Wild women of the Amazon. The most unusual tribes on Earth (34 photos)

Exact amount African nationalities are unknown, and range from five hundred to seven thousand. This is explained by the vagueness of the separation criteria, in which residents of two neighboring villages can classify themselves as different nationalities without having any special differences. Scientists are inclined to the figure of 1-2 thousand to determine ethnic communities.

The bulk of the peoples of Africa include groups consisting of several thousand and sometimes hundreds of people, but at the same time they do not exceed 10% of the total population of this continent. As a rule, such small ethnic groups are the most savage tribes. The Mursi tribe, for example, belongs to this group.

Tribal Journeys Ep 05 The Mursi:

Living in southwestern Ethiopia, on the border with Kenya and Sudan, settled in Mago Park, the Mursi tribe is distinguished by unusually strict customs. They can rightfully be nominated for the title: the most aggressive ethnic group.

They are prone to frequent alcohol consumption and uncontrolled use of weapons (everyone constantly carries Kalashnikov assault rifles or fighting sticks with them). In fights, they can often beat each other almost to death, trying to prove their dominance in the tribe.

Scientists attribute this tribe to a mutated Negroid race, With distinctive features in the form of short stature, wide bones and crooked legs, low and tightly compressed foreheads, flattened noses and inflated short necks.

The more public Mursi who come into contact with civilization may not always have all these characteristic attributes, but the exotic appearance of their lower lip is the calling card of the tribe.

The lower lip is cut in childhood, pieces of wood are inserted there, gradually increasing their diameter, and on the wedding day a “plate” of baked clay is inserted into it - debi (up to 30 centimeters!!). If a Mursi girl does not make such a hole in her lip, then they will give a very small ransom for her.

When the plate is pulled out, the lip hangs down in a long, round rope. Almost all Mursi have no front teeth, and their tongue is cracked and bleeding.

The second strange and terrifying decoration of Mursi women is the monista, which is made from human phalanges of fingers (nek). One person has only 28 of these bones in his hands. Each necklace costs its victims five or six tassels; for some lovers of “costume jewelry,” the monista wraps around the neck in several rows, glistening greasyly and emitting a sweetish, rotting smell of melted human fat, which is rubbed on every bone every day. The source for beads never runs low: the priestess of the tribe is ready to deprive the hands of a man who has broken the laws for almost every offense.

It is customary for this tribe to do scarification (scarring). Men can afford scarring only after the first murder of one of their enemies or ill-wishers.

Their religion, animism, deserves a longer and more shocking story.
Briefly: women are Priestesses of Death, so they give their husbands drugs and poisons every day. The High Priestess distributes antidotes, but sometimes salvation does not come to everyone. In such cases, a white cross is drawn on the widow's plate, and she becomes a very respected member of the tribe, who is not eaten after death, but is buried in the trunks of special ritual trees. Honor is due to such priestesses due to the fulfillment of the main mission - the will of the God of Death Yamda, which they were able to fulfill by destroying the physical body and freeing the highest spiritual Essence from their man.

The rest of the dead will be collectively eaten by the entire tribe. Soft tissues are boiled in a cauldron, bones are used for amulets and thrown in swamps to mark dangerous places.

What seems very wild for a European is commonplace and tradition for the Mursi.

Film: Shocking Africa. 18++ The exact name of the film is Nude Magic / Magia Nuda (Mondo Magic) 1975.

Film: In Search of Tribes of Hunters E02 Hunting in the Kalahari. San tribe.

Myths and legends about wild Amazons - women who formed a separate tribe, lived according to the rules of matriarchy and fought with men - have existed since ancient times. Archaeological excavations confirm this fact, however, debates about the authenticity of the existence of a militant society consisting exclusively of representatives of the fairer sex do not subside.

Myths and legends

According to ancient greek mythology, the kingdom of the Amazons, female warriors, existed for some time in the territory of Libya, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. For what reason they lived separately from men was not clear, but they for a long time managed on their own. Some sources talk about a nomadic tribe of women, others - about the existence of a kingdom led by the queen of the Amazons.

