ADVERTISEMENT

Breath taking ceremony that I saw in January 2015 in Omo Valley, Ethiopia. Hammer tribe initiates a youngster to a man during few hours ceremony. Family and villagers gather, women drink and get into trance by dancing.

The main hero has several friends who help him. Women ask these friends to whip them. This was the most difficult part of ceremony to observe. They cry not because of pain, but when they think that whipping is too gentle. The end of ceremony is when the main hero jumps over bulls and cows all set in one line. He has to do it three times. After that he can marry and own cattle.

More info: travelplanet.lt

RELATED:

    Hammer girls

    They already got some clothes from tourists.

    Ready for dance

    Women wear short shirts to leave naked backs.

    Hair

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Traditional hair “style”

    Hammer women

    Traditional dressed elder women

    Decorations

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Special things for dancing

    Hero of Bulls jumping ceremony

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Friend

    Friend of the main hero. He is decorated.

    Tribal dance

    Relatives of the ceremony’s hero start to dance.

    Trance

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Women get into trance.

    Woman askes to whip her

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Please whip me

    Please whip me more

    Bulls jumping

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Culmination of ceremony