It reminds me of those bird species that build and decorate elaborate little shrines and then dance around them to attract a mate. If somebody told you about t

It reminds me of those bird species that build and decorate elaborate little shrines and then dance around them to attract a mate. If somebody told you about them you'd say it's unbelievably absurd, of course no animal would build itself a little stage with a pile of shells and brightly colored objects to dance around in... and other birds would come over to steal and sabotage. And yet there it is on video, that exact thing. Weird cult practices are very human and all over the place, from the outside they don't make sense. Especially in warfare, strange psychotic over the top practices are exemplified many times. "This is a practical and reasonable thing to do" doesn't really come into it. Although, to be fair, getting your warriors in an unhinged altered state of mind is a quite effective way to motivate them to do what you want.