The Tsemai people (also spelled Tsemay, Tsamay, Tsamai, Tsamako, or Tsamakko) are an ethnic group of southwestern Ethiopia. They speak a Cushitic language called Tsamai, which is one of the Dullay languages, and thus related to the Bussa and Gawwada languages.
According to the 1998 Ethiopian census, the Tsamai number 9,702. The number of speakers of the Tsamai language is 8,621, with 5,298 monolinguals. Many Tsamai use the Konso language for trade purposes.
Most Tsamai live in the Bena Tsemay woreda of the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, in the Lower Omo River Valley and just to the west of the Konso special woreda. Many Tsamai live in the town of Weyto, which is approximately 50 km from the town of Jinka, on the Konso-Jinka road.
Most Tsamai are agro-pastoralists, herding cattle as well as growing crops. Many Tsamai women wear clothing made from leather. Many Tsamai men carry small stools around with them, which they use in case they need to sit down.
They have a very low level of literacy: below 1% in their first language and 2.8% in their second language.
Neighbors include the Konso to the East, the Bana - Bashada group to the West, the Male to the North, and the Arbore to the South. They speak an East Cushitic language called Tsamai, which is one of the Dullay languages, and thus related to the Bussa and Gawwada languages.
The meaning of the name “Tsamai” is not clear, but some tribe members believe it means “the most active brother.”
The tribe is characterized and identified by its colors – blue, black, white and red. The colors are mostly expressed by jewelry. These colors are used to identify the tribe, decided upon by elders of the tribe.
The nearest town to the tribe’s area is Key Afer. Tribal families live in villages scattered throughout central areas, such as “Shalla” (meaning: attic), “Gone,” “Ollo,” “Dulayko.” The tribe classifies areas by name. For example, in the Shalla area there is Guyayo land, and in the Dulayko area there is Guralla land (farm lands).
The villages are spread over large areas. Walking from place to place within one village can take a few hours. There are over 100 villages. Larger families do not always stay in the same village, but are divided between multiple villages.
A tribe of people, now called Tsamai, split off from the Ale tribe, traveled many miles, and decided to cross the Weyto River. The tribe spread over a large area and split into 7 additional groups, each occupying its own land area. The name of each group is on the first name of the oldest man in it at that point in time. The most respected and largest family is called Aezmatako, after the oldest man of all the seven at the time. Members of this group are also the oldest hunters. Beyond that are also: Barito, Helako, Amadoo.
Besides Tsamai, another group came out of Ale, named Brayle. In Brayle, they first crossed the river, before a group of Tsamai people, about 1000 years ago, according to some tribal members. Brayle is here as an enclave within the Tsamai tribe. There is peace between Brayle and the Tsamai.
The Tsamai live in thatched huts. There are modest houses and large houses. Some are surrounded by branches and gates, some on agricultural land. Most of the houses have an outdoor courtyard used for various housework errands such as separating moringa leaves from branches and agricultural activities such as collecting and concentrating corn or sorghum. These courtyards may also be used for rest and leisure.
How to build a house
After the man collects wood for the house and straw for the roof, a process that takes about a year to accomplish, the woman brews a lot of beer and many people gather to help build the house and drink beer. When the house is in a mountain valley, a flat surface should be created. The women and men help together with building the house and establishing the agricultural lands. Usually it takes three days to finish the job. Around most of the houses there is a wooden fence, and between the house and the fence there is open land.
Other tribes like Bana and Ale cooperate like this as well as a primary social force. This unifying force of the people is called “Hailo.”
1. Round – The walls are made of twelve strong and thick logs, about 10-15 cm diameter and length of one and a half meters. These thicker logs act as structure, but among them are thinner logs as well. At a height of about a meter and a half begins an attic, resembling a ceiling, made of flat wood. The triangular roof is made of special leaves.
When entering the house on the left can be found a slightly elevated sleeping surface (about 15-30 cm) with skins for comfort. On the right, there is a fire area – 3 stones on which a pot is placed. The floors are low, less than 160cm tall, and a shelf which acts as an attic above. Some items found in a Tsamai house include magic accessories, soaps, and chlorine for water purification. There are animal skins used for sleeping or sitting. Behind the wooden wall is a storage area for grains. They also hang calabash fruit, which is used for bowls.
In the attic, they store food products such as meat from yesterday, cereals, etc.
In front of the fire will be a wide inverted squash, or a tree on which the women sit on while cooking.
Women and children always sleep inside. Men can, too, but sometimes will prefer to sleep outside to keep watch. When there are guests for the evening, the men usually sleep outside.
2. Rectangular – Because the small trees that make up the walls are not found in the Dulayko area, the locals build houses with strong trees in a rectangular shape. The roofs of these houses are flat and built of trees, many special leaves, and soil. The locals tend to sleep on the roof because the air there is fresh and cool (it is very hot in this valley) and to avoid mosquitoes.
The children sometimes sleep inside the house, on a bed made of wooden planks at ground level or half a meter above the ground. Sleeping will always be on skins.
The empty land outside the house is used for sitting, resting, doing household chores such as separating the corn kernels from the cobs, burning another fire, cutting a pumpkin, and so on.
In front of the fire, where there is a cooking pot stabilized on 3 stones, a wide inverted calabash will be placed, or a tree on which the women will sit and cook. In the fire area, cloths will be placed for pouring food and drink.
Furniture and utensils
Pot lids are waved on the fire to oxygenate and increase the flame while cooking.
In general, there is a device with holes and a stick that is quickly rubbed to create a fire.
Low stools with 3 legs are commonly found as seating devices.
Stumps are used for sitting closer to the fire.
Hangers for calabash are constructed of a wooden pillar with three branches.
Men
The men’s full names are a combination of their first name and their father’s name. For example, the name Shello Haylo is made up of his first name (Shello) and his father’s name (Haylo). However, in in practice they will be reffered to by their first name and not by their full name.