Their main occupations were: hunting for food, wars with neighboring tribes for enrichment. According to ancient legends, the Amazons originated from the union of the god Ares (or Mars) and his daughter Harmony, and the warriors themselves worshiped the goddess Artemis, a virgin huntress.

One of the labors of Hercules was a task during which he had to take a magic belt from warlike girls, which was intended as a ransom for the return of the daughter of Queen Antiope.

Tribes of Amazon women: life and reproduction

According to the opinion expressed in the 5th century. BC. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, such a matriarchal state existed on the shores of the lake. Meotids (modern territory of Crimea). They built several cities, including Smyrna, Sinop, Ephesus and Paphos.

The main occupation of the Amazons was participation in wars and raids against neighbors, and they wielded a bow, a double battle ax (labrys), and a shortened sword with great skill. The warriors made their own helmet and armor.

But in order to have children, for the purpose of reproduction, a tribe of Amazon women annually spring time declared a truce and arranged meetings with men from the border lands, with whom they then paid off 9 months later with the born baby boys.

But according to another version, a sadder fate awaited male newborns: they were either drowned in the river or mutilated in order to be used as slaves in the future. Newborn girls were left in the tribe and raised as future warriors who were expected to wield all available weapons. They were also taught hunting and farming skills.

So that in the future, when drawing a bow in battle, their right breast would not be interfered with, they had it burned out in childhood. According to one version, the name of the tribe comes from a mazos, i.e. “breastless”, according to another - from ha-mazan, which is translated from Iranian as “warriors”, according to the third - from masso, meaning “untouchable”.

War with Dionysus

The battle victories of the Amazon tribe glorified them so much that even the god Dionysus decided to enter into an alliance with them so that they would help him fight the Titans. After the victory, he insidiously started a war with them and defeated them.

The few surviving women were able to hide in the temple of Artemis and then escape to Asia Minor. There they settled on the Fermodon River, creating a huge empire. Having participated in several wars, Amazon women captured Syria and reached the island of Crimea. Many of them took part in the siege of the famous Troy, during which ancient greek hero Achilles killed their queen.

During the battles with the Greeks, the enemy was able to capture several girls and, having loaded them onto a ship, wanted to take them to their homeland for demonstration. However, along the way, female warriors attacked the ship and killed everyone. But due to the lack of navigation skills, the Amazons could only sail with the wind, and ultimately they washed up on the shores of Ancient Scythia.

Education of the Sarmatian tribe

Having settled in a new place, the warriors began to plunder settlements and take away livestock, killing local residents. The Scythian warriors were very proud, therefore they considered waging war with female warriors to be an unworthy occupation. They acted differently: they gathered their best warriors and sent them to capture wild women in order to then get good offspring from them. Luck awaited them, after which he was born new people Savramats or Sarmatians with a heroic physique.

The life of the tribe of Amazon women was active in military campaigns and hunting, and they dressed in men's clothing. And local men were assigned to household duties: cooking, cleaning, etc. The Sarmatians had interesting tradition: girls could get married only after killing any representative of the stronger half, but they usually found victims in neighboring tribes.

Homer and Herodotus about the Amazons

According to historians, the great ancient thinker Homer, who created famous works“Iliad” and “Odyssey”, also wrote about the country of the Amazon. However, this poem has not survived. Confirmation Greek myths are ancient amphorae and bas-reliefs decorated with drawings of Amazon women (photo below). Only in all the images the beautiful warriors have both breasts and sufficiently developed muscles. The Amazons are also mentioned in the tale of the Argonauts, but there Homer shows them as disgusting furies.

According to Herodotus, after participating in Trojan War The Amazons fell to the Scythians and formed the Sarmatian tribe, in which women and men had equal rights. Legends attribute to them not only excellent skill with weapons, but also the ability to stay in the saddle and incredible composure. The Scythians and Sarmatians, according to Herodotus, fought together in the 5th century. BC e. against King Darius.

The Roman historian Deodorus was of the opinion that Amazon women were descendants of the ancient Atlanteans and lived in Western Libya.

Archaeological data

Many finds by historians in different parts of the world confirm ancient legends about the existence of Amazon women not only in Greece, but also in other countries and continents.

