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After 2-3 months seclusion, Pokot initiates leave their camp in single file to celebrate Ngetunogh. They must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows until this ceremony is over.
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Karo men excel in body art. Before a dance, they will decorate their faces and torsos elaborately using local white chalk, pulverised rock and other natural pigments. While older men style their hair with clay, young men prefer to braid theirs.Every man carries a wooden stool, which doubles as a pillow at night.The Karo are a small tribe living in three main villages along the lower reaches of the
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For two to three months after their circumcision, Pokot boys sing and dance in a special seclusion camp while undergoing instruction from tribal elders. During this time, they must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows.
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For two to three months after their circumcision, Pokot boys sing and dance in a special seclusion camp while undergoing instruction from tribal elders. During this time, they must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows.
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After 2-3 months seclusion, Pokot initiates leave their camp in single file to celebrate Ngetunogh. They must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows until this ceremony is over.
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During an eunoto ceremony when Maasai warriors become junior elders,their heads are shaved and they daub themselves with white clay.
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Black clothing and the intricate white patterns on the face of this Maasai youth of the Kisongo section signify his recent circumcision.
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During a Ngetunogh ceremony, the mother of a Pokot initiate sings and dances holding high the cowhorn container she used to smear fat over the masks of her son and other boys as a blessing.
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Black clothing,Black ostrich feathers and the intricate white patterns on the face of this Maasai youth of the Kisongo section signify his recent circumcision.
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At the start of a Ngetunogh ceremony, the mothers of Pokot initiates will smear animal fat on the boys masks as a blessing. The boys must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows until this ceremony is over.
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Kenya, Samburu District, South Horr, Samburu District, Kenya. The ritual helpers of two Samburu boys slaughter and skin rams the day before the boys are circumcised. The boys will sit on the skins while they are being circumcised.
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At the conclusion of a Ngetunogh ceremony, Pokot initiates rush to a sacred tree and crouch briefly while women and girls hurl abuse at them. After disbursing, they meet that evening to feast on a bull. The following day they return home and remove their ceremonial attire.
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The proud father of a Samburu boy who has recently been circumcised. For each son who has been initiated into the warrior age-set,a father will tie a strip of lion skin below his knees,hang two copper ornaments normally worn by women in his pierced earlobes and places a string of pale green beads round his forehead. A ceremonial leather cape is slung over his shoulder.
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Kenya, Samburu District, South Horr, Samburu District, Kenya. A ritual helper of a Samburu boy makes him new sandals the day before he is circumcised which he will wear for a month and then discard.
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The evening before a Samburu boy is circumcised,he must lean over his mother under a special ochred goatskin cape as she milks a cow that has not given birth more than twice. This milk will be kept overnight in a traditional wooden gourd-like container and will be poured over the boy's head just before he is circumcised early the next morning.
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At the culmination of a Hamar bull-jumping ceremony,the rite of passage to manhood for every male,the bull-jumper or initiate runs naked across the backs of a line of bulls. He does this twice in each direction. Once he has completed his bull jump he is takes his place as a man of the tribe,he can take a wife and can vote on tribal issues.
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Towards the conclusion of a Ngetunogh ceremony, an initiate must put on his mothers jewellery for a day before removing the wild sisal face mask he has worn for 2-3 months.
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Men and women dance during a month long Dassanech ceremony. The men wear leopard, cheetah or serval cat skins draped on their backs and black ostrich feather headdresses. The women, dressed in skins, hang a single black and white colobus monkey skin down their backs.
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Samburu initiates sing during the month after their circumcision. As their wounds heal, their dances become more energetic. Before long, they imitate the dances of the warriors which, hitherto, they have been forbidden to perform.They spend much of their time wandering in the countryside attempting to kill as many birds as they can with a club and four blunt arrows. When a bird is killed, it is sk
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Dressed in his black goatskin cloak,a Samburu boy puts his bundle of sticks,staves and gum on the roof of his mother's house. He has collected these with other boys from a special type of Commiphora tree during an arduous journey on foot of up to 200 miles. After his circumcision,he will make them into bows,blunt arrows and clubs.
