Controversial customs in Africa

Maasai tribe - father spits on his daughter

The marriage customs of the Maasai tribe in Kenya are extremely unique. Girls in the tribe are not free to choose their own husbands; they must follow their parents' arrangements. They are also not allowed to divorce and must live with their husbands for life, even if they are abusive or treat them badly. To this day, Maasai men can marry many wives if they have enough wealth to support them all.

At the wedding ceremony, the bride will wear vibrant clothing and heavy jewelry. Before officially going to her husband's home, her father will spit on her chest to symbolize the best of luck. All girls of marriageable age in the tribe undergo this unique ritual.

The saliva symbolizes all the best wishes that the bride's parents want to bestow upon their daughter. The bride also feels happy and grateful to her parents for this special "blessing."

The Himba tribe - the groom's family comes to abduct the bride.

The women of the Himba tribe possess a uniquely captivating beauty, coupled with alluring figures as a God-given advantage, earning them the title of "the most beautiful women on the African continent." Perhaps it is this beauty that gave rise to the custom of "kidnapping" the bride on her wedding day.

Previously, girls were given a cowhide scarf by their mothers as a family heirloom passed down from mother to daughter through generations. When a bride was "kidnapped" by the groom and his family to become his wife, she had to use that cowhide scarf to cover her face, to prevent another groom from stealing her away.

Ethiopian tribe - women wear circular discs on their lips.

The circular lip disc worn by the Mursi tribe is called dhebi a tugion. Archaeologists say the custom of wearing lip discs in this region has existed for 30,000 years. According to archaeologist Jerrome Lewis from London, this is a modified part of the body that the people consider the most beautiful. The middle of the lip is cut open to insert a small round piece of wood, which is then replaced with a larger piece of wood. When this hole is large enough, a decorated ceramic disc is inserted and left in place for many years. The diameter of a disc can reach 19.5 cm.

Girls, starting between the ages of 15 and 18, have their two lower front teeth pulled out to lengthen their lips, and older women help them pierce holes through their lips. The Ethiopian government recently banned lip plates, but many still adhere to the practice. For these women, the lip plate holds significant meaning; it attracts the opposite sex and is useful for receiving dowry. The larger the plate, the more highly valued the girl is and the more livestock she receives as a dowry upon marriage.

The Bodi tribe drinks milk mixed with cow's blood to fatten themselves.

For the Bodi tribe in the remote Horn of Africa, the fatter a person is, the more respected they are, and they believe that drinking cow's milk mixed with blood is the fastest way to "fatten up."

Six months before choosing a new leader, the men of the tribe embark on a gruesome "fattening" competition to claim the throne, employing a series of horrific methods. The lucky one will be revered and respected as a hero. Each family selects one unmarried young man to compete. Candidates must remain secluded in their homes and refrain from sexual relations during the trial period. The main food for "fattening" is a mixture of cow's blood and milk. The cow is not killed but only lightly incised in a small blood vessel and then bandaged. The young men must drink this mixture quickly and repeatedly throughout the day before the cow's blood clots. This mixture also causes many young men to give up and vomit.

Wodaabe tribe - nomadic festival

At the end of the monsoon season in the Lake Chad region, north of the Republic of Niger, the Wodaabe people gather for a “nomad festival” called Cure Salee. The centerpiece of the festival is a beauty contest for men and a “courtship ritual”.

In the beauty contest held annually in September, the contestants are always male and the judges are female. Participants spend approximately six hours preparing, dressing up like dancers. They apply red clay to their faces, use black eyeliner to accentuate their whites, wear their best outfits, and then await the judgment of the women attending the ceremony. White teeth and eyes are highly valued, so every participant tries to smile broadly and express their emotions to the fullest. The reward for the best flirt is a night with one of the judges.

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