Thursday, October 31, 2013

Ethiopia Bodi men compete to be the fattest in the village by drinking a gruesome mixture of blood and milk while living in isolation for SIX months | Mail Online

The tribe where big is definitely beautiful: Ethiopian men compete to be the fattest in the village by drinking a gruesome mixture of blood and milk while living in isolation for SIX months

Men from the Bodi tribe compete to become the fattest during the new year or Ka'el ceremony
They spend six months guzzling a mixture of blood and milk in a bid to fatten up as fast as they can
The winning fat man doesn't get a prize but is feted as a hero for life by the rest of the tribe
Bodi want to retain their traditions but they are threatened by government resettlement plans

PUBLISHED: 12:13 GMT, 31 October 2013 | UPDATED: 13:40 GMT, 31 October 2013

Slim might be in elsewhere but for Ethiopia's Bodi or Me'en people, bigger is always better. The tribe, which lives in a remote corner of Ethiopia's Omo Valley, is home to an unusual ritual which sees young men gorge on cow's blood and milk in a bid to be crowned the fattest man.

Six months after starting the regime, the men emerge to show off their newly engorged physiques and for a winner to be chosen. The champion fat man is then feted as a hero for the rest of his life.

Now the little known rite is the subject of incredible photos taken by French shutterbug Eric Lafforgue - who spent time with the Bodi while travelling through south-western Ethiopia during the run up to the Bodi New Year or Ka'el ceremony.

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Hero: Every child wants to become one of the fat men, according to Lafforgue, who are feted as heroes by the rest of the tribe for their incredible feat

Competition: On the day of the Ka'el ceremony, the tribe's fat men walk for hours around a sacred tree, watched by other men and helped out by the women

Challenge: The feat begins six months before the Ka'el ceremony when participants retire to their huts where they stay, while the women bring them food

Too much! A Bodi man finds that his morning bowl of blood and milk is a little too much and is ill outside his hut - watched by a baffled-looking herd of cows

One of the Bodi tribe's fat men with his family

One of the men enjoys his last blood and milk meals of the day

Regime: Each competitor is nominated by his family who then spend the next six months helping him to fatten up on a diet of cow's blood and milk

Sadly, the Ka'el ritual and the Bodi's traditional way of life is under threat from the Ethiopian government who plan to resettle 300,000 people from all over the country on their lands.

For now, the tribe continue as they always have, and still celebrate Ka'el in traditional style each June.

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The contest begins six months before the ceremony. Every family is allowed to present an unmarried man for the challenge, who, after being chosen, retires to his hut and must not move or have sex for the duration.

Food comes in the form of a cow's blood and milk mixture, served regularly to the men by women from the village. 'The cows are sacred to the Bodi tribe so they are not killed,' explains Lafforgue. 'The blood is taken by making a hole in a vein with a spear or an axe, and after that, they close it with clay.'

Because of the scorching temperatures, the men have to drink the two-litre bowl of blood and milk quickly before it coagulates but as Lafforgue reveals, not everyone can handle drinking so much at speed.

'The fat men drink milk and blood all day long,' he says. 'The first bowl of blood is drunk at sunrise. The place is invaded by flies. The man must drink it quickly before it coagulates but some cannot drink everything and vomit it.'

On the day itself, the men cover their bodies with clay and ashes before emerging from their huts for the walk to the spot where the ceremony will take place.

Men in the Bodi Tribe in Ethiopia compete to be crowned fattest...

Preparation: On the big day, the contenders for the Bodi tribe's fattest man ceremony ready themselves by covering their bodies in a mixture of white clay and ash

Decoration: The dress code for the ceremony also includes a selection of beautifully worked headdresses, in this case, one made from a mixture of cowrie shells and ostrich plumes

Decoration: The dress code for the ceremony also includes a selection of beautifully worked headdresses, in this case, one made from cowrie shells and ostrich plumes

Covering: Every part of the men's bodies are daubed with the ash and clay mixture and the men also wear colourful beaded necklaces and bracelets

On the way: Once the men are ready to go, they walk to the sacred tree where the ceremony takes place - a challenge for them because of their weight

A Bodi woman wipes away the sweat of one of the fat men

Given a lift: Eric Lafforgue helped this man get to the Ka'el ceremony

Challenging: For many of the fat men, the walking proves exhausting. Luckily, the women (left) and Lafforgue himself (right) help them out

Relief: During the walk and the ceremony that follows, the Bodi women are on hand to help out the fat men with drinks of water and fortifying alcohol

Thanks to the weight gain, many of them find covering the short distance tougher than the weeks spent fattening up. 'Some fat men are so big that they cannot walk anymore,' explains Lafforgue.

'One asked me if he could use my car to go to the ceremony area. Once in the car, he started to drink milk and blood again because he said he wanted to keep trying to be the fattest until the very last moment.'

