious drinking ceremony, something which was "confirmed by the Monks". Said monks did point out, however, that “one or two bones would last a lifetime, so a racket this huge might have links to other countries.”

Skulls, built to last.

Drinking Sperm

In Malaysia there’s a small tribe (of about 400 people) where the younger males take part in ritualistic sperm drinking (no that’s not a euphemism).

"In this tribe, apparently, young boys participate in a ritual of swallowing the semen of their elders, for power. As the tribe believe that the highest concentration of vital force is found in semen, thus, power is apparently transmitted to the young boys from older males via this ritual."

Man juice makes you strong, apparently. (Image by gniliep under CC)

 "Just Because I Drink Blood, People Think I’m a Bad Person"

This is what Ben Lewis said about his habits, after he was arrested for harrassing a vicar’s wife (we don't ask questions). The drinking of blood is apparently common amongst people who call themselves vampires.

Um, ya. (Image by Jennie R.F. under CC)

In another article discussing vampirism, Arlene Russo discusses her publication “Bite Me”, and points out that blood drinking takes place in varying degrees.

“Mostly they make a little cut in their boyfriend's arm, drink a bit that way, and think it makes them a vampire. Others love the fantasy, and it's all in their heads. They've never drunk a drop of blood in their lives. In any case, I'm told blood is disgusting and makes you vomit. The scientists who know about such things tell me it is best drunk with vodka.”

For some bloody variety, and a personal account of someone who drank some snake blood, you can check out this post here.

Shipping the Stuff Back and Forth

Akvavit is a drink for connoisseurs, which has to be shipped across the equator twice before it can be sold. Quoted from Wikipedia:

"While many experts claim that this tradition is little more than a gimmick, some argue that the moving seas and frequent temperature changes cause the spirit to extract more flavour from the casks..."

This is a lot of effort, but then people like to pay for stuff they think is more complicated.

All Akvavit must be transported on this ship, where it is kept in caskets of gold and stroked every morning by a rejected Miss World contestant (no, not really). (Image by puritocurico under CC)

And here we come to the end of my irreverent take on drinking rituals, please share any strange ones you’ve come across or take part in yourself. We like weird and wonderful here.

p.s. Never say Chin Chin in Japan, unless you enjoy randomly exclaiming the phrase “male genitals” at parties.