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Posted from: Parana
The tucandeira ant ceremony is an ancient ritual designed to test the strength of the young warriors of the tribe. The Marubo believe that enduring the searing pain of the ant sting makes you a stronger person and a better warrior.
Posted from: Parana
The heat was sweltering and an excitement was building around the village as the men and women had separated into two groups and from a distance were making eyes at one another. The groups were about 100 metres apart with the men standing proudly in a line and the women up a slope huddled together and giggling and pointing at the men. Bruce was stood in the middle of the line of men wearing matching white beads and body paint. Pete and I were filming some shots among the women and they were quite flirty and funny.
The team head off to collect ants for a traditional ant ceremony
The Marubo ant ceremony involves the poisonous tucandeira ant. Participants first dig up the ant from the roots of trees and then pierce its thorax with a stick. They then wipe the ant over red dots they have drawn on their body so that it stings them. The ceremony involves singing Marubo songs with the shaman.
Posted from: Parana
It's very humid already today and spent this morning with a group of villagers on the trail in the search of tucandeira ants. These are to be used in a ceremony later today when the men of the village go through a painful ritual. The ants are also nicknamed ‘bullet’ ants because of their painful sting. The braver the warrior, the more stings he will endure, in the more sensitive body places. Bruce has been invited to take part so about 20 of us are walking in a line through the jungle on this most unusual of hunts. It’s a real family event with elders, women and kids joining the group.
Posted from: Parana
Today was very eventful. We woke up early at the missionary outpost to find that Alaina, our anthropologist and Marubo expert, who had only joined us the evening before, had developed flu-like symptoms and shivers. As we were at a medical outpost she was able to be immediately tested for malaria and unfortunately tested positive. This result meant that Alaina’s trip was over before it had started as, along with protecting her welfare, the Indigenous Reserve has strict rules for protecting those living there from incoming diseases.
Posted from: Parana
The Marubo village stands high up on a bank overlooking the river and it’s from there that I’m shooting a time-lapse shot of a stunning sunset expanding over the bend in the river and the jungle beyond.
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Bruce Parry, presenter of the BBC's Tribe, travelled the length of the Amazon to film a major new series for BBC Two, shown in autumn 2008. You can relive his journey online through exclusive blogs, video and much more.