Men are considered to be more well respected, while the women are seen more akin to children. This is also expressed, for example, in the customs of sleeping. Men will sleep outside, women and children will sleep inside. When eating, men will consume food first, and women and children will get the leftovers in traditional families. The men will usually drink more alcohol than the women. If there are guests, the men will also go to bed much later than the women. The men will help with certain household chores, when there are “manly” chores, such as slaughtering animals.
In addition, I noticed men to be given seniority and superiority when speaking and physically. Verbal superiority exists, for example, when the man silences a woman, and even insults her. A man can also demand that a woman drinks or eats. Some men tend to beat their wives to varying degrees if they do not perform their duties properly as wives or mothers. Likewise, if the woman behaves in a way that is not culturally expected, such as forgetting to serve tobacco to a guest, they may receive a slap on the cheek, a blow on the back, or some relatively weak punches.
Women
Everyday crafts
The women spend most of the day preparing food, raising the children, and taking care of the needs of the family / guests. For example, they crush corn (or maybe sorghum) into a fine flour powder, while humming a song that matches the rhythm of the grinding. The grinding is done by stabilizing a large stone plate on a small stone on a slope and supporting the corn kernels with a thick stone the width of the plate (see the description in the “Food” chapter). In addition, they bake bread, sweating from the heat of the fire, sometimes while their husbands hurry them along. In the morning they wake up, alone, at first light, relight the fire, make coffee for their husbands, and keep pouring more and more untill his thirst is quenched. In other cases their husbands will wake them up in order to make coffee for them. Most of the time, the woman is by the side of the fire, either to be preparing food, pouring drinks from or filling the calabashes after the men have finished drinking from them. The women will pour first to the owner of the house, then to the guests, and finally to the rest. If the man lives alone, sometimes he will call other women to do women’s jobs and will not do those jobs himself.
The women are constantly busy and seemingly always had more tasks to accomplish. Most of the time, the women are doing their regular everyday jobs as well as less common jobs, such as helping the men move the chairs and the calabash into the shade, mending strings, preparing strings, unraveling threads from burlap sacks, weaving them into ropes to hold the oxen, and more…
In some families the women tend not to talk often when there are men or guests in the area. They usually do not interfere in the men’s conversation, staying silent, and their faces are serious and they seem to be focused on their work. They exchange single and short words only if it is about their work. When women are alone, they often laugh, chat, and smile. They cook, bake, and grind with a smiles and laughter, they talk about things beyond household chores, and enjoy themselves. Young mothers and their teenage daughters cook together over the fire, talk, giggle (for example, when their “pita” burns), fix each other’s hair and sing.
The traditional costume of the Tsemay women involves a leather outfit. While married women's leather apron is wide and can cover both sides of the legs, that of the unmarried is a short skirt with a long v-shaped leather apron which is only enough to cover the backs of the legs
Although the major marriage payment comes in the form of livestock, other items such as honey, grain, clothes, coffee beans, bullets and 'arake' are also accepted. In order to get the hands of a girl, a Tsemay man must prepare all or most of the above items in abundance. Nevertheless, collecting this bride wealth is so hard for the suitor that he is usually helped by his closest kinsmen.
In this respect, the contribution of his father and his uncle(s) is immense. In the final analysis, it is her parents, not the bride, who are the real beneficiaries of this bride wealth. The justification given for this is that it is a return for all possible investments made in her upbringing. In addition, the bride wealth compensates for the loss of her labor and potential for reproduction.
The Tsamai women wear characteristic jewelry, such as yellow anklets, thick necklaces in yellow with black, red, white and light blue colors. They also wear bracelets above their wrists with the colors of the tribe: black, white, red, and light blue. Some of them wear yellow metal bracelets, and, more rarely, silver metal. In ceremonies, large golden anklets will be worn and during dances will rustle above the knee. According to some, the beads are made of glass and imported from Kenya.
Many women have green-black tattoos on their faces.
In many cases, before marriage their hair is cut, sometimes braided close to the head. After marriage, the women usually cut their hair in a style to the shoulders and with bangs, arranged in thin dreadlocks. Their hair is usually worn with reddish clay and butter. Sometimes I noticed women whose hair was covered with black clay. I believe this is because the red color fades after a month and changes to black. There are few married women who braid their hair. Some believe that these are instances of moving away from tradition that occur when the husband is not strong enough and is not careful about it.
Most of the women wear regular t-shirts or tight tank tops, with almost no cleavage. They do not change their shirt often since clothes are considered an expensive commodity and will be given as gifts of high value. On a daily basis they will wear skirts made of synthetic fabric, past their knees. Under these skirts they will wear a t-shirt skirt with which they sleep. When sitting, they take the front part and pass it between their legs. That way, they can sit without revealing their bodies. In many cases, they will go to bed with only a skirt, and in the morning they will not always rush to put on their shirts.
When serving food, the women will wear an animal skin (goat is considered the best quality) in the shape of a triangle with a rounded opening for the head. They also pass one of their arms through this opening, usually the left arm because that way the skin does not interfere with their work. The skin is often decorated with plastic or iron beads, and sometimes even shells such as Cypraea shells. They will also wear this clothing during ceremonies. However, it should be noted that not all families adhere to these rules. Although it is a tradition, it seems that it is beginning to fade in certain families, possibly the younger ones.
Especially during ceremonies, the women wear leather skirts (usually goat), with the front and back elongated and the sides almost up to the waist. It looks like two triangles, one triangle in front and another triangle in the back. The back portion is dragged on the floor, and the women attach a small branch to it that trails behind them in order to keep the skin from getting stuck in things, destroyed, torn or worn.
The leather clothes are made from the skins of animals that mostly are slaughtered in the home. They dry the inside of the skin out and apply butter from time to time to soften it. Since it is more difficult to repair clothes made from leather, they switched to cotton clothes, which are easier to repair.
