During bull jumping ceremony, Hamer girls act like men, and even more, to show that they do not fear anything. So they drink a lot, and they dance with guns. Very impressive ceremony! The Hamar is a catlle herder tribe which lives on the Eastern side of the Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia. Honey collection is their major activity and their cattle is the meaning of their life. There are at least 27 words for the subtle variations of colours and textures of a cattle ! And each man has three names: a human, a goat and a cow name. The Hamar have very unique rituals such as a bull-leaping ceremony, that a young men has to succeed in order to get married. The cow jumping is an initiation rite of passage for boys coming of age in Hamar tribe. Cows are lined up in a row. The initiate, naked, has to leap on the back of the first cow, then from one bull to another, until he finally reaches the end of the row. He must not fall of the row and must repeat successfully the test four times to have the right to become a husband. While the boys walk on cows, Hamar women accompany him: they jump and sing. Totally committed to their initiated sons, the mothers are whipped to blood, in order to prove their courage and accompany their sons during the test. The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectular haidresses. Men use a wooden head rest which prevents the hair from touching the ground. You can see them walking with it everywhere ! It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also usefulas a seat ! Even if there is a chair close to them, they prefer to use the head rest ! Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare. They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra. Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catch more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It's also an iron and leather ring, which has a phallic-shape end. But this jewelry can only be worn by a man's first wife. I remember a woman I have met. On her neck, there were three necklaces. According to what I just explained about the bignere, the biggest one at the top means she was "First Wife". This is important, as her statut is the higher one in Hamer society. But as she has two more simple necklaces around her neck: that means her husband took two more wives... The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives... During my trip, I could see some of these women, working like slaves for the men: their skin were covered with clay, butter and animal fat... So they were a little scary ! Another thing to know about these women: the more scars one has on her back, the higher is her status. The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. Some of them have fund their future husband, but have to wait in their house until the so-called prentender can provide all the money for the ceremony: he has to pay for all the cows the bride-to-be's family asks for. These girls are called "Uta" and have to wait three months, entirely covered with red clay... And no right to take baths or showers ! They cannot go out of the house, let alone the village.That's why it is very rare to see or take a photo of a Uta. A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: unmarried women can have babies to test their fertility, but some of them are just abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO still save abandonned new borns. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes: many parents prefer to sacrifice their own child rather than risk being affected by the evil eye. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
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© Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
During bull jumping ceremony, Hamer girls show that they do not fear anything. So they drink a lot, they dance with guns and they ask the men to whip them to blood... The Hamar (or Hamer or Hammer) is a tribe with a total population of about over 35,000, which lives in Hamer Bena woreda, a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle, the menaning of their life. There are at least 27 words for the subtle variations of colours and textures of a cattle! And each man has three names: a human, a goat and a cow name. Honey collection is their major activity.They are as well semi nomadic and migrate every few months to find pastures for their goats and cattle. They have a special relationship with Bana-Bashada group than the others as they share a common language and culture. Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. To pass from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. The bull-jumping is the most significant ceremony in the social life of the Hamer, the final test before passing into adulthood and in order to get married. The teen must jump naked over a number of bulls without falling. That is why we can mention it as cow jumping or bull leaping. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a woman. The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectacular haidresses. Men use a wooden head rest which prevents the hair from touching the ground. It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also useful as a seat. Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare. They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra. Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catch more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It has a phallic-shape end. This jewelry can only be worn by a man's first wife. Her statut is the higher one in Hamer society. The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives... The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. Some of them have fund their future husband, but have to wait in their house until the so-called prentender can provide all the money for the ceremony: he has to pay for all the cows the bride-to-be's family asks for. These girls are called "Uta" and have to wait weeks, entirely covered with red clay... And no right to take baths or showers . They cannot go out of the house. Friends bring her food. A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: the babies who have the upper teeth first coming out, are abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO Omochild still save abandonned new borns in Jinka. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes. The weekly markets in Turmi and Dimeka are meeting points where tourist observation and photography can be satisfy against money. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
The Omo Valley tribes live by the River Omo – they are now at risk from a huge dam project.
The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectacular haidresses. Men use a wooden headrest / pillow which prevents the hair from touching the ground. It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also useful as a seat. The most famous hair style for woman is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha"; it's a sign of health and welfare. They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra. Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catches more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It has a phallic-shape end. A man’s first wife can only wear this jewellery. Her status is the higher one in Hamer society. The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives... The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
Hamer woman selling snuff, market day, Turmi, southern Ethiopia
Hamer Tribe, Ethiopia, Esam Hassanyeh, Lower Omo Valley
Safe on mother's back...an infant is secured in this traditional Hamer tribal infant carry pouch or back-pack which is fashioned from softened animal hide and decorated with cowrie shells. Omo Valley Ethiopia Horn of Africa
© Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
Hamer vers Turmi, vallée de l'Omo, Sud de l'Ethiopie Voir l'emplacement sur Google Maps ou sur Google Earth
In het zuiden van Ethiopië ligt de Omovallei. Hier leven nog verschillende primitieve stammen. Eén van de grootste en bekendste stammen is de Hamer stam. Deze stam leeft in het gebied rondom het plaatsje Turmi. De hamer dames hebben vaak een kapsel v... - Omovallei, Ethiopië | Columbus Travel
This is Koto, a married Hamer woman. Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These copper coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare. They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowrie shells, like a natural bra. Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces called the "bignere", also an iron and leather ring, with a phallic-shape end can only be worn by a man's first wife. Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia, 2013.
