All That's Interesting
1h ·
A tiny insect native to the rainforests of Central and South America, the bullet ant has the most painful sting on Earth. However, that hasn't stopped the Sateré-Mawé people of Brazil from letting this creature sting them on purpose for generations. Their initiation ritual for would-be warriors involves soaking the ants in a natural sedative before weaving hundreds of them into gloves made of leaves with their stingers facing outward. They then place the gloves on the boy's hand, where he has to keep them for ten agonizing minutes.
This excruciating rite is meant to show that pain and suffering are a crucial part of life — and it more than succeeds on the pain and suffering front. The stings often leave the young men's arms temporarily paralyzed and cause everything from uncontrollable shaking to hallucinations. And boys as young as 12 will undergo this painful coming-of-age ceremony not just once, but a whopping 20 times. Discover more about the bullet ant, the insect with Earth's most painful sting: https://bit.ly/3twYGJp
1h ·
A tiny insect native to the rainforests of Central and South America, the bullet ant has the most painful sting on Earth. However, that hasn't stopped the Sateré-Mawé people of Brazil from letting this creature sting them on purpose for generations. Their initiation ritual for would-be warriors involves soaking the ants in a natural sedative before weaving hundreds of them into gloves made of leaves with their stingers facing outward. They then place the gloves on the boy's hand, where he has to keep them for ten agonizing minutes.
This excruciating rite is meant to show that pain and suffering are a crucial part of life — and it more than succeeds on the pain and suffering front. The stings often leave the young men's arms temporarily paralyzed and cause everything from uncontrollable shaking to hallucinations. And boys as young as 12 will undergo this painful coming-of-age ceremony not just once, but a whopping 20 times. Discover more about the bullet ant, the insect with Earth's most painful sting: https://bit.ly/3twYGJp
