All language subtitles for BBC.Extraordinary.Rituals.Series.1.3of3.Changing.World.720p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

All around the world...

..we perform rituals.

From familiar customs...

..to extreme initiations.

Rituals help us mark the most
important moments in our lives.

THEY PERFORM TRADITIONAL HAKA

They teach us how to love...

..how to let go...

SHE WAILS

..and how to find where we belong.

Let's light this city!

CHEERING

In this episode,

we'll explore why we hold on to
ancient rituals in a modern world.

In West Africa,

Senegalese wrestlers perform
ancestral rituals

to help them win the fight.

In Greenland, a father and son hold
on to a traditional initiation

in their fragile changing world.

And in Australia, an ancient
ceremony helps protect

the oldest
surviving culture on earth.

As our societies evolve faster
than ever,

age-old rituals adapt to fit
our modern lives.

And these are some of the most
extraordinary.

Rajasthan, India.

A place where old world
meets the new.

This is 24-year-old Bhumi Shah.

For five years, she has been on the
path to becoming a Jain nun.

And to prove her devotion,

she must endure one of the
most excruciating ritual ordeals.

Bhumi is a university business
graduate,

but is giving up her modern life for
an ancient religion called Jainism.

Jains practise extreme nonviolence
towards all living creatures

and believe it's key
to liberating their souls.

Before Bhumi's initiation,
friends decorate her with henna,

traditionally a pre-wedding
ceremony.

WOMEN SING

Bhumi's dressed in the finery
of a bride...

..and will devote the rest
of her life to one man.

Not a husband, but a religious guru.

Acharya Sunil Sagar
has walked barefoot

to Pratapgarh for the ceremony

with his entourage of 51 monks
and 25 nuns.

Bhumi will make it 26.

To become a Jain nun, she must give
up all worldly possessions.

Which, for the monks,
includes clothes.

Five million people follow Jainism
in India.

The most devout
live by strict rules.

They walk barefoot, so as not
to harm any living thing.

Without possessions or even a home,

they rely entirely on the charity
of others.

Jains believe our souls
are reincarnated many times.

But their ultimate goal
is to break this cycle.

For Bhumi, becoming a nun
is an essential step

towards freeing her soul.

But for her family, the decision
has been hard to accept.

Bhumi's initiation begins with an
elaborate parade.

This first part of the ceremony
symbolises the wealth

and material possessions
she must leave behind

for a life of absolute austerity.

But becoming a Jain nun will cost
Bhumi much more.

She must sever all personal ties.

After this initiation,
she will never visit
her friends or family again.

With the arrival of her guru,

Bhumi's life-changing ritual
will take place

in front of 15,000 followers.

And will be broadcast across India.

APPLAUSE

Bhumi must prove her devotion
with an act of self-sacrifice.

Which is why, in her ultimate test
of faith...

..every hair on her head will be
plucked out by hand.

It's an ancient ritual known as
kesh loch...

..which symbolises Bhumi's
total rejection

of worldly and personal desires...

..and her complete disregard for
physical pain.

Every four months, for the rest of
her life,

Bhumi will endure this ritual.

The whole process takes 90 minutes.

APPLAUSE

APPLAUSE

The ultimate goal of every person

is to be happy.

To be helpful and to be kind.

Aariaka will wander India, barefoot,
homeless, but revered,

until death takes her the next
step closer to liberating her soul.

It's humanity.

Love for one and all.

Rituals still have the power
to transform us.

While Aariaka begins a new life of
austerity, in West Africa,

one young man is hoping
an ancient ritual

can help lift his family out
of poverty.

Dakar, Senegal.

Here, wrestling is the biggest
ticket to a life

of fame and fortune.

The sport stretches back at least
700 years.

But today's champions can take home
the equivalent of £100,000

in a single bout.

With so much at stake, fighters rely
on much more than physical strength.

They practise rituals that combine
tribal dancing...

..traditional prayers...

..and magic.

Their rituals summon support
from the crowd.

And, more importantly, courage from
their ancestors.

55 miles outside the capital
is a small fishing village

that's wrestling mad.

George Sa is 26 and earns a basic
living from local wrestling matches.

But he's looking to the big-time.

George supports five siblings and
his mother, Rose.

One man understands George's dream
better than anyone else.

