The custom of the African tribe's scary children's head carving

Using sharp objects such as stones or glasses, an African tribe slashes children's skin from an early age to mark each person's identity.

For centuries, skin-slashing customs have been part of the Bétamarribé tribe's culture in Africa.

In a series of photos published by The Sun, children grimace when being cut into the skin - a custom called the "sacrifice" of the tribe.

A baby was slashed in the Bétamarribé tribe, Africa.

There are children who are only 1 week old when they have letters or shapes engraved on their heads or faces.

On the blog about African culture Afro.legends.com, the author said that these scars represent each person's identity, showing which clan they belong to, according to which religion.

In addition, they also symbolize beauty and strength, which is the 'mark of pride'.

In Benin, the origin of the vodun religion in West Africa, the Houeda ethnic group believes that the incision of children 's skin, often on the face, connects them to their ancestors.

Gamba Dahoui, a widow, told the BBC that she had cleaned the incision with plant drugs and gin after slashing someone else's head, even using coal to help the wound heal.

According to BBC, this custom is becoming less popular because some people do not want to be cut. The main reason is because of the risk of infection.

A man who had been face-to-face told the BBC that traditional culture could be expressed in other less painful ways, such as dancing, language and rituals.