These are breathtaking.
The distinctly preserved cultures of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia are featured through a fashion-inspired lens in this limited edition print series
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Ethiopia, tribes, Hamer people Girl in a small Hamer village near Turmi. Blog: Dietmar Temps, travel photography Website: Dietmar Temps, photography
The Hamar (or Hamer or Hammer) is a tribe with a total population of about over 35,000, which lives in Hamer Bena woreda, a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle, the menaning of their life. There are at least 27 words for the subtle variations of colours and textures of a cattle! And each man has three names: a human, a goat and a cow name. Honey collection is their major activity.They are as well semi nomadic and migrate every few months to find pastures for their goats and cattle. They have a special relationship with Bana-Bashada group than the others as they share a common language and culture. Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. To pass from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. The bull-jumping is the most significant ceremony in the social life of the Hamer, the final test before passing into adulthood and in order to get married. The teen must jump naked over a number of bulls without falling. That is why we can mention it as cow jumping or bull leaping. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a woman. The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectacular haidresses. Men use a wooden head rest which prevents the hair from touching the ground. It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also useful as a seat. Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare. They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra. Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catch more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It has a phallic-shape end. This jewelry can only be worn by a man's first wife. Her statut is the higher one in Hamer society. The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives... The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. Some of them have fund their future husband, but have to wait in their house until the so-called prentender can provide all the money for the ceremony: he has to pay for all the cows the bride-to-be's family asks for. These girls are called "Uta" and have to wait weeks, entirely covered with red clay... And no right to take baths or showers . They cannot go out of the house. Friends bring her food. A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: the babies who have the upper teeth first coming out, are abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO Omochild still save abandonned new borns in Jinka. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes. The weekly markets in Turmi and Dimeka are meeting points where tourist observation and photography can be satisfy against money. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
© Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
The Hamar (or Hamer or Hammer) is a tribe with a total population of about over 35,000, which lives in Hamer Bena woreda, a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle, the menaning of their life. There are at least 27 words for the subtle variations of colours and textures of a cattle! And each man has three names: a human, a goat and a cow name. Honey collection is their major activity.They are as well semi nomadic and migrate every few months to find pastures for their goats and cattle. They have a special relationship with Bana-Bashada group than the others as they share a common language and culture. Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. To pass from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. The bull-jumping is the most significant ceremony in the social life of the Hamer, the final test before passing into adulthood and in order to get married. The teen must jump naked over a number of bulls without falling. That is why we can mention it as cow jumping or bull leaping. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a woman. The Hamar are very preoccupied with their beauty. They have at times spectacular haidresses. Men use a wooden head rest which prevents the hair from touching the ground. It is used as head rest to protect the clay wig that some do on the top of the head, but it is also useful as a seat. Women know many ways to do their hair. The most famous hair style is when their hair is in short tufts rolled in ochre and fat or in long twisted strands. These coppery coloured strands are called "goscha", it's a sign of health and welfare. They also wear bead necklaces, iron bracelets around their arms, and decorate their breast with lots of cowry shells, like a natural bra. Around married women's necks, you can see "esente": torques made of iron wrapped in leather. These are engagement presents; they are worn for life and indicate their husband's wealth. One of the necklaces catch more especially the attention: it is called the "bignere". It has a phallic-shape end. This jewelry can only be worn by a man's first wife. Her statut is the higher one in Hamer society. The Hamar women who are not first wife have a really hard life and they are more slaves than wives... The young unmarried girls, for their part, wear a kind of oval shape plate, in metal. It is used like a sunshield, but it tends to be rare in the tribe. Some of them have fund their future husband, but have to wait in their house until the so-called prentender can provide all the money for the ceremony: he has to pay for all the cows the bride-to-be's family asks for. These girls are called "Uta" and have to wait weeks, entirely covered with red clay... And no right to take baths or showers . They cannot go out of the house. Friends bring her food. A cruel tradition still has currency for some Hamar: the babies who have the upper teeth first coming out, are abandonned in the bush. This tradition tends to disapear but NGO Omochild still save abandonned new borns in Jinka. Abandonments are all the more frequent than some Hamar believe that a child born out of formal marriages has "mingi", as to say something abnormal and unclean. For them, it is the expression of the devil, which may cause disasters such as epidemics or drought in the village. So, illegitimate children are abandoned. This kind of beliefs can also be observed in other Ethiopan tribes. The weekly markets in Turmi and Dimeka are meeting points where tourist observation and photography can be satisfy against money. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
© Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
Le ragazze hamer sono note per essere molto belle; le loro acconciature sono formate da sottili treccine unte con grasso animale e cosparse di polvere rossastra che dona un particolare effetto di rame lucente, il taglio a caschetto richiama quello degli antichi egizi. Le donne vestono un triangolo di pelle di capra appeso al collo ornato di conchiglie cauri, simbolo di fertilità; due triangoli di pelle legati in vita scendono elegantemente sulle gambe; gli orli delle pelli sono rifinitei con anelli e borchie di metallo. Le donne sposate indossano un collare che portano tutta la vita con una protuberanza (simbolo fallico) la cui forma indica la sua condizione privilegiata di prima moglie.