Thus, in 1928, on the shores of the Black Sea in the settlement of Zemo Akhvala, the burial of an ancient ruler in armor and weapons was discovered. After research, he turned out to be a woman, after which many made the assumption that the queen of the Amazons had been found.

In 1971, on the territory of Ukraine, the burial of a woman and a girl was found, who were luxuriously dressed and richly decorated. The grave contained gold, weapons, and the skeletons of 2 men who clearly did not die from illness. According to scientists, the remains belonged to another queen with her daughter and slaves who were sacrificed.

In the 1990s. During excavations in Kazakhstan, similar ancient burials of female warriors were discovered, dating back more than 2.5 thousand years.

Another sensation in the world of science was the latest discovery in Britain, when the remains of female warriors were found in Brougham (Cumbria). They clearly came here from Europe. According to English scientists, women fought in the ranks of the Roman army. According to them, tribes of Amazon women lived in the territory of Eastern Europe in the period 220-300 AD. e. After death, they were ceremoniously burned at the stake along with their equipment and war horses. Their origin comes from the territory of the current states of Austria, Hungary and the former Yugoslavia.

America: Tribal Life of Amazon Women

Stories of wild women warriors also tell of their discovery by Christopher Columbus after the discovery of the American continent. Having heard the stories of local Indians about a female warrior tribe, the great navigator tried to capture them on one of the islands, but was unable to do so. In memory of this incident, the name was given to the Virgin Islands (translated as “Islands of the Maidens”).

Spanish conquistador Fr. de Orellana in 1542 landed on the banks of a huge river in South America, where he met a tribe of wild Amazon women. The Europeans were defeated in the battle with them. Some scientists suggest that the error occurred due to long hair from local Indians. However, it was in memory of this incident that the proud name was given to the most majestic river of the American continent - the Amazon.

African Amazons

This unique phenomenon in world history - the tribe of Dahomey female Terminators - lived on the African continent south of the Sahara in the territory modern state Benin. They called themselves N’Nonmiton or “our mothers.”

African Amazons, female warriors belonged to elite troops, who defended their ruler in the kingdom of Dahomey, for which European colonialists called them Dahomey. Such a tribe was formed in the 17th century. for hunting elephants.

The King of Dahomey, delighted with their skill and success, appointed them as his bodyguards. The N'Nonmiton army existed for 2 centuries, in the 19th century. The women's military corps consisted of 6 thousand soldiers.

Selection for the ranks of female warriors took place among 8-year-old girls, who were taught to be strong and ruthless, and also able to withstand any pain. They were armed with machetes and Dutch muskets. After many years of training, African Amazons became “fighting machines”, capable of successfully fighting and cutting off the heads of the defeated.

While serving in the army, they could not get married or have children and remained chaste, considered married to the king. If a man attacked a woman warrior, he was killed.

The British mission in West Africa was founded in 1863, when the scientist R. Barton arrived in Dahomey, who was going to make peace with the local authorities. For the first time, he was able to describe the life of the Dahomey tribe of Amazon women (photo below). According to his information, for some warriors this provided an opportunity to gain influence and wealth. The English researcher S. Alpern wrote a large treatise on the life of the Amazons.

At the end of the 19th century. The territory was occupied by French colonialists, whose soldiers were often found dead in the morning with their heads cut off. The Second Franco-Dahomean War ended with the surrender of the king's army and most of the Amazons were killed. Its last representative, a woman named Navi, who by that time was more than 100 years old, died in 1979.

Modern wild female tribes

There are still areas in the impenetrable jungle of the Amazon River where life is very different from modern civilization. From time immemorial, people have lived in the eastern part of Brazil, cut off from the outside world, but retaining their customs and skills.

Scientists regularly find here not only new species of animals and plants, but also settlements of wild tribes, which now, according to researchers from the FUNAI organization, number more than 70. They hunt, fish, collect fruits and berries, but do not want to come into contact with the civilized world, for fear of contracting unknown diseases. After all, even ordinary flu is fatal for them.