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A Dassanech man in full tribal regalia participates in a dance during a month long ceremony. He wears a cheetah skin draped on his backs and a black ostrich feather headdress. He dances holding a long stick and a simulated shield.His face is smeared with mud giving him a singular appearance.
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A Samburu youth,his head freshly shaved,has milk poured over him from a wooden gourd-like container decorated with green grass prior to his circumcision. Milk and green grass are blessings to these pastoral people and feature in all important ceremonies.
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After 2-3 months seclusion, Pokot initiates leave their camp in single file to celebrate Ngetunogh. They must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows until this ceremony is over.
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Kenya,Kajiado,lpartimaro. Two Maasai warriors in full regalia. The headress of the man on the left is made from the mane of a lion while the one on the right is fringed with black ostrich feathers. Their traditional weaponry includes long-bladed spears and shields are made of buffalo hide.
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Gabbra women sing and dance to celebrate a wedding. The traditional metal ornamentation on their heads is called malmal.
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During Samburu wedding celebrations,married women congregate apart from the warriors and young girls to sing in praise of the couple and to dance.
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A Nyangatom boy holds a cow whilst another boy draws his bow ready to fire an arrow with a very short head into the artery of the cow so they can bleed it. Several pints of blood will be collected which will then be mixed with milk and drunk by the Nyangatom. The Nyangatom or Bume are a Nilotic tribe of sem nomadic pastoralists who live along the banks of the Omo River in south western Ethiopia.
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The day before Samburu boys are circumcised in their lorora,(a purpose-built circumcision encampment),senior elders will bless the sharp instruments of every household,such as pangas and axes,by pouring a little milk over them as they intone a blessing. The instruments must be laid out on the oxhide upon which the boy of each household will be circumcised.
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Samburu warriors,spears in hand,jump into the air without bending their knees during one of their dance routines.
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Gabbra women sing and dance to celebrate a wedding. The traditional metal ornamentation on their heads is called malmal.
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South America, Brazil, Miranda, Terena indigenous people from the Brazilian Pantanal performing a ritual stick dance in grass skirts
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During Samburu wedding celebrations,warriors resplendent with long Ochred braids dance with young girls who have put on all their finery for the occasion. Both warriors and girls smear their faces,necks and shoulders with red ochre mixed with animal fat to enhance their appearance. Two spears are tipped with ostrich-feather pompoms.
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A Samburu mother wears an ochred goatskin cape ready for milking a cow the evening before her son is circumcised. This distinctive cape is worn only at circumcision ceremonies. The milk must be drawn from a cow that has not given birth more than twice and will be poured over her son's head just before he is circumcised early the next morning.
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During Samburu wedding celebrations,married women congregate apart from the warriors and young girls to sing in praise of the couple and to dance.
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The ritual sponsors and friends of a Samburu initiate make him a bow,blunt arrows and a club from the sticks,staves and gum he collected before he was circumcised. He will use these weapons to kill birds for a month following his circumcision. Initiates are forbidden to carry knives during this time.
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In the weeks leading up to their circumcision, Samburu boys must wear charcoal-blackened cloaks, which are made from three goatskins by their mothers.They also style their hair in a tuft at the back of their skulls.The elders of the tribe harangue them frequently.Uncircumcised boys are considered children whatever their age.
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A Samburu boy in reflective mood after his circumcision.A day after the ordeal, he will hang in his pierced earlobes copper earrings normally worn by married women and put on a new headdress of ostrich feathers fastened to a narrow band of plaited fibre, which fits tightly round his forehead.
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A Borana man at Mega in southern Ethiopia wears a phallic Kallaacha on his forehead. Made of cast aluminium and ivory or bone,the Kallaacha is worn during the tribe's initiation and gada age-grade ceremonies. The pastoral Borana live either side of the southern Ethiopian/northern Kenya border and form a large and important group of the Oromo-speaking cluster of tribes.
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For two to three months after their circumcision, Pokot boys sing and dance in a special seclusion camp while undergoing instruction from tribal elders. During this time, they must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows.
