Young Xhosa initiate, who is going through the traditional Xhosa male initiation rite, is painting his face with white clay

---

Young Xhosa initiate, who is going through the traditional Xhosa male initiation rite, is painting his face with white clay to ward of attacks by witches, Knysna, Garden Route Area, South Africa, in December 2006. He has been circumcised and is now spending a month in a special initiation camp just outside the township Khayalethu South.

---

Size: 5564px × 3644px
Location: Khayalethu South, Knysna, South Africa
Photo credit: © Anders Ryman / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: africa, age, blue, body, boy, cape, circumcision, coming, cycle, de, face, fingers, fingertips, garden, head, horizontal, initiation, initiaton, khayalethu, knysna, life, male, man, manhood, outdoors, paint, passage, person, portrait, protection, province, rite, ritual, route, sensitiveness, shoulders, south, western, xhosa, young