Women of the wild tribes of the Amazon usually perform all women's work, take care of everyday life and raising children. Sometimes they collect berries or fruits in the forest. However, there are also aggressive tribes in which women, along with men, hunt or participate in raids on neighbors, armed with clubs and spears, poisoned with the poison of local plants or snakes.

There is also wild tribe Kuna on the island of San Blas near the territory of Brazil, who moved from the mainland and live according to the rules of matriarchy. Traditions have been preserved and are supported by the inhabitants of the settlement sternly and unshakably. At the age of 14, girls are already considered sexually mature and must choose their own groom. The man usually moves into the bride's house. The main income of the tribe on the island comes from the collection and export of coconuts (about 25 million pieces annually); they also grow sugar cane, bananas, cocoa and oranges. But for fresh water go to the mainland.

Amazons in art and film

In art Ancient Greece and Rome, warriors occupy an important place; their images can be found on ceramics, sculpture and architecture. Thus, the battle of the Athenians and the Amazons is depicted in the marble bas-relief of the Parthenon, as well as in sculptures from the mausoleum from Halicarnassus.

The favorite activities of female warriors are hunting and war, and their weapons are a bow, a spear, and an ax. To protect themselves from the enemy, they put on a helmet and took a crescent-shaped shield in their hands. As you can see in the above photos, ancient masters depicted Amazon women riding a horse or on foot, in battle with a centaur or warriors.

During the Renaissance, they were resurrected again in the works of classicism and baroque poetry, paintings and sculptures. Plots of battles with ancient warriors are presented in the works of J. Palma, J. Tintoretto, G. Rennie and other artists. Rubens' painting "The Battle of the Greeks with the Amazons" shows them in a bloody horse battle with men. And copies of the original sculpture “The Wounded Amazon” are famous throughout the world and are kept in the Vatican and US museums.

The life and exploits of the Amazons became an inspiration for writers and poets: Tirso de Molina, Lope de Vega, R. Granier and G. Kleist. In the 20th-21st centuries they moved into popular culture: movies, cartoons and comics in the fantasy genre.

Contemporary cinema confirms the popularity of the theme of Amazon women. Beautiful and brave warrior girls are presented in the films: “Amazons of Rome” (1961), “Pana - Queen of the Amazons” (1964), “Goddesses of War” (1973), “Legendary Amazons” (2011), “Women Warriors” ( 2017), etc.

The latest film, released in 2017, is called “Wonder Woman” and is about a heroine named Diana, the queen of the Amazons, who is endowed with fantastic strength, speed and endurance. She communicates freely with animals, and wears special bracelets for protection, but she considers men changeable and deceitful.

Among modern women You can also meet “Amazons” who are smart, educated and dream of conquering the world. They can run a large corporation and raise children at the same time, and they treat men condescendingly, allowing themselves to be loved.

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Natives of the Amazon

An unknown Indian tribe was discovered in the Amazon jungle

By specially conducted reconnaissance from the air, the Brazilian authorities were able to confirm the fact that in the jungle, near the border with Peru, in complete isolation from civilized world lives a primitive tribe of about 200 people.

And scientists were able to find out where the Brazilian aborigines live by carefully examining images from space. And then, in the Vale do Javari reservation, large areas of tropical forest were noticed, cleared of woody vegetation. From the air, the expedition members managed to photograph the dwellings and the aborigines themselves. The men of this tribe paint themselves red and cut the hair on their heads at the front, leaving it long at the back. However, representatives of modern civilization made no attempts to come into contact with the aborigines, fearing that this could harm primitive people.

Currently, in Brazil, the affairs of primitive tribes are handled by a special government organization - the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI). Its functions mainly include an attempt to protect the savages from outside interference and from all kinds of encroachments on the lands they occupy by farmers, loggers, as well as poachers, missionaries, and of course those businessmen who grow narcotic plants in the wild wilds. Essentially, the National Indian Trust protects and protects Aboriginal people from any outside interference.