The ceremony itself involves spending hours walking in a circle around a sacred tree, watched by the other men and helped by the women who ply them with alcohol and wipe away the sweat.

Once the fattest man has been chosen, the ceremony ends with the slaughter of a cow using a huge sacred stone. Village elders will then inspect the stomach and the blood to see whether the future will be a bright one or not.

After the ceremony, the men's lives return to normal and most lose their enormous bellies after a few weeks of eating sparingly. But a few weeks later, the next generation of competitively fat Bodi men will be chosen and the cycle will begin again.

'Becoming a fat man is the dream of every Bodi kid,' says Lafforgue. 'A few weeks [after the ceremony] he will recover a normal stomach but he will remain a hero for life.'

See more of Eric's work at ericlafforgue.com and at flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics

Sacred: The fat men run or walk around the village's special tree, watched by the tribe's elders and other men, and helped by the women

Exhausted: The men have to take regular breaks

Agonising: The men show the strain as they run

Exhausting: Because the men are so overweight and have been unable to exercise for six months, they need regular breaks during the ceremony

On tenterhooks: After hours of running around the tree in the scorching sun, the men wait to hear who will take the title of the Bodi's fattest man

Nerves: The women await the results with just as much interest as the men - the majority of Bodi girls hope to one day marry one of the fat men if they can

The winner: The 2013 champion will be considered a hero for the rest of his life

Runner up: This impressively chubby chap didn't quite make the grade

Winner: The 2013 champion is the man on the left, who beat off all comers - including the man on the right. Both will be feted as heroes for the rest of their lives

Slaughter: A cow is killed at the climax of the celebrations using a sacred stone

Augury: The elders look for future portents in the cow's blood

Sacrifice: The Bodi kill one of their precious cows at the end of the ceremony and the village elders inspect its blood and entrails to see what the future holds for them

Relief: After the ceremony has concluded, the men return to normal eating patterns and have usually lost the extra weight within a few weeks of Ka'el

Opportunity: The Bodi women also use the ceremony as an opportunity to inspect potential husbands

Beauty: Most of the women boast elaborate scar patterns on their skin

Opportunity: Women use the Ka'el ceremony to inspect potential future husbands - in the Bodi tribe, fat is considered extremely attractive

Threatened: The Bodi's traditional lifestyle is under threat because of government plans to settle 300,000 people from all over Ethiopia in Hana Mursi, the main Bodi town

Beautiful: A Bodi woman living in the threatened village of Hana Mursi displays her spectacular scar patterns and elegant gold coiled cuff jewellery

Stunning: The Bodi tribeswomen wear beautifully bright clothes for the ceremony

Bodi women also wear ash and white clay, but in this case, the woman pictured has used it only for her hair

Striking: The women attending the ceremony use it as an opportunity to show themselves off in their brightest and most beautiful clothes

Monday, October 21, 2013

Tribal beauty: Photographer gives snapshot of vanishing way of life - CNN.com

British photographer Jimmy Nelson spent three years traveling to remote areas of the world to document the lives of indigenous people. He visited 35 different tribes, nine of them in Africa, like the pictured Karo tribe in Ethiopia.

An estimated 200,000 tribal people live in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. The Karo are small in number with around 3,000 living on the Omo River's eastern banks. Before a ceremony, they paint their bodies and faces with white chalk.

Nelson says he had to gain the trust of the tribes before they would let him take their portraits. "You make one contact and before you know it, somebody else is there. And at the end of the day the whole village is in," Nelson says.

Nelson says the most challenging part of his African journey was approaching the Ethiopian tribes, like the Mursi, pictured. He says they were very protective of their territory, and he was often greeted by men carrying Kalashnikov rifles.

The British photographer visited one of the last great warrior cultures -- the Maasai (pictured). The Maasai are one of Africa's best-known tribes.

The Banna people (also known as Bana) in Ethiopia are approximately 45,000 in number. They are famed for their "bull jumping" ceremony, where the men earn the right to marry by making four runs over the backs of cows.

Nelson visited the African tribes during five trips to the continent. He says that the Kenyan Samburu are more traditional than the Maasai and more independent and egalitarian.

Nelson grew up in various African countries until the age of seven. But he says his childhood isn't there anymore. "Africa is evolving the quickest in my opinion. It has lost the majority of its ethnicity and authenticity," he says.

One thing that stood out to Nelson when meeting the different African tribes was their awareness of their appearances, including the "beautiful" Himba.

Nelson said the most pleasant trip was visiting the Namibian Himba. "The aesthetic of their body, of their dress, of their dance and of their movement I find extraordinary and very few of us will ever look as beautiful as them," he says.

The Dassanech in Ethiopia, pictured, will allow anyone to be one of them, as long as they agree to be circumcised, Nelson explains.

