BULL JUMPING - TRANSIT FROM BOY TO MAN (HAMAR TRIBES)

Описание: The Hamar people live in the Ethiopian Omo Valley, which extends from the Omo River to Lake Chew Bahir in South West Ethiopia. For many generations, people of the Omo Valley have led a traditional life. Most members of the Hamar tribe are pastoralists, which is why cattle hold a significant place in their culture.
Bull jumping is a ceremony by the Hamar tribes to put the young boys’ bravery and courage to the test. Being able to conquer fear and complete the task ahead is a lesson they have to learn to become a man
The eldest child of a family must go through the rite of passage before his younger siblings can follow. The father, or uncle in his absence, decides when the eldest boy is ready for the bull
On the day of bull jumbing, a local alcohol beverage is served to those who have come to celebrate. Depending on the social status of the boy’s family, close to 100 or over 300 people gather to witness the event.
Hamar women, dressed in traditional clothes and adorned with bells around their legs, start dancing together and play their loud horns. In between dancing, they approach ‘the men’ who have just gone through the ritual, begging them to whip their backs with birch sticks.
This is to show their devotion to the young man and to get him pass through the test. The women believe that the greater the pain they endure, the higher the level of loyalty they’re showing to the young boy; the scars left on their body are a symbol of the loyalty they’re entitled to receive from him.
Elders and men who have performed the ritual before, but are not yet married, gather castrated male cattle for the traditional coming-of-age ceremony.
Before leaping over the cattle, it is customary for the young boy to be naked and for his hair to be partially shaven. His body is then rubbed with sand to wash away his sins and get rid of bad luck and smeared with dung to give him strength. There will also be some traditional spiritual rituals associated with this ceremony
Then the ceremony starts, the boy steps on each bull’s back before making a final jump back to the ground. By demonstrating his agility, bravery and strength, the young boy shows he is fit to become a man.
If he manages to run over the bull’s back without falling four times, the young boy is then bequeathed the title Maza, a major milestone that means he is ready to marry a woman chosen for him by his father.
After a successful bull jump, the entire community erupts in joyous celebrations. Singing, dancing, and feasting take place as the young man is welcomed into adulthood. The ceremony becomes a festive occasion, filled with traditional music, chanting, and expressions of communal unity. It is also an opportunity for young men and women to meet and potentially form new relationships within the tribe.
Currently bull jumping has become a tourist attraction and thousands of tourists flock to omo valley to witness the century old celebrations.