The men wear thick chains and bracelets on their hands and feet in the colors of the tribe – black, red, white, and blue. Sometimes they even wear golden metal bracelets on their hands. Rarely, they will use silver metal. During the dance ceremonies, they will wear bracelets that rustle on their feet, usually above the knee. Sometimes they wear a thick beaded necklace in the tribe’s colors on their heads with short beads and plastic on the ends for tying. These hooks can also be found on the ends of some of the bracelets.
In addition, some men do not leave their house without a machete and sometimes a tiny wooden chair.
On a daily basis, they will wear “normal” T-shirts and shorts. Like the women, in the ceremonies the men also wear traditional clothing – pieces of cloth to cover the loin area, and sometimes even on a daily basis they will wear that piece of cloth around their waist, over their pants.
Similar to other Omo valley people, the Tsemay are polygamous society, which follows the paternal line. They have regulations, which prohibit marriages between very closely related individuals. Traditionally inter marriage with the Benna is allowed. However, the union is always one directional. Thus, if there is any conjugal union between Tsemay and Banna people, it is always the case that a Tsemay woman marrying a Benna man, never the other way around.
Unlike most other people in rural Ethiopia, does not have a laid down custom, which emphasizes on the availability of girls virginity until their official day of marriage. In other words, a Tsemay girl, if she wishes to, can have a sexual partner with whom she can engage in premarital relations. However, Tsemay culture strictly prohibits the girls from bearing a child out of this relation.
Thus, in the Tsemay culture, the freedom to have a pre-marital sexual partner, does not necessarily guarantee the freedom to bear child, which in turn necessitates marriage.
Some find relationships on their own, others find relationships during the “goreh” ceremony which happens sometimes in conjunction with the “kibrico” ceremony. Some get married as part of a matchmaking that usually involves a financial benefit to the families involved. Women rarely choose their own husbands themselves. In many cases the woman will be married even against her will. This may also happen to men but there is a higher probability that their families will listen to their wishes.
In most cases, the marriage will take place with the consent of both families. Rarely, the couple will desire to marry but the families will refuse, so the man may kidnap the woman for a long time until the elders arrive and arrange the marriage for them.
Among the members of the Tsamai tribe it is not possible to marry into the same family group. That is, a member of the Azmataku family would not be able to marry a woman from the same family. When a couple is married, their children would not be able to marry into the same families, but their grandchildren may be able to.
During the wedding feast, the bride and the bridegroom shave and put butter on their heads. From this day on, the new couple is freed from any sort of obligation or work for the next six to twelve months. Except their honeymoon time, Tsemay couples do not eat together at home from the same plate for the whole of their life.
Before marriage, the women will keep a cropped haircut. During the wedding the woman shaves her hair and smears her head with clay. The women of the families weave bracelets and dress the bride. At a wedding everyone eats, drinks, and has fun for 3 days.
After the marriage, the woman is called the “new bride.” She will weave her growing hair into thin dreadlocks covered with clay and butter, and her hairstyle will look like a helmet. From then on, the man will not drink alcohol or eat from the same plate with another married woman.
The man will pay a dowry to his wife’s family. The amount of the dowry he will give will be decided together by the two united families. The groom’s family can also give the dowry in the future, and not immediately after the wedding, but if they delay the payment too much then the woman’s family may in response threaten to put the groom in prison.
There are monogamous couples and there are polygamous couples. When in the case the husband has more than one wife (maximum 3 wives), usually each wife will live separately with her children and her husband will visit and take care of the welfare of his wives and children. The reason for restricting wives from each other lies in the difficulty of dividing the husband’s attention between his wives. Both among monogamous and polygamous couples, some couples will choose to live together and some will live separately when the husband comes to visit from time to time. In the case of polygamous families, the women can be as far as 6 hours walking from one to the other.
Women can have sex before marriage, such as after the kiberiko dance. If they do this, they will usually go to old women who will let them eat a special medicine from the leaves and roots of a special tree immediately after sex, so that they don’t get pregnant.
Among married couples, there are cases where they will have sex at night in their home on the bunk next to their children.
In general, for some people of the tribe, happiness and honor are embodied in the expansion of the family and the establishment of new families by their children, as well as in a good education and a good job.
Most women will have about 4-6 children. From the moment of the wedding, it is known that the woman will give birth to children without a break until she no longer can.
The elders will tie a rope around the newborn baby’s waist against the evil eye and for a blessing. Since they have experience, they will circumcise the boys at 7-10 years old. When I asked what the reason was, they answered “culture”.
The mothers mainly take care of the young children, especially during infancy. The other siblings take care of each other, carry each other, feed each other, comb each others hair, etc.
Spouses can divorce in the Tsamai tribe and this is not uncommon. Married couples who do not like each other can choose to divorce, and the divorce may take place at the woman’s initiative. For example, when a woman’s husband beats her and she does not wish to continue living with him (like the woman in the picture below). In this case, she may share this information with the elders of the tribe who may intervene and pressure her husband to divorce, especially if he insists on staying with her against her will. After the divorce, as far as I understand, only the divorced man can remarry another woman. On the other hand, the divorced woman can have sex with other men, and live with them, but apparently not marry again.
Lesbians and gays are taboo among the Tsammai. In such cases society rejects and punishes them because they consider them to be bad people.
There are rumors that in the past they even used to push them to their deaths, thrown from a high cliff with their hands tied behind their backs. Other rumors say that they also used to push children in this way whose first teeth that grew were the upper and not the lower, believing that this brought bad luck. This practice apparently ceased due to the new Chief who prohibited it. If this is true it is not known if the next Chief will approve it again.
If the woman becomes a widow, she will marry her brother-in-law and their common children will be named after the dead husband’s full name and not their biological father as is customary. For example, if the dead husband’s name is “Shailo”, the son of the brother-in-law and the widow will be named “Hilaa Shailo” and not In the name of their biological father. As far as I understand, in such a marriage the woman can have sex with whoever she wants and not just with her brother-in-law.
