my circumcision
by johnjwabi
Mar 1, 2005
	
Born and bred in South Africa on a farm in the Eastern Cape, unlike
my younger brother was born prematurely, and thus missed out having
the 'kindest cut'. However for a number of reasons two of which I
mention, I went to a very fancy Private Boarding School where I
discovered most of my peers were indeed cut, and seem to notice
anyone unfortunate enough no to have been circumcised,and second, I
have a younger brother who unlike myself, was very handomely
circumcised with a gomco clamp as a kid, I decide that I would one
day have the "chop".
	
After finishing school I returned to the farm for vacation before
heading off to complete my two year national service.
	
School ends at the end of each year (unlike the USA and UK), and on
the farm, almost all the labour force is African (as opposed to
European). Most African tribes parctice some or other form of
initiation, many of them practising circumcision. The so
called "circumcision season" takes place in the middle and end of the
years, as to co-incide with the school holidays.
	
As always, there were to be a couple of circumcisions taking place on
the farm, and 3 of the lads due, were friends of mine. For example,
we were of an age, and used to do a lot of things like hunting small
birds and swimming in the river, here on the farm. They had seen me
naked, and vica versa, and it was no secret that as they were, I was
also uncircumcised.
	
I knew that they were going to have to be circumcised, and they knew
that I knew. Once, when we were down at the river, the subject of the
impending circumcisions came up, and I learned that they were going
to soon be subjected to it. I was asked if I would care to join them,
to which I laughed, and said no way!. I also said I'd think about it.
I gave it some careful thought, there is a plus side, and a negative
side to it.
	
The negative side, is (1) its extremely painfull as no aneasthetic is
allowed, (2) the implements are note exactly surgical ones, and not
neccessarly sterile.
	
The plus side is, that (1) I wanted to b circumcised for a number of
reasons, my brother and best friends are circumcised, (2) I always
knew that I would one day be circumcised, (3) on the farm, the
employees are going to become man, and the employer is a boy, and (4)
if they could undergo the circumcision and survive the ordeal, so
could I!
	
So my mind was made up, I was going to have it done along with my
employees.
	
There was a small operation I first had to undergom before the
circumcision. My frenulum had to be severed before undergoing the
circumcision. The reason for this, is the foreskin is easier to draw
forward during the operation, and 90% of the initiates have thier
frenulums severed before. If the frenulum is not severed, the
circumciser will sever it first, before proceeding with the
circumcision. An employee of ours (who had recently been circumcised,
agreed) to cut my frenulum. I was laid down, with my shorts pulled
down, and he proceeded to push the foreskin hard back along the
shaft, exposing the frenulum. A sharp sting was felt, as he inserted
a needle just under and through the frenulum. Then, using the needle
as a platform, he pulled the now pierced frenulum upwards, and a ten
again felt a quick short sting, as a razor blade was used to sever
the frenulum.
	
A saturday morning was set, and a circumciser was found. (They are
not hard to come by here, where the ritual is regurlarly practised.
The circumciser was in fact from a neigbouring farm.
	
The Xhosa tribe is a very supersticious tribe, and a lot of
traditions are sacred, including this one. A little beehive hut,
called a "boma" was constructed at a chosed site, near to the river
we so often used to swim in. The women of the tribe construct the
boma, overseen by a circumcised male (man) to ensure that a "spell"
is not cast upon the hut and the initiates.
	
The dreaded day approached. The frenulum had been severed about two
weeks prior, and this only took about 3 days to heal.We spent the
night in a shed not far from the circumcision site, a very quiet
night, not knowing what we were really in for the following morning.
We were supplied with a white clay, which we painted ourselves from
head to toe with. (Bear in mind, that with weddings as an example,
white signifies a "new beginning"). We were also supplied with a
traditional circumcision blanket (white with two red stripes). Just
before sunrise, we were woken (not that any of us really slept much),
and as a group were chased, and made to run to the boma, about a mile
away. The observers followed slowly,(only circumcised males, who come
to witness the making of the new men.) We arrived at the boma, and
sat down very sombre and quiet. Soon, the observers and the
circumciser arrived, and I was horribly surprised to see my younger
brother among the observers. Only 3 yrs younger than me (I was 19 at
that time, I reasoned that it would be ok if he watched)
As son as the observers arrived (about 25 of them) with the
circumciser, we were told to site in a row, backs up aginst the boma,
legs apart, and knees slightly bent. As a sign of respect, I was to
be circumcised first, so I was first in the row. Apart frm the white
clay on us, we were stark naked. I saw observers approaching, and my
heart missed a beat. It was time.
	
The circumciser squatted in front of me, and immediately took hold of
my limp penis. The foreskin was reatracted (to see that the frenulum
had in fact been cut, and to ensure that there were no adhesions) and
inspected. The seconds seemed like hours. The foreskin was then
pulled forward, and sort of manipulated till the circumciser was
satisfied that he could pull enough skin to operate. he reached
behind and produced a sharp knife which I had provided.(It is not
customary for the initiate to provide a knife, however, I this was
one of the conditions, I knew the knife was clean and very sharp, - I
had sharpened it myself).He then pulled it hard for a last time, and
I was told to look up, and not to look what was about to happen. I
felt te cold knife blade on my extended foreskin, then a little
pressure, and then a sharp burn, followed by a dull ache. The severd
foreskin was picked up, and handed to me (to dispose of, either by
burning it, burying it, or in some instances eating it). I cjose to
bury it. He then pronounced that I was a man. The wound was left to
bleed a little (I was surprised at how little bleeding there was, I
thought it would gush), and the circumciser proceeded to the next
initiate.
	
I was glad that I had been circumcised first, and it was over at
least. I saw all the other 3 being circumcied, and they had seen me.
The third fellow still had his frenulum, and the circumciser
proceeded to sever this. My brother told me afterwards, he would have
loved to have undergone the same circumcision. He also told me that
none of flinched during the entire operation, and he told me that
after the cut is made, the inner foreskin is folded back to meet with
the outer foreskin (the two cut edges), before the wound was bound
with a special leaf, and a leather thong.
	
We spent about 3 weeks living in the boma, having food provided for
us, whilst our wounds healed. The wounds were inspected 3 or 4 times
a day, bu a traditional nurse, and re dressed and bound. The first
couple of days after the operation, were absolute agony, especially
when an erection arose. As time progressed, the wounds slowly healed
until such time came when we were released. My brother, and other
african males, visited us on a daily basis.
	
Some years afterwards, my brother and I were dicussing the whole
ritual, and as I said, he told me he would loved to have undergone
it. I mentioned that all though he was indeed circumcised, there was
something else that I had had cut, and that he still had his. The
frenulum. He agreed to let me cut his frenulum so as he coule also
call himself a man.
	
After I had cut his frenulum, it became a sort of bonding with us,
and his friends, my friends, thier friends and our cousins, have now
all had thier frenulums cut by himself, and mostly myself. I think to
date, I've cut around 500 frenulums, and thats 500 men on this planet
who weren't men before.
	
Ive added two pics in the photo section, one of a guy about to be
tribally circumcised (off the net), and pic taken whilst I cut a
guy's frenulum. I have obscured his face, its only fair.