The 45-year-old photographer says his book is just the beginning of a larger project. He wants his photographs and stories to inspire discussion. "In my eyes the tribespeople are emotionally and socially very rich but materially very poor, and we're the opposite," he says. "How aware of how special they are is debatable, hence why I want to start this discussion. Before they pass away."

TORY HIGHLIGHTS

Jimmy Nelson photographed 35 tribes all over the world for book "'Before They Pass Away"
Nelson photographed tribes in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia
He wanted to create a record of "a fast disappearing world"

(CNN) -- As teenagers, the women of the Ethiopian Mursi tribe pierce their lower lips and put a clay plate in it. They are one of the last tribes in the world who still practice this tradition and the new generation, influenced by the outside world, might decide to abandon it.

That's why British photographer Jimmy Nelson decided to travel the world for three years, visiting 35 tribes in all five continents, to document their lives and customs before they disappear.

He drank vodka with the Mongolian Tsaatan tribe in freezing conditions and admired the beautiful Himba tribesmen in the Namib Desert. The result of his journey can be found in his new book of photographs, "Before They Pass Away."

"The whole idea is to make (the tribes) iconic. To give them the attention that we give ourselves in the developed world," the 45-year-old photographer says.

From a very early age, Nelson was confronted by cultural diversity. He grew up in different African countries before moving to England at the age of seven to attend a catholic Jesuit boarding school. Going back to Africa to meet with nine tribes in four different countries was a special experience for him.

Read this: modernizing the Maasai to avoid extinction

Africa is evolving the quickest in my opinion. It has lost the majority of its ethnicity and authenticity.
Jimmy Nelson, photographer

"Africa is evolving the quickest in my opinion. It has lost the majority of its ethnicity and authenticity," he says. "I grew up in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gabon and in Cameroon. I've been living for 45 years, and what I saw in my childhood is not there anymore."

Being humble

Nelson and his crew, consisting of an assistant and a cameraman, covered Africa in five trips. They visited five tribes in Ethiopia, and one each in Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia. Nelson says the most challenging part of his African journeys was approaching the tribes in southern Ethiopia.

"There are many small tribes in a small area and everybody is protecting their own turf. So they can be quite intimidating," he says.

Maasai warrior embraces yoga

Ancient Maasai culture in the modern world

The traditions of the Himba people

Preserving a 'perfect world'

When first approaching the tribes, Nelson left the camera equipment behind. He says even though all the tribes had been documented before, he was conscious to explain to them what he wanted to do. Only the Kenyan tribe, Samburu, knew he was coming.

Maasai Cricket Warriors: 'Bowling is just like throwing a spear'

Although he was always traveling with a local guide, Nelson had to rely on body language and gestures to communicate with the different tribesmen and gain their trust. But he says it was all about appealing to their vanity.

"Initially it's idolization. You put them on a pedestal and then you touch their muscles and show that through lots of gestures, lots of hero-worship," Nelson explains of his initial meetings with the Ethiopian tribes, who would often greet him carrying Kalashnikov rifles.

"You arrive and they are all wild and intimidating, it's all about being macho."

One thing that stood out to Nelson when meeting the different African tribes was their awareness of their appearances. He says he noticed a lot of male vanity in the African tribes. For example, many people think the men in the Namibian Himba tribe are actually women.

"This is a classic example of the whole idea behind the book that appearances can be deceptive," he says. "Very few of us will ever look as beautiful as these people."

The Himba: Namibia's iconic red women

Signs of modernization

When Nelson and his crew traveled across the Omo Valley four years ago, to find the southern Ethiopian tribes, it took them three weeks to reach them. Today, he says, the roads have been improved and it only takes a few days.

He thinks this is one of the reasons some of the tribes are slowly abandoning their traditional lifestyle.

"At the moment (the African tribes) are evolving quickly because of the digital age. Many of them have a mobile telephone, so they are aware of an outside world," he says.

The whole idea is to make (the tribes) iconic. To give them the attention that we give ourselves in the developed world.
Jimmy Nelson, photographer

The book "Before They Pass Away" is just the first third of his project. The next step is to go back to all 35 tribes and show them their photos, explaining to them why he made them.

The idea is to then visit another 35 tribes in more politically unstable areas, where he would need the authorities' help to get access.

But most of all Nelson hopes the portraits will encourage a deeper dialogue between the tribes and the developed world.

"By illustrating these people in a grand aesthetic, romantic, idealistic and iconic way, I'm trying to attract the public's attention to a subject matter that they wouldn't normally be interested in," the photographer explains.

Before Nelson embarked on his three-year-long journey, he was just expecting to make a visual document to celebrate the tribes for what they looked like. But now he thinks there are greater lessons to be learned.

"In my eyes the tribespeople are emotionally and socially very rich but materially very poor, and we (in the West) are the opposite," he says. "How aware of how special they are is debatable, hence why I want to start this discussion. Before they pass away."

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