Manga Deux is a local hero.

An ex-champion and now a well-known
wrestling promoter.

Like George,
he was once a young fighter

hoping to break into the pro league.

Manga Deux has come home in search
of new talent.

He's setting up a local tournament
with a prize to the winner of nearly

£600 and the chance to compete in
the nation's capital.

Today, it's a winner-takes-all
knockout tournament

with more than 40 fighters.

George is hoping ancient rituals
will give him the edge.

The rituals originate from
a unique blend of animist beliefs

and ancient Islam.

Wrestlers wear sacred talismans
and give gifts to the crowd.

Then they dance.

It's a ritualised prayer,
asking for victory.

George is calling on his ancestors
for spiritual support.

Night falls and the battles begin.

The aim of every fighter is to knock
their opponent off their feet

for a clean win.

George has made it to the final,
but now he faces a giant.

Mamadou is far taller, heavier and
the clear favourite to win.

Manga Deux is keeping a close eye
on the action.

He's looking for a future champion.

WHISTLE BLOWS

George has managed to stay
on his feet...

..but he loses on points.

It's a bitter blow.

But despite the loss,

Manga Deux has seen enough potential
in George

to give him another chance,

but he'll have to leave his family.

George heads to Dakar.

He starts
at an intensive training camp

and this time he has an ex-champion
in his corner.

Three months on, George's big chance
finally arrives.

In preparation,

he straps on his amulets
for luck and protection

and purifies himself with potions.

George and his opponent begin their
pre-match prayer ritual.

Some fighters believe this is the
moment that will determine who wins.

In this single bout,

George has the chance to prove
he has what it takes

to become a professional wrestler.

WHISTLE BLOWS

George floors his opponent
and snatches victory in seconds.

It's a significant win and a huge
step towards fulfilling his dream.

Wrestling in Senegal is helping keep
ancient rituals alive.

But across the globe,

many traditions are coming under
threat from modern life.

In Japan, a Zen monk performs
slow-walking meditation

amongst busy commuters.

It's a centuries-old practice that
promotes mindfulness.

In our pressurised,
rapidly-changing world,

some customs are struggling
to hold on.

Throughout the 20th century
in the United States,

many native Americans
lost touch with their traditions.

But today,
among the Mescalero Apache,

these teenage girls are choosing to
undergo a four-day rite of passage

into womanhood.

During the sunrise ceremony,

they wear traditional white
Buckskin dresses

to honour the sacred ancestors.

And to prove their endurance,
they must dance all night.

Like the Apache girls,
in the Arctic,

a father and son are holding on
to their rituals

in the hope they can keep

their 4,500-year-old
hunting traditions alive.

On the eastern edge of Greenland,

Ittoqqortoormiit is among
the most remote villages on earth.

Hunting has always been key to
survival in this frozen wilderness.

To become a hunter,

a young boy must undergo a
traditional Inuit rite of passage.

Ochi Danielson has hunted his whole
life and, as is tradition,

he wants to pass his knowledge
to his 11-year-old son Danny.

For now, it's shooting practice,

but Danny will soon need to prove
himself with a hunting ritual that's

been adapted over the years.

Rifles have replaced harpoons,
but the purpose remains the same.

Danny will venture out
onto the dangerous sea ice

to make his first solo kill.

In the past, this hunting rite
of passage

would prove he could support
a family.

In many ways, Danny is no different
from other boys his age.

Inuit hunters have always relied
on their sled dogs.

So to protect these traditions,
snowmobiles are banned for hunting.

Young Danny will have to learn
how to handle the pack

if he's to become
a fully fledged hunter.

Ochi takes Danny to the seal hunting
grounds, but they may not be alone.

Polar bears also stalk this ice.

Ochi has spotted a seal over a third
of a mile away.

Danny must get within 300 feet,
undetected.

The seal spots Danny before he can
creep close enough.

Hunting seals has always been a
difficult skill to master

and this year,
it's only getting tougher.

Two days later,
they find another seal.

Finally, Danny's within range.

But his shot hits the ice beneath
the seal and it escapes.

He may not have completed
his first hunting ritual,

but he's certainly on track to
follow in his father's footsteps.

Tomorrow is Danny's 12th birthday
and seal or no seal,

his father's keen to share
another family tradition.