If an unmarried man dies before having children, at any age, even two months old, his family will match him with a wife, and his children will be named after him. In reality, the brother of the deceased or another male member of his family will be the actual one married and the ones who will bring the children with the betrothed woman.
Tsamai people are farmers and breeders of livestock, such as goats, sheep, cows, and oxen.
They have a variety of farm buildings, including chicken coops, raised from the ground for protection, and fenced-in areas for keeping and protecting herds of livestock.
Among the agricultural crops they grown sorghum, corn (maize), wheat, pumpkin, moringa trees, some bananas, cherry tomatoes, and pumpkins.
The Tsamai people do not sell their products to save money, because they have nowhere to store the money, like a bank. Therefore, when a tribe member needs money, they sell their products, such as goats, in the local market. They will sometimes buy foods that they do not grow, such as beets, in the market.
Women and children will eat from on plate and men from another plate. A married man will never eat on the same plate with a married woman, unless it is their own wife, but a married man will eat on the same plate as a single woman.
When eating meat, for example, the children will be given a little first, and the men and guests will eat the majority. Finally, after those are completely satisfied, the woman and children will eat some of the leftovers and the rest will be left for the next day.
Honey. The locals place “hives” in the tall trees. The “hives” are elliptical baskets open on both sides. At night, with the help of a burning torch, taken as a branch from the campfire, one of the men climb up to the “hive”, smokes the “hive” so that the bees do not sting, and take out the honeycombs into a calabash in his hand. Sometimes they eat the honeycomb as it is, even with the larvae inside, because they contain protein, according to the locals. Sometimes “honey tea” will be prepared.
Meat. The locals slaughter and eat goat, veal, sheep, mutton, cows, lamb, and oxen. They will not eat chicken meat because they claim that it must be cleaned excessively and that it is not to their taste. Sheep and goat will be slaughtered for guests, and cows only during ceremonies.
After the killing, and the removal of the blood (see the section under the heading “drinking”), the skin will be separated from the meat and dried so that it will be used in the future as seating, sleeping, or clothing pads. After the slaughter, the locals will also eat the internal parts such as liver, kidneys, brain, and stomach. The men will impale the animal’s legs and chest on sticks they have sharpened with their knives and place next to the fire. Sometimes they will eat the meat well cooked, and other times when slightly raw.
From the skin of the legs of goats and sheep, strips will be cut and tied as bracelets on the wrists of the guests and the men in the family. The bracelet they is a symbol of honor showing everyone that slaughter has been done for the wearer. Only one bracelet can be worn per household, so if one household slaughters 4 goats, only one bracelet will be worn.
Meat not consumed will be kept in the attic for another meal. For example, if they slaughtered and dined in the evening, the remains would be heated in the morning fire and eaten as breakfast.
Handling of the animals, from slaughtering to cooking, will mostly be done by men, possibly because they are seen as more respectable than women.
Chicken eggs. Chicken eggs will be cooked hard boiled, and served sometimes with something spicy.
Fruits and Vegetables. The locals eat cherry tomatoes fresh from the vine, as well as some bananas. The Tsamai harvest pumpkins, which are cut and cooked in boiling water. Sometimes they will eat it like this and sometimes they will mash the pumpkin into a puree and put it in the calabash. Their taste is sometimes sweet.
Grains (wheat, sorghum), corn, and bread. Corn – The tribesmen separate some of the outer leaves that wrap the cob and cook on the fire until ready. Sometimes they eat it this way, and sometimes the women separate the kernals from the cob and serve them in calabash.
Sorghum, corn or wheat grains: the women separate the grains from the stalks / cobs, dry, and grind them into a flour using a stone 15 cm wide and 40 cm long, standing on small stones sloping down from the woman’s body, and with the help of another stone 15 cm long but easy to handle – the women grind the flour. The grinding takes a long time. The women kneel and grind the grain with light jumps. Their knees are chafed and callused from the repeated action. The pads of their palms are also callused. If the flour is too coarse, they repeat the crushing process until it is fine enough
Moringa tree leaves. The women break moringa stalks from the trees, separate the moringa leaves from the stalks in a methodical and quick manner, much to my admiration, into a calabash, discard the diseased, damaged or bug ridden leaves, boil water and put the moringa leaves in. They place a plastic bottle full of butter next to the fire so that it melts . After the leaves soften, they add salt and butter. They serve the food after the water evaporates completely or they pour out the remaining water. Most of the time, the tribesmen will eat the moringa leaves with some kind of carbohydrate.
Butter. Butter is used for cooking (mainly for the moringa leaves), for blessings, for softening animal skin, and for applying to the hair to arrange the dreadlocks in combination with reddish clay.
The tribesmen drink using calabashes – a type of small hollowed out and dried gourd cut in half lengthwise so that a space is created for liquids.
Non alcoholic beverages are Water, Milk, Coffee and Honey Tea
Alcoholic beverages are also consumed:
According to the tribesmen, animal blood is seen as very healthy and gives strength. There are two main ways to collect blood:
Method A – The blood will be taken from a large cow while it is still alive without killing it, using the following method: a person will hold its head with the help by the horn, another person by the tail, a third person will tie a rope around the main artery in its neck, make a small cut with an arrow, collect its blood in a vessel, and when it is looking weak with glassy eyes, the man must close the incision with his fingers and release the rope. The cow is usually alive and released after the procedure. Thin or weak cows can not do this since they will die. This method gives the tribesmen the opportunity to consume blood more often than method B, since they continue to consume the same cow’s blood over and over again.
Method B – After slaughtering the animals, the members of the tribe will drink their blood. One person cuts the main artery in the neck and another person collects the spilled blood in a calabash. The man with the knife, alone or with the help of another person, will tilt the animal (probably so that more blood comes out and in a faster manner). They will mix the blood in the calabash quickly with a stick (probably so that it does not clot) and remove clots with the hand. Afterwards, the guest of honor or the family will have a drink. The lamb’s blood I consumed tasted like very salty iron.