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Kenya, South Horr, Kurungu.A Samburu youth after his circumcision. The day after he has been circumcised, the initiate must hang in his pierced earlobes copper ear ornaments that are normally worn by married women. His sponsors make him a new headdress of ostrich feathers fastened to a narrow band of plaited fibre, which fits tightly round his forehead like a sweatband.
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Samburu initiates skin a bird without the use of a knife.While their wounds heal for a month after circumcision, initiates spend their time wandering in the countryside attempting to kill as many birds as they can with a club and four blunt arrows. When a bird is killed, it is skinned, stuffed with dry grass and attached to the boy's headband by means of its beak.
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Karo men excel in body art. Before a dance, they will decorate their faces and torsos elaborately using local white chalk, pulverised rock and other natural pigments. While older men style their hair with clay, young men prefer to braid theirs.Every man carries a wooden stool, which doubles as a pillow at night.The Karo are a small tribe living in three main villages along the lower reaches of the
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A Samburu initiate takes aim at a bird with a blunt arrow.While their wounds heal for a month after circumcision, initiates spend their time wandering in the countryside attempting to kill as many birds as they can with a club and four blunt arrows. When a bird is killed, it is skinned without a knife, stuffed with dry grass and attached to the boys headband by means of its beak.
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Mothers rub animal fat into their sons cloaks to make them supple. This task is performed shortly before the boys set out on an arduous journey to collect sticks, staves and gum to make bows, blunt arrows and clubs after their circumcision.
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Karo men excel in body art. Before a dance, they will decorate their faces and torsos elaborately using local white chalk, pulverised rock and other natural pigments. While older men style their hair with clay, young men prefer to braid theirs.Every man carries a wooden stool, which doubles as a pillow at night.The Karo are a small tribe living in three main villages along the lower reaches of the
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Gabbra women dance at a gathering in the village of Kalacha. The Gabbra are a Cushitic tribe of nomadic pastoralists living with their herds of camels and goats around the fringe of the Chalbi Desert.
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Women sing and dance before the bull jumping, Hamer Jumping of the Bulls initiation ceremony, Turmi, Lower Omo valley, Ethiopia, Africa
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A Samburu mother shaves her sons head outside her home the day before he is circumcised.Round her neck hangs his nchipi, the distinctive decoration of every boy who participates in the circumcision ritual. The strings of blue beads terminate in large bronze coloured wings of a torpedo shaped beetle, Sterocera hildebrandti.
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A Samburu boy the day before his circumcision.He has daubed the right side of his face and body with white clay while drawing water from a source that never dries up. Each boy will carry for this purpose a new gourd shaped container made by his mother from hollowed out wood.
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In their dances, Samburu warriors take it in turns to leap high in the air from a standing position without bending their knees. This is achieved by flexing their ankles in a seemingly effortless way. Their long Ochred braids distinguish them from other members of their society.
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A Nyangatom boy holds a cow whilst another boy draws his bow ready to fire an arrow with a very short head into the artery of the cow so they can bleed it. Several pints of blood will be collected which will then be mixed with milk and drunk by the Nyangatom. The Nyangatom or Bume are a Nilotic tribe of sem nomadic pastoralists who live along the banks of the Omo River in south western Ethiopia.
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After 2-3 months seclusion, Pokot initiates leave their camp in single file to celebrate Ngetunogh. They must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows until this ceremony is over.
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The Chewa people, Malawis largest ethnic group, live on the west side of Lake Malawi. Despite years of missionary influence, they still cling to old beliefs and rituals. For them, death simply means a journey of rebirth into the spirit world.The terrestrial representatives of this other world are grotesquely masked dancers known as Gule Wamkulu.
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The invited guests at a Samburu wedding gather together to sing in praise of the couple and to dance. Celebrations will go on late into the night.