Danny's been given his own sled...

..four of his favourite dogs...

..and most importantly, a massive
vote of confidence from his dad.

Passing on these customs is what
keeps the Inuit culture alive,

because some rituals are simply part
of who we are.

In a fragile world,

rituals can offer hope

and in the most dire
of situations...

..they can provide an escape.

SIREN WAILS

The Palestinian territory of Gaza
has suffered

a 50-year conflict with Israel.

Here, people are trapped,
unable to leave

but amidst the broken buildings,

a new ritual is emerging that gives
young people a sense of freedom.

Parkour is a creative martial art,

devised by a French naval officer
to promote courage.

Thanks to social media,

this modern ritual has been shared
with people across the globe...

..and has found its way to Gaza,

where one crew has adopted it
as their own.

THEY SHRIEK

Abdallah al Kassab is the captain
of PK Gaza.

THEY SHOUT

13-year-old Ahmad Al Mahdum
has lived here with his family

his entire life.

He's experienced first-hand
the trauma of life in a war zone.

The last major conflict here
was in 2014.

With the threat of war constantly
hanging over the Gaza Strip,

Ahmad, like so many others,
is searching for an escape.

ALL: Gaza Parkour, hey!

He is hoping to join his heroes,

PK Gaza,

whose parkour videos are sent out
across the world via social media.

APPLAUSE

Abdallah invests time as a mentor.

And his role is to teach new members
the strict moral code of parkour.

To make it into the crew,
Ahmad needs to prove himself.

He's been training for almost a year

and is showing signs he may have
what it takes

to be part of this elite squad.

Abdallah will decide when Ahmad's
ready for his final test.

He'll need to perform in front
of the entire troupe.

After weeks of intensive prep,
it's time for Ahmad's initiation.

It may not be a life-threatening
leap, but for 13-year-old Ahmad,

it's his big chance to join
this tight-knit crew.

THEY CLAP AND CHANT ENCOURAGEMENT

THEY CLAP

can bind us together
into tight teams.

In the USA, college students perform
elaborate initiations.

The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity
was set up to support

African American students
who face racism.

Their rituals of allegiance are
influenced by ancient Greek culture.

The famous Stroll is performed to
demonstrate their intense bonds.

In Spain, a 500-year-old
Easter custom

sees Catholic brotherhoods carry
massive floats through the streets.

Intense scenes from the Bible
are played out

and public acts of penance are
ritually performed.

Often, the more extreme the ritual,
the tighter the bond.

And nowhere is this put to the test
more than in the military.

At Kaohsiung naval base
in southern Taiwan,

military commanders have adapted
ancient and extreme rituals

to create an elite fighting force.

These 17 marines are about to begin
a brutal six-day initiation,

ominously known as Hell Week.

SHRILL SHOUTING

FIRECRACKERS CRACK

The recruits will be subjected

to age-old
ritualised training techniques

that will push them to their
physical and mental limits.

It begins with a highly
symbolic act.

Their first ritual
is to drink bitter tea.

It's a centuries-old tradition
that signifies the hardships

they're about to endure

and reminds them
of their ultimate goal -

to survive until the very end
when they will taste sweet success.

Only the best will graduate into
an elite Marine unit

known as the Frogmen.

22-year-old Guan Ting is an office
clerk who's never experienced

front line action.

In the first phase
of the initiation,

each recruit must show totally
obedience and submit their body

to extreme pain in a series of
gruelling, repetitive rituals.

Day and night blur into one.

It's five hours on duty.

Only one hour off.

Having survived
their individual ordeals,

the second phase of Hell Week
binds the men together as a unit.

Tonight, the team will march
for more than seven miles

carrying 150 kilos on their heads.

The aim is to create an intense bond
and build trust.

With one less to carry the boat,

there's even more pressure
on the others.

It's the final day in hell
and the final ritual,

known as The Road To Heaven.

This last trial must be performed
with fanfare

in front of senior officers
and family.

Guan Ting steps up as one
of the first to set off.

He begins with a hard fall
in the plank position.

Across a 150-foot trail of sharp
rocks,

each recruit must perform ten brutal
exercises.

This is all that separates them from
completing their initiation.

The trainers throw salt water on
their open wounds.

Those who fail a task must go back
to the last station to repeat it.

