On the fertile part of the omo river valley which extends from the omo river to lake Chew Bahir where human fossils are found in the south western Ethiopia there exists a tribe with a unique culture. These people are called the Hamer people. They have a total population of 45 thousand and their livelihood mainly depends on pastoral-ism.
Even though every culture they have is overwhelming; their bull jumping ritual is quite a ceremony to look at. The ceremony of bull jumping is a transition between being a young boy and a man. The bull jumping ritual is a way a man proves himself to the tribe that he is ready to build a family of his own. The main aim of the ceremony is to test the bravery and courage of the young boy. The moment they finish their task is a turning point that proves that they are able to conquer fear and be a Man.
The ceremony usually takes place in October to November which involves running on the back of seven to ten bulls four times without falling. The eldest child must go the rite of passage before his younger siblings can follow. The boys performing the bull jumping depends on their father’s decision. Giving a short stick the Hammer people called ‘Boko’ is a sign that the father has chosen his son to go through the rite of passage. After receiving the boko, the boy travels to his relative’s house to tell them the news and invite them to the ceremony. The boy gives each relative a coil of rope carefully marked to show the number of days leading to the ceremony. The relative will deduce the days by cutting the rope everyday.
When the big day arrives people around 300 gather to witness the event. The hammer women dress in traditional clothes with bells around their legs. They will also be dancing together and play their loud horns which is a display that shows devotion and encouragement to the young boy. The time of the boy’s important day comes when the sunset approaches; elders gather male cattle for the ceremony. The bulls are often smeared with dung to make it harder to jump by creating a slippery surface. For the boy to leap over the cattle he should be naked and his hair partially shaved. After that his hand will be rubbed by sand to get rid of his sins. With the crowd cheering around him the boy will step on each bull’s back before jumping to the ground. If the boy manages to run over the bull with out falling four times, he will be called Maza which is a milestone to marry a woman chosen for him by his father.
Article By: Kalkidan Teshome