The tribals have abundant, almost obsessive, superstitions about female sexuality and reproductive cycles. The ability of the female body to mensurate with a precise cycle of four weeks, of its ability to reproduce another human being and after a certain stage in their life reach menopause. For example, Adivasis attribute 30 days of the month to mensuration cycles. And twelve months of the year are attributed to the period of pregnancy of 9 months plus 3 months that it takes for the menstruation cycle to start again. It is attributed that this confers some hidden, secret, supernatural, occult powers within certain, if not all, women. There is a very latent disdain for this female strength. |