Guan Ting has fallen behind.

He's been on The Road To Heaven
for over an hour.

Guan Ting is greeted by his mum
and rewarded with a sweet,

a symbolic antidote to the
bitter tea that began his Hell Week.

Less than a third of this year's
recruits have finished the gruelling

10-week training.

But those who have
join an elite team of men,

willing to put their lives
on the line for one another.

In many spheres of our modern lives,

ancient customs still play
an important role.

Throughout history, rituals have
always been woven

into the survival story
of humankind.

Nowhere more so than in Australia.

This rugged land has been home to
aboriginal people for 50,000 years.

Theirs is the oldest-surviving
culture on earth.

Fire customs are at the heart of
aboriginal life.

And it's thought they could be

the oldest-surviving human rituals
of all.

Fire is everything for us.

Our ancestors,

they have been burning for thousands
of years

and we are still practising.

Otto Campion is head ranger of the
Arafura Swamp.

Following ancient know-how,

Otto's team burn firebreaks
to prevent massive wildfires

from destroying communities
and vast areas of bush.

But Otto doesn't just start
the flames, he also talks to fire.

You see that flame start getting up?

In smelling my sweat, and him warn
you, get out of my way.

So him saying, "I'm warning you,"
that's the tongue of fire.

But, yeah, sometimes we talk
to fire.

We tell him...

The benefits of these fast,
quick burns were known

to aboriginal people
long before science caught on.

It's now widely understood that many
plants need fire to grow.

Wild banana.

Wild banana. Bush banana.
Bush banana.

To teach his kids
their ancient custom

of protecting the land with fire,

Otto is planning a very special
night-time ritual.

Before they can start,
he takes the boys

to gather wood for the ceremony.

A walk through their land
means greeting their ancestors.

Sometimes when I go in the bush,
you can feel like, you know,

I feel goose bumps and I know
somebody is there watching.

This is not empty country.

Otto's son Levi understands
how important it is

to absorb his father's knowledge.

Tick, tick, tick. Sounds. This one?

So him, hollow.

is still through rituals
and ceremonies.

Fire, it makes us respect,

that's why the ceremony
is really important,

like them all connect with fire.

As darkness falls, the family
prepare for their dow fire ceremony.

During the ceremony time,

we are telling story.

It's a story Otto learned
from his grandfather.

It was scary one, my grandfather

he chased me and when he grabbed me,

I was crying, "Grandfather,
Grandfather, Grandfather," you know.

The white ochre body paint is a
symbolic connection to the bones

of the ancestors
and to the earth itself.

THEY MAKE BIRD NOISES

As a night owl, Otto is hunting
the children

who play the role of little fish.

The ceremony is an ancient lesson
about the health of their land.

If the clan uses fire well,

the night owl will
have enough food to hunt.

Every part of the story teaches
the children respect for nature.

THEY SING

It's a survival lesson from their
ancestors about sustainable living.

Finally, they throw fire sticks
to symbolically spread

the bounty of fire across the land,

just as they have done
for thousands of years.

Today, Otto and his team are using
their ancestors' knowledge

and super sizing
their ancient methods

with the help
of 21st-century technology.

Straight with the point,
where that burnt area

and then stay low and do that area,
yeah? Roger.

Choppers and firestarters allow them
to burn huge firebreaks.

It's dropping.

And even in the air, the ancestors
are ever present.

There are many full-time jobs
and if we are doing helicopter work,

they are watching us.

Nowhere else on earth do people
manage land with fire on this scale,

protecting nature with some
of the oldest ritual knowledge

on the planet.

If I'm gone, my spirit will go back
to animal.

If Levi make a mistake,

I will be there watching him with,
you know...

..any sign I can give him.

Anything to read my sign and
he'll say, "Yeah, thank you, Dad."

You know?

I feel like I'm leaving
a good story behind.

In our changing world, rituals are
a vital link to our past.

But cultures and customs
are adapting to survive.

To help us cope in our modern lives,
we hold on to ancient traditions.

And create new ceremonies,

because rituals will always have
the power to teach us

the most important lessons
for our future.

Are rituals integral
to being human?

What's gained through rituals
or lost by neglecting them?

The conversation continues
with the Open University.

Go to the address below and follow
the links to the Open University.