Bull Jumping Ceremony At a Hamer tribe gathering near Dimeka lower Omo valley in south Ethiopia

Photography by: Amit Bahat, Visit my site at: www.s-bahat.com/amit

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Contains nudity

Guests are arriving from far away places

The women start with warm up dancing.

Rhythm for the dance is provided by the bells on the dancers feet.

And their vuvuzela whistles.

Decorated elders take their seats,

take care of their grandchildren and watch the warm-up dances.

Preparation of colored paste for face painting.

Preparation for the female whipping ritual.

The women plead to be beaten. If their incessant begging doesn't work, they provoke with taunts and insults.

The results of the whipping and scars from previous ones as well.

ריקודים

The women shake the ground with rhythmic, stamping feet. Singing, chanting, leaping into the air and blowing on their horns to summon the bull jumper, they work themselves into frenzies, filling the air with constant, confusing clamor.

Final preparations for the jump.

A bonding ceremony. The jumper surrounded by his friends. He is holding a wooden phallus on top of which each of his friends puts one of his bracelets and the sticks they used for whipping the women.

Lining up the cattle for the Jump.

By accomplishing this feat four times, the young man gains passage into manhood and the right to marry.

Meditation or other form of mental preparation between jumps.

Mission accomplished. The young man has completed his task and gained passage into manhood and the right to marry in the coming year.

-END-

Photography by: Amit Bahat

Visit my site at: www.s-bahat.com/amit

• Feel free to mail to your friends.

• Your feedback will be appreciated: amitbahat10@gmail.com

• For commercial use please ask for permission!