It is part of the current official policy of the Brazilian government to locate and protect isolated indigenous groups in the Amazon jungle. Here, to date, 68 groups isolated from civilization have already been discovered, including fifteen of them in the Vale do Yavari reservation. From the air, the expedition members managed to photograph the dwellings and the aborigines themselves of the last discovered group. They live in large windowless thatched barracks and wear primitive clothing, although many wear nothing at all. In areas cleared of forest vegetation, the aborigines grow vegetables and fruits: mainly corn, beans and bananas.

In addition to the marked group of aborigines, space images revealed 8 more places of possible habitat of savages, which employees of the National Indian Foundation FUNAI undertake to “register” in the near future. To do this, they definitely fly there and take pictures of everything. For this purpose, they may use helicopters to take a closer look at the primitive Indians and the peculiarities of their life.

Virtually unknown to science, the wild tribes of the Amazon Indians seem to be in danger due to constant unwanted contact with outside world. These Indians, members of a once large tribe, were previously forced to move deeper into the forest due to constant invasions of their settlements. In the past few years, these Amazonians have often had to encounter other aboriginal tribes. Therefore existing on this moment The ethnic issue is difficult to resolve, and, unfortunately, it will soon be impossible to keep these tribes truly “wild” and protect them from all external contacts. And most of the wild settlements are concentrated on the border of Peru and Brazil, where there are more than 50 tribes that have never had contact with the outside world or with other tribes. Scientists believe that wild tribes need to be kept “wild” for as long as possible, although the aborigines are now at increasing risk as the development of tropical forests in Peruvian territory is gaining momentum...

We are accustomed to living in a world of information. However, there are so many unsolved pages in history and untrodden paths on the planet! Researchers, film makers, and exotic lovers are trying to unravel the mystery of the Amazons - brave, freedom-loving women who live without men.

Who are the Amazons?

Homer first mentioned attractive but dangerous warriors of the fairer sex in the eighteenth century BC. Then their life was described by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus and the playwright Aeschylus, and after them by the Roman chroniclers. According to myths, the Amazons formed states that consisted only of women. Presumably, these were territories from the shores of the Black Sea to the Caucasus and further into the depths of Asia. From time to time they chose men from other nations to continue the family line. The fate of the child born depended on gender - if it was a girl, she was raised in the tribe, while the boy was sent to his father or killed.

Since then, the legendary Amazon has been a woman who masterfully wields weapons and is an excellent rider who is not inferior to men in battle. Her patron is Artemis, the virgin, eternally young goddess of the hunt, capable of punishing in anger with an arrow fired from a bow.

Etymology

There is still debate among researchers about the origin of the word “Amazon”. Presumably, it was formed from the Iranian word ha-mazan - “woman warrior”. Another option is from the word a masso - “inviolable” (for men).

The most common Greek etymology of the word. It is interpreted as “breastless,” and according to legend, warriors burned or cut off their mammary glands to make it easier to use a bow. This version, however, is not confirmed in artistic depictions.

Surprisingly, there are still the most savage tribes of the Amazon and Africa who have managed to survive the onset of a ruthless civilization. We are here surfing the Internet, struggling to conquer thermonuclear energy and flying further into space, and these few remnants of prehistoric times lead the same way of life that was familiar to them and our ancestors a hundred thousand years ago. In order to completely immerse yourself in the atmosphere of wild nature, it is not enough to just read the article and look at the pictures, you need to go to Africa yourself, for example, by ordering a safari in Tanzania.

The wildest tribes of the Amazon

1. Piraha

The Piraha tribe lives on the banks of the Mahi River. Approximately 300 Aboriginal people are engaged in gathering and hunting. This tribe was discovered by Catholic missionary Daniel Everett. He lived next to them for several years, after which he finally lost faith in God and became an atheist. His first contact with the Pirahã took place in 1977. Trying to convey the word of God to the aborigines, he began to study their language and quickly achieved success in this. But the more he sank into primitive culture, the more surprised I was.
The Pirahã have a very strange language: there is no indirect speech, no words for colors and numerals (anything more than two is “many” for them). They did not, like us, create myths about the creation of the world, they do not have a calendar, but for all this, their intellect is no weaker than ours. The Piraha didn't think of it private property, they don’t have any reserves - they immediately eat the caught prey or the collected fruits, so they don’t rack their brains over storing and planning for the future. Such views seem primitive to us, however, Everett came to a different conclusion. Living one day at a time and with what nature provides, the Pirahã are freed from fears for the future and all sorts of worries with which we burden our souls. That's why they are happier than us, so why do they need gods?

