When I spent some time in Mexico around year 2000, I had an opportunity to witness a very interesting religious ceremony. Many people are familiar with the religious practice of flagellation. This is where the participants whip themselves with steel studded cords usually on their own backs. This particular ceremony happened in Tzin Tzun Tzan, a small town near Morellia in the state of Michoacan Mexico. The name of the town is not in Spanish and there are many people who still speak their indigenous native language. The idea of this self mutilation is based on 'giving penitence'. Also, some will say its an act of cleansing themselves of sin. This type of ceremony of giving pain, or punishing themselves can be seen in many different cultures. Many will dismiss this kind of ceremony as 'barbaric' or 'ignorant'. But after spending the entire night (it went on from around 11pm till 7am) I understood a bit more. It was a bit uneasy photographing this ...
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