Most of the time they will drink the blood while it is fresh, sometimes they will cook with it, and sometimes they will mix it with milk. They will always use it and try very carefully to not spill it on the ground.
Karko (the mother of witchdoctors): A plant with magical properties, it is a common ingredeint among witch doctors.
Gaye Tsamate: Tobacco (in the Tsamai language) is especially used to curse people.
Some believe that there are trees that are used as a cure for snake bites and scorpion stings.
Incense – the witch doctors burn incense in the morning. According to their belief, when a person is dying he can be saved by a spell accompanied by a bite of incense. See the expansion in the chapter “Spirituality, faith and sorcerers”.
Ara – This is the name of the treatment that treats babies sick with typhus. They will be treated by killing a goat, sheep, or rooster (depending on the typhus), removing the intestines, and immediately applying them to the baby’s face several times while they are still warm from the animal’s body. I watched parents do this to their children – the father smeared the intestines while the mother held her son and plugged his nose assertively. I also heard of another case that required the killing of 5 goats in order to save a baby from death. The treatment is called that because “ara” is a plant that is yellow inside – in a similar way the locals identify the typhoid disease with yellow feces.
Indigestion – the locals believe that indigestion is caused by problems with the patient’s bile, so he will consume bile from some animal. It tastes bitter and strong.
Overcoming a serious illness, or getting stronger for a tough war or hunting, will be done by drinking fresh blood of a live animal because, according to their belief, blood makes a person very strong. See the section “drinking blood” under the drinking chapter.
Some members of the tribe believe there is a strong and powerful force in the world, good and bad, and it is everywhere.
These people believe that their God created everything, including spiritual and physical things. They pray to Him and make promises to Him that if their wish is fulfilled, they will perform a certain action, which they then must perform upon the fulfillment of their prayer. Theese action can be, for example, donating money. If the worshiper does not perform the action that has been promised then they will lose more than what was received, and even possibly never have a peaceful life.
According to the belief among the Tsamai people with whom I spoke, in their opinion, there are no UFOs in the sky or aliens in space, but only the living who reside on planet Earth.
Supernatural Spirits
In addition to God, there are also supernatural spiritual beings who are helped by the witch doctors. The spirits may also act on their own, such as if a man stole a cow and sold it, the first man to taste the cow would die. The thief will receive his punishment, but this will also take time. There are no good and bad spiritual beings, but they can be both ways. Some elders recommend not to “play” with the spirits, because if a mistake is made, the punishment could be severe.
Death and Souls
According to the belief of the people of the tribe I spoke with, when you die you simply die. There is no afterlife. Some believe that every person has his own date of death, a predetermined date which cannot be changed.
Some believe that babies under the age of one years old are considered to be animals because their souls are not developed enough yet to be human. Therefore, when they die, they are buried like the other animals are.
There are also souls who can be seen and heard near small and weak fires.
In general, even ordinary people can perform magic, but witch doctors will achieve better results since they are closer to the spirits.
Witch doctors can be women or men. They heal using spells. They use the krako plant, which is seen as the “mother” (for more see “Medicinal plants”). Coffee beans, which they also use, are considered the “father.”
Witch doctors also use tobacco and sometimes sheep’s hair, which is believed to be more powerful for the purpose of escape from someone. Using the sheep’s hair will allow the user to evade their captor more easily, and, if caught, the captor will still let them go freely). Another use of the sheep’s hair is to insert it under one’s skin to ensure protection against gunshot wounds. If someone is shot by a gun, the bullet will pass through them and not become lodged within the body.
Witch doctors make a living by reading the future to their clients in a variety of fields, such as agriculture or revealing the client’s date of death. Sometimes, this is their main job and sometimes they combine it with another source of income such as farming. Some claim that there is a limit to reading the future, and that they can only predict a few years ahead.
Witch doctors are helped by spiritual beings in a variety of situations, such as counseling, witchcraft, and reading the future using “shoes” (see video). Shoes are pieces of skin, called in their language “Kumika”, which also help to exact revenge or have protection (such as from illness in the family), and must be used appropriately. Usually, the witch doctors will ask questions and the shoes will provide the answers.
Magic works through the soul, located inside the body. The magic is forced out of the body through the act of spitting. Therefore, the pagan healers spit on the pieces of the “shoes” when they want to read the future or answer questions. They spit on a knife when they want to make a rainbow disappear, to create more rain. For example, in the tobacco ceremony for the guests (see customs) the greeters spray guests with saliva. They make a small circle with their lips, and through the front teeth they expel a lot of air with small pieces of saliva.
All the spells, blessings, and curses presented here are in the language of the tribe, but only a person with power will be able to give them the desired effect.
Curses and Talismans
There are tribesmen who believe that a curse has strong power, especially if the intention is to take something that a person has. Against this kind of evil curse, the locals wear, among other things, “talismans” which are necklaces with special wooden beads. Pagan healers can grant powers to objects they have prepared. According to their belief, these enchanted items will remain powerful even if the objects are transferred to another person.
If someone wants to curse two people to have a fight or to dislike each other, then he can pay money to the witch doctor to do so.
In order to hurt and even kill a person, a witch doctor uses a half-meter long wooden pole with a circle at the end. This wooden pole will be used at home, but there is a smaller one slightly longer than a palm, which can be taken to different places. The spell includes drawing a circle on the ground using the round part of the stick, and knocking in the center while saying the name of the person to be hurt.
There is a special and powerful incense intended for performing “negative” actions such as harming bad people. The incense cannot be taken out of the house, and when you put it out, it must be spit on.
Blessings
The witch doctor has a variety of blessings. For example, the witch doctor can make two people become friends, or even fall in love. A blessing for good luck and a good future will be done with the help of the krako plant. The blessing will be passed over the guest’s head and then thrown in two opposite directions outside.
The strongest power for blessings is in the morning, even before going to the bathroom, with the blessing of the first cup of coffee. The reason is that the spiritual beings are more attentive at this time of the day.
