I think this would only apply if you chose to play it that way. In other words, you can try to create something resembling real world analogues combined with all the mythic stuff from Glorantha, etc, etc, or you can ask "what would be a kick ass and utterly fun way to show a character going from not-adult to adult?" Personally I think the answer to that question would be something like "take most stock story lines from a thousand movies and books and play 'em out." Initiation can teach that you area special. After all, you are expected to survive, so you kill incredible foes, win the girl, make huge sacrifices to save the world....geez, sign me up! (this reminds of the intro to Golding's version of "The Princess Bride." As he calls it "The good parts version." Go find it at your bookstore and read his intro and you'll probably get what I mean when I say that sometimes as a narrator you have to do what his grandfather did).
You'd need some rule fudges to make the quest survivable....an easy tool would to essentially give the heroes huge amounts of carryover because the path is so well trod, so true, and they have so much preparation. So you are facing huge dangers, but just for now you are working at plus two masteries :)
Sure, it may not be too much like an anthropologically correct initiation, but I don't see many people caring.
At least, that is my take on it. Your view of things will and probably should differ.
--Bryan
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