Movember

It’s Movember! Yep, it’s that time of the year when many a top lip grows its winter coat. Of course, I’m taking part and will be sprouting a most outstanding moustache as soon as possible. These days it’s a global event with over £6million already raised this year! That’s a fantastic amount of money and certainly is a worthwhile cause, but I feel it’s about time someone set the record straight on where exactly Movember comes from. It’s commonly believed that it started in 2003 with a group of 30 men from Australia. This is, unfortunately, wrong. The origins of Movember go a lot further back. Back to 89BC in fact and the ancient Aztecs. It was a ritual started by Oahu, a wise and respected witch doctor of the Aztec civilization. The Aztecs were a wise and cultured civilization who believed in a number of different Gods. There was the Mextli the god of war and storms, Xilonen the god of maize and the one that Oahu followed the god Sel Ak, the god of the moustache. Every year during the Aztec equivalent of November a young warrior would worship at the altar of Sel Ak in order to prove his worth as a man and a true Aztec warrior. For the first 2-3 weeks he would go unshaven, then, when his beard was fully grown, would practice the ritual of Hig Ginz . This would involve the warriors gathering in a circle around the altar, known as the Ma, while the witch Doctor Oahu would stand in the middle with the chosen young warrior. He would hold in his hand a bowl filled with a potion known as the Ga, and a small sharpened stone knife called the Numm. Then, the surrounding Aztecs would begin a chanting the names of these sacred artifacts. During which the witch doctor would place the youngwarrior on to the Alter, the Ma, cover his face in the magic potion, the Ga and scrape it off his face with the knife, the Numm shaving his face into affine outstanding moustache. Throughout the Aztec jungle the chant of Ma Ga Numm would be heard. This was certainly a proud moment for the young warrior. And if he was really lucky and it was decided that his moustache was truly worthy of it he would receive a Hawaiian shirt and a red Ferrari! The ritual was only practised between 89-80BC when the Aztecs ran out of Ferraris. So, gentlemen you see it really is your duty to embrace the power of the ‘tache and take part in Movember this year! Cya later,


Joe