You think you’ve seen it all? you’d be shocked you haven’t.. Africans are known for their exciting cultures, belief and traditions. Some African countries go to a great extent to showcase what they’ve got.
In Ethiopia, a tribe known as the Hamar tribe believe the elaborate scars on the back demonstrate a woman’s capacity to love and be loyal to her husband and if they fall on hard times later in life it allows them to call on those who whipped them for help.
The tribal culture is revealed in a series of photographs in this article whereby women especially the young ones are whipped in order to show the sacrifices they make for men.
However, during this ceremony which is usually held in the popular Omo River Valley, women begs men to whip them. The men on the other hand receive facial painting and decorations which signifies status and progression up the social ladder.
During the ceremony, The women trumpet and sing, extolling the virtues of the Jumper, declaring their love for him and for their desire to be marked by the whip. Afterwards they coat their bodies with butter to lessen the effect of the whipping which is only carried out by Maza – those who have already undergone this Rite-of-Passage.
The tradition is believed to bring families together and gives women the strength to love and if perhaps they become widows in the future, the could get help from the boys who whipped them..
