I grew up believing that Utopia and Ethiopia is the same place. Had a rough childhood and I like the idea of living in Utopia where the community/ people were heavenly pleasant, even a little-lost child can roam freely without worries. In reality, Utopia and Ethiopia is a completely different opposite in every each way. I discovered that Ethiopia is an African country next to Somalia and famously portrayed as a poor, underdeveloped country and prone to experience famine, just like the rest of its neighboring African country. This country or any other African country has never been listed on my bucket list – of places that I need to visit before I die.

Out of curiosity (and my urge to try something different) I decided to join Photosafari Malaysia when they organised a trip to Ethiopia for the first time. Yup, it was an out of the world kind of experience and I ended up exploring Ethiopia twice (first trip covering Southern part and second trip covering Northern part). Ethiopia is geographically adventurous and Ethiopian are amazingly colourful people. A real eye-opener for the ignorant me and I had experienced my ‘advance’ humanity lesson here. Honestly, I need to write a 200-page book to be able to express everything that I had learned there. But, since my blog is about colour and jewellery then let us just stick to that 🙂

I was at Omo River Valley of Southwestern Ethiopia last year visiting a few ethnic people of Ethiopia like Karo, Hamar, Benna, Mursi and Dassecnech. The people of Hamar struck most of my attention probably because of the way they carried out themselves. They seemed to have the air and pride of a warrior. The same feelings that I felt while I was lingering around people of Afar from Danakil Depression, Northern Ethiopia. While hanging around with them at the market and their village, I noticed that male and female of Hamar people are very fashionable and colourful people. The choices of color on their jewelry were strikingly matched their skin colour. Their jewelry and accessories were either made of African seed beads or metal (like brass, copper and silver).

Lucky me, I had the opportunity to attend the famous Hamar Bull Jumping ceremony and a wedding celebration back in their village. Bull jumping or bull leaping ceremony is where a Hamar man has to successfully leap over a line of cattle in order for him to get married. It is an initiation right of passage to qualify him to get married, own cattle and have children. And, I managed to witness and captured a collection of photos of them with their full jewelry on display during both of the ceremonies. Images taken during my visit to the market, the Bull Jumping ceremony and during the wedding celebration are compiled into a gallery below. Detail description for each photo is included, click on each photo for full view and full description of the image.

There are great stories behind the Hamar’s unique fashion statement, you can visit Lars Krutak: Tattoo Anthropologist’s blog for details facts and stories. For a full view of these images in higher resolution, please visit my Zenfolio gallery: Colourful people of Ethiopia: The Hamar Tribe

The Hamar men is busy doing face painting for the Bull jumping ceremony

Doing face painting

Well prepared to start the ceremony. Jewelry and accessories were fully displayed during the ceremony

Waiting for the ceremony to start

A unique hair style called mud cap or clay bun to symbolized the Hamar man braveness either through killing a man or a dangerous animal

Close up look of a multi colored seed bead bracelets combined with metal bracelets

Noticed the color of the beads? It represents Ethiopian national flag

Most of the Hamar men wear abundant of their jewelry and accessories at the same time.

The man with shirt on is the groom of the day. Love the playful brotherly jokes shared among them, it reflects their humanity side

Friends and family gather around to celebrate the success of the Bull Jumping ceremony

While hanging around the market, I noticed that Hamar men love to look good even when they are at the market.

Looking cool and full of confident. I like the fact that the Hamar men took an effort to always look good and masculine

Hanging out with friends at the market

Before the Bull jumping ceremony started, women from the groom’s side need to endure a series of whipping on their flesh to prove their love towards their men. Honestly, it was not a very pleasant scene to witness. I was uncomfortable by the whipping sounds and seeing blood oozing out from a dangling flesh was not something that I want to share here. But you always can google for further information about the ceremony. The Hamer women are as fashionable as their men. If men can show off their brave accomplishment through their body scars and mud cap, women of Hamar have the same way to display their braveness and status to the public.

Other than body scarification, their fashion statement generally is based on their marital status (depending on whether they are married, engaged or single). Married women wear their hair with that muddy hairstyle called goscha, some kind of fat and special mud (ochre imported from African neighboring country like Kenya) blended together to create a wet-looking hair that they believed can attract their men. Married and engaged women of Hamer need to wear 2 neck rings around their neck, and an additional heavy neck ring called esente for the first wife of a Hamar man. Like their men, the jewelry and accessories for Hamar women are mostly made of  African seed beads and metals (either brass, copper or silver) too. Below are some images of the Hamar women with their jewelry. For a full view of these images in higher resolution, please visit my Zenfolio gallery: Colorful people of Ethiopia: The Hamar Tribe

Her jewelry indirectly explained her status in the community. She is a married women and the first wife of her husband

Her marital status is publicly displayed through her neck rings

A young lady of the family

During the Bull jumping ceremony, the ladies of Hamar people will dance and sing while going through the whipping process. The skirts are made of animal skins and decorated with striking color seed beads

Metal bells created loud sounds while they were dancing and singing together

Typical Hamer ladies at the market

Young girls having fun with their unique fashion statement

Gusty ladies on their way to the market

On their way back from the market

Interesting figures on sale around the market

I bought myself a bracelet during my second trip there, a simple metal bracelet just to remind myself that I survived the Danakil Depression (the hottest place on earth). We were at the Dalol of  Danakil Depression campsite when I saw Muhammad, a local Afar boy, wearing a bracelet that I kind of like and I ended up buying it from him for 300 bir.

Well, I know it was kind of expensive but I was desperately in need to reward myself for being able to endure the agony that I had to experience during my visit. A sweat agony indeed … love every moment I spent here in Ethiopia … alhamdullilah.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers

MM

ps: If you are interested to visit Ethiopia, I recommend you to contact my Ethiopian friend aka my local guide, Daniel Million and seek his advice to plan your trip. Please check him out at Traverse Ethiopia Tours