Africa is a large continent, blessed with many tribes and cultures, from the zulu’s, to the xhosas, to the himbas, to the Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas, the diverse black continent can rightly boast of about three thousand African Tribes.
A tribe in Uganda named Banyankole, has come under the radar, due to its way of preparing its women for marriage differs completely from other African tribes. 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 bridewealth 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 s€x 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 s€x with him. This is to make sure they are potent. 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 but it shows how the people of Banyankole, hold virginity in high esteem