A regular morning blessing: every morning, with the first cup of coffee, the witch doctor I watched blessed his family and his future. He passed the first sip in his mouth and spat left and right and forward. After that, in a special stone saucer the size of a palm, he collected coals from the fire and lit incense leaves.
Morning greeting to the guest: The witch doctor put a little butter, the amount of a bottle cap, in a small calabash. With the help of the caracco plant, the witch doctor dipped the flower in butter and applied it to the guest’s stomach, from the spine towards the navel around the belly. They would also apply butter to the guest’s head. The caracco plant will never be kept on the floor but on the trees that support the house, close to the ceiling. Finally, the guest would take three bites from the buttered flower.
A blessing for the return of a loved one who left: the witch doctor will cut a piece of soft, black, expensive, and special incense for the client. He will then spit on the incense, mumble some words, give it to the customer with two hands, and then orders them to go out through the outer gate (to completely leave the living area). The client must then bite the incense and return home. After that, the witch doctor instructed the client for about four mornings, before morning bathroom, to take a bite of the incense, call his lover’s name and tell her to come back.
The blessing of good fortune for a child will be performed by the mother or the father with the help of calabash, karko, and butter. The mother or father will touch butter with their fingers, spit on their fingers, and pass the fingers on the offspring’s body from the back to the front of the body about 3 to 4 times. They will also touch the offspring’s head like this as well. The ceremony is repeated about 4 times The one doing the blessing will bite one of the ends of one of the karko flowers, let the blessed one bite, and return the karko to a high place in the house.
A blessing for good fortune: First, the one making the blessing will make coffee from the shells. They will take the frist sip and then spit it towards the right, then the left, and then forward. The one making the blessing holds a young and small karko plant in their hand. They bless for luck, good things, joy, and peace. The blesser bites the karko, letting the blessed one bite. The one making the blessing passes the karko into the hands of the blessed one while spitting fragments of spit into their hands and pushing the karko into the body of the blessed one. The blessed person must keep the plant in his pocket until the plant will either dry out or be lost.
Palm reading
Some believe that it is possible to read with two palms. They hold hands, look to the sides, explain how the lines teach them about the subject’s life and tell insights. Some witch doctors agree to read women’s palms.
Fortune Telling
Some believe that there are a number of physical facts that predict the future among all human beings and not specifically the members of the tribe. For example, vibration of the lower part of the right eye predicts that something bad will happen to the person, vibration in both eyes predicts that the person will cry soon. Vibration in the left eye predicts that something a little bad will happen to the person but he will find a simple solution. Vibration in the upper part of one of the eyes predicts that soon the person will sweat due to a journey, while vibration in both eyes together predicts that it will rain on the person.
Likewise, itching in the left hand predicts that the person will win money or earn money, while itching in the right hand predicts that he will waste money. Itching in the foot predicts that he will soon receive or buy new shoes.
Impact on nature – a rainbow
Tribal people I spoke with believe that as long as there is a rainbow then there will be no rain. But, if you want rain, then then rainbow can be destroyed by respectable people, people with a big family tree like Azmataku, or witch doctors. Take a knife, spit on the sharp part, in front of the rainbow and cut it into small pieces with the knife. Place the knife with the blade in the direction of the rainbow with the sharp part facing the sky (stabilized with something) for about 15 minutes and then it will rain and the rainbow will disappear.
Other
There are members of the Tsamai tribe who believe that people from the north have the ability to make a person disappear, but this is an ability that only they are able to do because they are readers of the Bible. The Tsamai people do not read the bible. That way even if you are looking for a specific person and pass by them, they will remain unseen.
Snakes
Snakes are from the devil according to the belief of the witch doctors I met. Some claim that there are black mambas and giant anacondas nearby.
Meeting a snake
If a snake enters the house it must be killed. If we see a snake on a journey, this is a sign of good luck. But, if observed at home, the snake was sent by another person. The snake may or may not represent a warning to the owner of the house. The snake could also do damage to the owner of the house. Some believe that there are spells that keep snakes away.
If a snake stings a local and they are not sure what plant might cure it, they can bring a snake next to a goat and notice which plant it rushes to eat. According to them, goats are very smart and know which plant to eat if bitten.
Snake Eggs
Locals have a hard time finding snake eggs, but if they are found they have a lot of meaning. If a person wants to hurt others, he will break a snake’s egg around his house and something very bad will happen to the victim, maybe even as bad as death.
A similar thing can be done with crow’s eggs, but they are also very difficult to obtain. The crows, according to them, put their eggs in dangerous places. If the mother crow will see someone stealing her eggs, she will haunt them until the end of their days.
Offense and Defense
Another way to hurt a person is to kill a snake, tie it in a knot, and point the head towards the door of the person you want to hurt. There are witch doctors who will choose to behave like a snake in the grass, waiting for prey. The witch doctor will wait patiently and attack the person with the snake head when the moment is right.
If a person separates snakes while mating, they may go crazy, since this is a bad action and crosses a spiritual line.
There are witch doctors who claim to be able to summon snakes to their home and even make them perform guard the house to keep them safe.
Peace at Home
If a father and his son have a serious fight and it is not possible to make peace, then the father should ask the son to sleep in the father’s home, which will allow the father’s heart to heal. The father will go to sleep on the banks of the river with a calabash full of water by his side. During the night, many snakes will crawl on and test the father. In the morning he must drink all the water in the calabash, which is “poisoned” because of the snakes who slithered through it during the night.
Monsters and creatures
The Tsamai people I spoke with believe that there are monsters and various creatures: Honsitey – honsitey (in the Tsamai language) silaway (Amharic). Honsitey are nearly extinct and extremely difficult to find.
According to belief, the creature’s height is 5 meters and it has a long tail, one hand, one leg, one eye, one ear, one nipple, one nostril, an extremely large penis and only two teet. The teeth are large and flat, one on the top and one on the bottom. These creatures can eat one person with one bite. They live in mountainous forests, perched on the trees during the day to hunt and at night they sleep in caves. The reward for killing one is 100,000 Birr. There is a tribe who claims they not only saw, but also killed three of them with a rifle because they were dangerous to humans. They killed one father, one mother who was breastfeeding, and her daughter.