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A lively Nyangatom dance is enjoyed by villagers in the late afternoon.The elevated houses in the background are both homes and granaries, which have been built to withstand flooding when the Omo River bursts its banks The Nyangatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
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Two young Samburu girls help each other preparing for a celebration,Wamba District,Kenya
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In their dances,Samburu warriors take it in turns to leap high in the air from a standing position without bending their knees. This is achieved by flexing their ankles in a seemingly effortless way. Their long Ochred braids distinguish them from other members of their society. The pompom on top of one of the spears is made of ostrich feathers.
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Gabbra women dance at a gathering in the village of Kalacha. The Gabbra are a Cushitic tribe of nomadic pastoralists living with their herds of camels and goats around the fringe of the Chalbi Desert.
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Samburu warriors sing in a circle during a wedding celebration. As they sing and dance,they twist their spears in unison. Soloists ad-lib words to traditional tunes,praising the bravery of certain individuals or the bulls of their families' herds.
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Face painting with a mixture of clay, oils and plant pigments, Hamer Jumping of the Bulls initiation ceremony, Turmi, Lower Omo valley, Ethiopia, Africa
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A Nyangatom boy catches blood from the artery of a cow in a gourd. The cow is bled by firing an arrow with a very short head into the artery of the cow. Several pints of blood will be collected which will then be mixed with milk and drunk by the Nyangatom. The Nyangatom or Bume are a Nilotic tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists who live along the banks of the Omo River in south-western Ethiopia.
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With oiled and blackened bodies, a group of young men who have already completed their initiation ceremony participate in a Hamar Bull Jumping ceremony of a friend by circling the cattle before the climax to the ceremony takes place.After the ceremony, the initiate attains full manhood and is permitted to marry
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Hamar women dance at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion. The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a rite of passage for young men.After the ceremony, the initiate attains full manhood and is permitted to marry.
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A group of Hamar women at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a rite of passage for young men.
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For two to three months after their circumcision, Pokot boys sing and dance in a special seclusion camp while undergoing instruction from tribal elders. During this time, they must wear goatskins, conceal their faces with masks made from wild sisal (sansevieria) and carry bows with blunt arrows.
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Hamer Jumping of the Bulls initiation ceremony, naked initiate running over backs of bulls or cows, Turmi, Lower Omo valley, Ethiopia, Africa
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One of the most important Maasai ceremonies is the eunoto when warriors become junior elders. Early one morning before the cattle are taken to pasture,their mothers shave their long ochred locks,which makes their appearance very different. One initiate can be seen blowing a Kudu horn trumpet.
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Women sing and dance before the bull jumping, Hamer Jumping of the Bulls initiation ceremony, Turmi, Lower Omo valley, Ethiopia, Africa
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A Hamar woman dances around cattle while she blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a rite of passage for young men.
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A Hamar woman being whipped by a man at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The semi nomadic Hamar of Southwest Ethiopia embrace an age grade system that includes several rites of passage for young men.
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A Hamar woman at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a rite of passage for young men.
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Face painting with a mixture of clay, oils and plant pigments, Hamer Jumping of the Bulls initiation ceremony, Turmi, Lower Omo valley, Ethiopia, Africa
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A Hamar woman blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a rite of passage for young men.
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A Hamar woman implores a man to whip her at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.Female friends and relatives of the initiate are willing whipped with pliable sticks to show their solidarity and love for him. They do not flinch or show any sign of pain.The semi nomadic Hamar of Southwest Ethiopia embrace an age grade system that includes several rites of passage for young men.
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With whipping sticks in their hands, men crouch as they bless an initiate who is about to perform his Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia who embrace an age grade system that includes several rites of passage for young men.
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In the late afternoon, Nyangatom villagers enjoy singing and dancing. As groups of men take centre stage to jump high in the air, women and girls sing, clap to a rhythm, and move slowly towards the men. Children enjoy the excitement in the background.The Nyangatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
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A Hamar woman blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a rite of passage for young men.
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Hamar women dance around cattle at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony as a rainbow gives colour to a threatening sky overhead.The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochre hair mop fashion.The phallic protrusion of the women's chokers denote they are their husbands first wives.The Jumping of the Bull ceremony is a ri
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