When I was at university I had some seminars with a posh English postgradute that travelled to Nigeria to study body art and masquerade traditions. I really enjoyed learning about the Yoruba and Fon etc. But the funniest was when he told he he paid some locals to 'initiate him into their mysteries'. They took his money and then gave him a ceremony that involved taking him into the bush and beating him with sticks. An important lesson learned?