Some claim that a certain tribe killed a number of monsters and sent them for research, but the government made them disappear. They cannot make peace with the creatures because the creatures want to eat humans. Humans are afraid of them.
There are witch who claim that they can control them after studying for about 50 years from their holy book, which contains the necessary spell.
Little People – Gidewako
Some claim to have seen Gidewako, and they have reported the Gidewako use small chairs, feed on honey, and sleep in the trees like bats. According to belief, they have their own unique language and are sometimes even described as apes.
White turtle
Some claim that there are completely white and elongated turtles. They are shy and even cute. They go into their shells when you try to touch them. There are some who claim that scientists believe these turtles are a kind of dinosaur.
Morning Routines and Customs
Every morning, the members of the tribe will wash their faces with soap and water from a kalabash. Sometimes they will help each other, so that one pours the water on the other’s hand and washes it away.
Morning ritual of the witch doctor – early in the morning, after washing his face with soap and water, and the coffee is brewed but not yet drank, the witch doctor places coals from the fire on to a special elongated stone saucer, the size of a palm. He puts incense on the coals. He sits on a raised stool and places the coffee calabash on a stand (a wooden pole with 3 legs) to his left next to the saucer. He takes a sip of coffee and spits it out in 3 different directions.
Greetings
The members of the tribe greet each other by shaking hands and touching the opposite shoulder about 4 times. Some throw tobacco leaves while muttering words, with the aim of cleansing sins and leaving the sins behind.
Hospitality
Among Tsamai tribes, the following customs of hospitality are expressed in a number of ways:
Welcoming ceremony – scattering tobacco over the guests in order to cleanse their sins before entering the house. Some believe that without this ceremony, the intruder who will cross their doorstep will die.
Food and drink – as soon as guests arrive from afar, the hostesses will make coffee, and also serve food or start cooking. The master of the house will talk to the guests sitting on the bunk bed / stools, and will also pour a glass of arake that will pass between them. If there is any available, a calabash with local beer will also pass between everyone. Sometimes they will talk, sometimes they will laugh, and sometimes they will be silent.
For special, distinguished guests or those who have come from afar, they will bring honey, milk, slaughter a goat or lamb, and give them the honor of being the first to drink the blood. In the case of slaughtering a goat or lamb, the guests, together with the men, will eat most of the meat, while the mother and her children eat what is left. Strips will be cut from the skin of the animal’s legs, and tied as bracelets on the wrists of the guests and the men in the family. The bracelet is a symbol of honor showing everyone that slaughter has been done for the wearer.
Butter – Sometimes the hosts will greet the guests who come from afar with a blessing accompanied by butter. The butter will be in the calabash. The men take a little buter with their fingers, apply it to the hair of the guests from the top of the head forward with 2 hands about 4 times. After that, the guest will lift his/her shirt and the host will apply from the spine to the navel, adding butter with his fingers between applications.
The women will bless by applying butter in the hollow of the neck. Guests will apply butter on the traditional leather garment to soften it. They will bless both men and women by applying butter to their hair as well.
They choose to use butter because it is considered an expensive product.
Tobacco – gaye (Tsamai language)
A special guest who comes from afar will give all the members of the adult host family tobacco. If there is a woman among the guests, she is the one who will give the tobacco. She will sit next to each and every one of her hosts and offer the tobacco vial with 2 hands. The host will take the vial from her with 2 hands, snort it, and hand it back to her with 2 hands while spitting from his mouth through his teeth. The woman will say thank you in their language (vakodaha) or amen. According to their belief, they spit because the soul is found in saliva.
They choose to use tobacco because they believe it protects and aids communication with supernatural spirituality. Sometimes they will chew it.
Brotherhood
There is a bond of brotherhood between the members of the tribe, even those who live relatively far from each other. For example, when members of different tribes are on a walking journey, at the point closest to the bus route, they will usually wait for each other and walk together, rest together and even laugh. It doesn’t matter if it is adolescents, parents, girls, men, adults or the elderly.
Gifts
Usually if a tribe member requests a gift, it will be acquired for them. If the request is answered with refusal, it is possible that this will be taken as a sign of shame. Some believe that when you give a gift, you are actually giving a part of your heart, and therefore you should keep the gift until it breaks so that way the heart stays with the recipient. If any jewelry was given, in my understanding, the recipient must wear it at all times. Sometimes when receiving a gift, the recipient will give something back to the giver, such as a loincloth in exchange for a bracelet.
Lodging
Accommodation at home takes place on skins arranged by the mother of the house. She places the children next to each other and sleeps on her side facing them. Some believe that the reason for this is so the mother will wake up when needed by her children. When a woman puts her toddler to sleep, she will hold the baby to her chest, sometimes hum a lullaby, slowly lie on her side and lower the baby to the bunk with her nipple still in his mouth. When there are guests or in large families, women sleep indoors with young children while men oftentimes sleep outside. This is especially true when there are guests. That way, the men can also watch over the house and guard.
Methods of punishment
Punishment will usually be carried out by the offending party giving a goat / cow / sheep as a gift to the person wronged.
Some members of the tribe claim that there is another, more rare method, to be used for more serious cases. Men will tie the hands of the offending party, sit them in the sun for a whole day, and then beat them with a stick. The goal is for the offending party to survive but to feel like they are dying. Finally the offending party will pay for the crime they committed by gifting a goat or a cow to the person or party wronged.
In the old days, they may have used a thin cactus, common to the area. They would drip its milk into the eyes and mouth of the punished. When I tasted it, it tasted horribly bitter and spicy and it is very difficult to get the taste out of your mouth.
