Colorful continent: 20 photos of African tribes

The life of some African tribes may seem strange and bizarre even for the inhabitants of this continent themselves. In total, there are about 1,000 tribes and 50 nations in Africa that speak different languages and profess different religions. Out of a billion people on the continent, about 5 million belong to various tribes. Photos about what representatives of wild tribes are like and how they live, see in this collection ...

19 PHOTOS

1. Masai

The most famous wild people of Africa, live in Kenya and Tanzania. Their population is approximately 100 thousand people. Often representatives of this tribe can be found at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro because this place has a special meaning in their mythology. The Masai have a reputation for being warriors, but they are predominantly herders. These people have preserved their traditions almost in their original form and to this day they practice circumcision of both men and women.

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3. Mursi

Representatives of this tribe consider themselves to be the spirits of darkness sent to earth by the god of death Yamda. So they justify the terrible traditions passed down in their families from generation to generation. The main feature of women from the Mursi tribe is a strongly stretched lower lip with a “plate” inserted into it, the diameter of which can reach up to 30 cm. Deceased women who deserve special respect during their lifetime are hung on trees, after cutting off their hands. Other dead people serve as food or raw materials for jewelry and magical potions.

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5. Hamar

A tribe living in the fertile valley of the Omo River. A distinctive feature of its representatives is friendliness and love for beautiful and bright clothes and jewelry. Most of all, Europeans are shocked by the marriage ritual, during which men beat the backs of girls and women with rods. According to Hamar, the more scars and scars remain on their bodies, the more attractive and status the future wife will become in the eyes of her fellow tribesmen.

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7. Bushmen

In every family of this tribe, there is always an herbalist-healer or a person who can communicate with spirits, cause rains and cure illnesses and ailments. Women of this tribe can often be seen with bald heads and a tuft of hair left in the middle of the crown. And they often use animal bladders as headgear, attaching them to their hair.

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9. Samburu

One of the most important components of the life of this tribe is childbearing. If a woman turns out to be barren, she will most likely be subject to persecution and ridicule from her fellow tribesmen. In addition to childbearing, representatives of the Samburu worship the spirits of their ancestors and also engage in divination and the occult. It is believed that conspiracies and sacrifices can increase the birth rate and protect people from diseases.

10. Samburu

One of the most important components of the life of this tribe is childbearing. If a woman turns out to be barren, she will most likely be subject to persecution and ridicule from her fellow tribesmen. In addition to childbearing, representatives of the Samburu worship the spirits of their ancestors and also engage in divination and the occult. It is believed that conspiracies and sacrifices can increase the birth rate and protect people from diseases.

11. Zulu

The number of representatives of this tribe reaches 10 million people and they are quite a large part of the entire tribal community. These people believe in a creator god, and all the negative phenomena of life - illness, death, and other misfortunes - are attributed to evil spirits and sorcerers. The Zulu tribe is one of the cleanest in Africa, so they have constant ablutions and house cleaning in their customs.

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13. Bantu

Bantu are quite friendly and bright people of Africa with a very memorable appearance and jet-black skin. The women of this tribe are in solidarity with the Mursi tribe and also increase their lower lip by inserting huge disks into it. The life of the wild Bantu tribes is mainly connected with agriculture and farming. They live in houses made of branches and coated with clay on top.

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15. Noob

An absolutely original tribe that managed to maintain its originality to the maximum. Representatives of the Nubu speak exclusively their own language and do not come into contact with the outside world at all. Women of this tribe have incredible beauty and worthy external data: long legs and slender figures. Perhaps that is why they received the right to independently choose a groom for themselves and appoint him to their husbands even without his consent.

During the marriage ritual, the grooms sit with their backs to the brides performing the dance. After the performance, the girl approaches the guy she likes and puts her foot on his shoulder. She made her choice, and the opinion of the groom is not taken into account.

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17. Himba

The Himba people live in clay huts, similar to yurts, in which there is only one sleeping place. In places where this tribe lives, there is a shortage of water, so in order not to waste excess moisture, the Himba practically does not wash. To absorb unpleasant odors, they apply a special composition of a reddish color to the body, which gives the body a characteristic aroma.

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19. Spit

The habitat of the tribe is the Cape Province. The Xhosa tribe is often called the "red people" because they are always dressed in red, and the type of headdress on the heads of women can determine their marital status. Young Xhosa men are obligated to be circumcised before marriage. After the ceremony, they cover the body with white clay to please the spirits and go to the mountains for 2 weeks.