Ethiopian Cultural Attractions - Sunny Land Ethiopia Tours and Travel
The famous tribes of Omo Valley (south-western Ethiopia)
Karo
The Karo, which number only about 3,000 people, mainly live on the practice of flood retreat cultivation
on the banks of the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia.The Karo excel in face and body painting, practiced in preparation of their dances and ceremonies, they decorate their bodies, often imitating the spotted plumage of a guinea fowl. Feather plumes are inserted in their clay hair buns to complete the look. The clay hair bun can take up to three days to construct and is usually re-made every three to six months. Their painted facemasks are spectacular. Karo women scarify their chests to beautify themselves. Scars are cut with a knife and ash is rubbed to produce a raised welt.
Being the smallest tribe I the area, this group obviously struggles which direct threats from nearby tribes that have more gun power, greater numbers, and likely coalitions with one another.
Hamer
The Hamers are pastoralists and number 30,000. They are known for practice of body adornment and wearing a multitude of colorful beads. Women adorn their necks with heavy polished iron jewelry. Hamer society consists of a complex system of age groups. Moving from one age group to another involves complicated rituals. The most significant ceremony for young men is the “jumping of the bull” – the final test before passing in to adulthood. Several days before the ceremony, initiates pass out invitation in the form of dried knotted grass. The ceremony lasts three days. Late in the afternoon on the final day, ten to thirty bulls are lined up side by side. The naked initiate rushes towards the animal, vaults onto the first bull’s back and then runs across the line of animals. At the end of the line, he turns back to repeat the performance in the opposite direction. He must make this unstable journey without falling. The Hamer men have a reputation of being less than adoring husbands. The women submit to the ritual floggings proudly and love to show the deep scars that are regarded as a proof of devotion to their husbands.
