Hamar Bull Jumper
Ethiopia 2013
The highlight of visiting the tribes in Ethiopia was the Hamar bull jumping ceremony. The young man, if he completes his ‘jumping’ successfully, will be accepted as a warrior in the tribe. He must hop onto the backs of the cattle and run over the backs of ten bullocks and then turn around and repeat several times. I can’t remember whether it was ten times or three times. He must not fall. Here he hops onto the back of the first bullock. There were ten bullocks lined up side by side and there was a gap of two or three feet between them. I’m sure they moved when they felt the man’s weight on their backs. It takes agility and balance as well as strength to leap up three feet or so for the first mount.
Unlike the Yaake of the Wodaabe, who have learned to monetize their celebrations, this ceremony is not for the benefit of tourists. It is a celebration of a young man’s coming of age. The Hamar didn’t even charge the tourists. I got the impression from some of the older women that they wished we weren’t there. I didn’t blame them.
Hamar Women
The men and women grouped separately. The women dressed in their best, their hair freshly dressed, the red mud slurry dripping down their bodies. They danced together, a sort of marching dance, blowing little horns and jumping up and down. If they were lucky, they wore a brassiere. That seemed to be the height of style. Otherwise they rolled up tee-shirts or, as is traditional, hung a leather skirt over their breasts. The idea was to have their back exposed so the lash marks could be seen by all.
To read more about the Hamar bull jumping click the links below.
http://www.rosemarysheel.com/archives/bull-jumping-a-hamar-celebration
http://www.rosemarysheel.com/archives/the-flogging