2. Sinta Larga

In Brazil there lives a wild tribe called the Sinta Larga, numbering approximately 1,500 people. It once lived in the rubber jungle, but their massive deforestation led to the fact that the Sinta Larga switched to a nomadic life. They engage in hunting, fishing and collecting gifts of nature. Sinta Larga are polygamous - men have several wives. During his life, a man gradually acquires several names that characterize either his qualities or the events that happened to him; there is also a secret name that only his mother and father know.
As soon as the tribe catches all the game near the village, and the depleted land stops bearing fruit, it leaves the place and moves to a new place. During the move, the names of the Sinta Largs also change; only the “secret” name remains unchanged. Unfortunately for this small tribe, civilized people found on their lands occupying 21,000 square meters. km, rich reserves of gold, diamonds and tin. Of course, they couldn’t just leave these riches in the ground. However, the Sinta Largi turned out to be a warlike tribe, ready to defend themselves. So, in 2004, they killed 29 miners on their territory and did not suffer any punishment for this, except that they were driven into a reservation with an area of ​​2.5 million hectares.

3. Korubo

Closer to the sources of the Amazon River lives a very warlike Korubo tribe. They make their living mainly by hunting and raiding neighboring tribes. Both men and women participate in these raids, and their weapons are clubs and poisoned darts. There is evidence that the tribe sometimes reaches the point of cannibalism.

4. Amondava

The Amondava tribe living in the jungle has no concept of time; there is no such word even in their language, as well as such concepts as “year”, “month”, etc. Linguists were discouraged by this phenomenon and are trying to understand whether it is typical and other tribes from the Amazon basin. Among the Amondawa, therefore, ages are not mentioned, and when growing up or changing his status in the tribe, the aborigine simply takes a new name. Also absent in the Amondava language are phrases that describe the process of the passage of time in spatial terms. We, for example, say “before this” (meaning not space, but time), “this incident was left behind,” but in the Amondava language there are no such constructions.

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5. Kayapo

In Brazil, in the eastern part of the Amazon basin there is a tributary of the Hengu, on the banks of which the Kayapo tribe lives. This is very mysterious tribe The population of approximately 3,000 people is engaged in the usual activities of the aborigines: fishing, hunting and gathering. The Kayapo are great experts in the knowledge of the healing properties of plants, they use some of them to treat their fellow tribesmen, and others for witchcraft. Shamans from the Kayapo tribe use herbs to treat female infertility and improve potency in men.
However, most of all they interested researchers with their legends, which tell that in the distant past they were guided by heavenly wanderers. The first Kayapo chief arrived in a kind of cocoon, drawn by a whirlwind. Some attributes from these legends are also consonant with modern rituals, for example, objects that resemble aircrafts and space suits. Tradition says that the leader who descended from heaven lived with the tribe for several years and then returned to heaven.

The wildest African tribes

6. Nuba

The African Nuba tribe numbers about 10,000 people. Nuba lands lie in Sudan. This is a separate community with its own language, which does not come into contact with the outside world, and therefore has so far been protected from the influence of civilization. This tribe has a very remarkable makeup ritual. Women of the tribe scar their bodies with intricate patterns, pierce their lower lip and insert quartz crystals into it.
Their mating ritual, associated with annual dances, is also interesting. During them, girls point to their favorites, placing their leg on their shoulder from behind. The happy chosen one does not see the girl’s face, but can inhale the smell of her sweat. However, such an “affair” does not have to end in a wedding; it is only permission for the groom to sneak into her parents’ house, where she lives, secretly from her parents at night. The presence of children is not a basis for recognizing the legality of a marriage. A man must live with his pets until he builds his own hut. Only then can the couple sleep together legally, but for another year after the housewarming, the spouses cannot eat from the same pot.

