ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights initiation into the Ogo society is represented as the ritual which separates the men from the boys, the brave from the cowards. The initiates are often made to feel that initiation is an attainment, a goal to be coveted and achieved as a symbol of maturity and communal identity. The chapter demonstrates many women play a key role during the initiation rituals of the Ogo society. The highpoint of the initiation ritual into the Ogo society is the day that has already been described, in which the women stage dances accompanied by songs to celebrate the success and achievement of their sons. The longing for participation and belonging within the community appears to draw a lot of boys into the Ogo society. Initiation into the Ogo society thus continues to set up the platform on which initiates acquire what is perceived to be a higher status where they cease to identify with boys but identify with men.