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7. Mursi

Women from the Mursi tribe business card became an exotic lower lip. It is cut for girls when they are children, and pieces of wood are inserted into the cut over time. bigger size. Finally, on the wedding day, a debi is inserted into the drooping lip - a plate made of baked clay, the diameter of which can reach up to 30 cm.
Mursi easily become drunkards and constantly carry clubs or Kalashnikovs with them, which they are not averse to using. When fights for supremacy take place within a tribe, they often end in the death of the losing side. Mursi women's bodies typically look sickly and flabby, with sagging breasts and hunched backs. They are almost devoid of hair on their heads, hiding this defect with incredibly fluffy headdresses, the material for which can be anything that comes to hand: dried fruits, branches, pieces of rough leather, someone's tails, swamp mollusks, dead insects and other carrion. It is difficult for Europeans to be near Mursi because of their unbearable smell.

8. Hamer (hamar)

On the eastern side of Africa's Omo Valley live the Hamer or Hamar people, numbering approximately 35,000 - 50,000 people. Along the banks of the river there are their villages, made up of huts with pointed roofs, covered with thatch or grass. The entire household is located inside the hut: a bed, a hearth, a granary and a goat pen. But only two or three wives and children live in the huts, and the head of the family always either grazes cattle or protects the tribe’s possessions from attacks by other tribes.
Dating with wives occurs very rarely, and at these rare moments children are conceived. But even after returning to the family for a while, the men, having beaten their wives to their hearts content with long rods, are satisfied with that, and go to sleep in pits that resemble graves, and even cover themselves with earth to the point of mild asphyxia. Apparently, they like this semi-fainting state more than intimacy with their wives, and even those, to tell the truth, are not delighted with the “caresses” of their husbands and prefer to please each other. As soon as a girl develops external sexual characteristics (at about 12 years of age), she is considered ready for marriage. On the wedding day, the newly-made husband, having beaten the bride hard with a reed rod (the more scars remain on her body, the more deeply he loves), puts a silver collar around her neck, which she will wear for the rest of her life.

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9. Bushmen

In South Africa there is a group of tribes collectively called the Bushmen. These are people of short stature, wide cheekbones, with narrow eyes and swollen eyelids. Their skin color is difficult to determine, since in the Kalahari it is not customary to waste water on washing, but they are definitely lighter than neighboring tribes. Leading a wandering, half-starved life, the Bushmen believe in afterlife. They have neither a tribal leader, nor a shaman, and in general there is not even a hint of social hierarchy. But the elder of the tribe enjoys authority, although he does not have privileges or material advantages.
The Bushmen surprise with their cuisine, especially “Bushman rice” - ant larvae. Young Bushmen are considered the most beautiful in Africa. But as soon as they reach puberty and give birth, they appearance changes radically: the buttocks and thighs spread sharply, and the stomach remains bloated. All this is not a consequence of dietary nutrition. To distinguish a pregnant Bushwoman from the rest of her potbellied tribesmen, she is coated with ocher or ash. And Bushmen men at 35 already look like 80-year-old men - their skin sags everywhere and becomes covered with deep wrinkles.

10. Maasai

The Maasai people are slender, tall, and they braid their hair in clever ways. They differ from other African tribes in their manner of behavior. While most tribes easily come into contact with outsiders, the Maasai, who have an innate sense of dignity, keep their distance. But these days they have become much more sociable, even agreeing to video and photography.
The Maasai number about 670,000 and live in Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa, where they engage in livestock farming. According to their beliefs, the gods entrusted the Maasai with the care and guardianship of all the cows in the world. Maasai childhood, which is the most carefree period in their lives, ends at the age of 14, culminating in an initiation ritual. Moreover, both boys and girls have it. The initiation of girls comes down to the terrible custom of circumcision of the clitoris for Europeans, but without it they cannot get married and do housework. After such a procedure, they do not feel pleasure from intimacy, so they will be faithful wives.
After initiation, boys turn into morans - young warriors. Their hair is coated with ocher and covered with a bandage, they are given a sharp spear, and something like a sword is hung on their belt. In this form, the moran should pass with his head held high for several months.