Since there is no hatred between family members, according to the prevailing belief, this is a family ceremony. If there is any animosity, then there must be forgiveness. In the case of forgiveness for the offspring, the ceremony can be performed by any of the parents, but some believe that it is better to be performed by the father since he is in charge. If both parents are present, the father will perform the ceremony in the presence of the mother.
The ceremony will be performed in case the offspring has been away from the family for a long time and has not helped the family, such as after about ten years, which may well provoke the anger of his parents.
If a person does not forgive, then the person will be cursed and their life will not be good. They will not succeed in anything.
A type of grass called Gonsole, or cracko is used.
This ceremony is performed exactly as stated 4 times. After, they dip the cracko in water and spray the water on the blessed several times. Sometimes, they dip the crack in to water and put the plant on the lips several times. This is an action that symbolizes sorrow and it is a promise that the ceremony will be remembered. This process is also repeated about 4 times.
If a man (the father) performs the ceremony he will dip the cracko in water from a calabash. The water will have been brought by him that morning from the river. If there is no water, then he will use butter. He will spit on the plant, transfer the wet cracko to the other’s stomach and run it up, from the belly-button to chest. If a woman (the mother) performs the ritual, she will transfer the cracko from the chest down to the belly-button. Some believe that the difference is due to the perception that women keep their feelings inside. They are not in a hurry to discipline, even if her children have done something wrong. Men, on the other hand, move the cracko from the bottom up because they get angry and punish faster.
Finally, the man passes the cracko to the offended man while the calabash is on the ground. After the other person repeats the whole process himself, the owner of the house pours the dirty water with the plant remains in the doorway, an action that symbolizes peace has come to the door of their home, and that peace will come to family and life.
A ceremony to represent the growth of a boy into a man, young boys must survive in the wild and hunt. This ceremony takes when boys are 16 years old. They must kill a monkey, skin it, and wear it in a collective ceremony done every 8 – 15 years. This ceremony is very expensive which is why it happens so infrequently. For 7 children, for example, 2 goats and 2 bulls should be brought, and slaughtered. The ceremony includes all family members.
Every 15 years there will be a wedding ceremony for those who want to get married from a village called Gore. During the ceremony there is a Kibriko that allows young people to get to know each other. See Kibriko section below.
Mourning
While consoling mourners, I noticed men and women crying. They give a sum of money to the mourning family (about 50-100 birr), araka or local beer. Men who have with rifles are invited to shoot, and in the case of a young deceased there is more shooting (they shoot like crazy, like in war). Mourners may express their sadness with poetry sometimes. In the case that the deceased is old at the time of their death, mourners may describe how good the deceased was and how difficult it was to find people like them- “I should have died before you because it was empty without you”, “Your guests have come to visit you but you are not here”. Some claim that women cry louder and even lay on the floor while singing differently from men.
Death
Tsamai people believe that every person dies twice. The first time his body dies and is buried in the ground The second time there is a spiritual death in which the human soul moves away from the family. There is a ceremony after the first death, as well as a different ceremony in order to transfer the deceased to the second death (see “The Gilo Ceremony”.) It may take a long time between deaths, but this usually takes between 8 and 10 years.
Burial Ceremony
It does not matter if a father and son hate each other, according to popular belief everyone will take care to bury the other properly if the time comes.
On the day of death two people will carry the body, wrapped in cowhide, as quickly as possible, to avoid hyenas or other wild life from eating the deceased. The body will be placed in a pit, and covered in soil. The ground will be tamped down with the feet of the people burying the body. They must stack stones tightly and densely on top of the grave site to prevent hyenes or other wild life from digging up the body. If the deceased is the head of a family, they will have a large, tall stone on the top of the pile.
Mourning lasts a minimum of about a week but can reach up to a month. For example, if the family lives far away, it will take time for the acquaintances to arrive and the mourning period can be longer. If the deceased is very well known and respected, then the mourning will be longer than usual.
The most important ceremony among the Tsamai takes place to convey to the deceased his second death. In this ceremony, the bones of the deceased are moved from his burial place after the first death, to a new place. In the rite of passage the soul of the deceased died and not just his body as occurs in the first death. It may take a long time for the second death to occur, depending on the size and wealth of the family, but each person will eventually die twice. It will usually take between 8-10 years from the first death. The ceremony is happy because the deceased is close at that time. The ceremony I watched was on a hill on Shala lands.
The number of deceased in each ceremony and the number of days
For each death, a celebration lasts at least 4 days. If the ceremony is performed for a family of 4 people then the ceremony will take place for at least 16 days. Also, large and wealthy families will celebrate more than 4 days for each death because they have the means to do so.
Planning the ceremony
The family gathers and discusses when they will hold the Gilo ceremony, which is usually a few months later. It is known in advance who the oldest deceased for whom the ceremony is to be held.
Once a date is decided, the family takes relatively short stalks the length of around 10cm and prepares the invitations for the ceremony. If the date of the event is close, the family will tie a knot for each day until the ceremony. If there is still a long time left, the family will tie a knot for each week, and indicate to the guest the day of the event that he must remember. On Market Day many invitations will be handed out to family and close friends. The invited, with each passing week or day, will cut the knot. When the last knot remains, it is time to attend the ceremony.
An invited who does not come to the event without a justified reason will lead to a breaking down of the relationship.
Responsible for the ceremony
The older person in the family will be in charge of the ceremony.
They learn the course of the ceremony and their role from the village elders.
The person in charge of the ceremony goes usually shirtless, with a loop of plants wrapped around their waist on one side and over the shoulder on the other side with the straps diagonally on his back and chest. The plant, a kalalo, provides a blessing of success.
Pre-ceremony
The family, lead by the person in charge of the ceremony, prepares the house, two gates, a wall, and a shade. They make a local beer, contact people. They collect goats, sheep, cows, and bulls and prepare them for consumption.
Usually the location of the Gilo is a fixed location in each village. The person in charge of the ceremony is in charge of preparing and repairing, if needed, the location.
The beginning of the ceremony – the first and most important day
On the first day of the Gilo, the person in charge of the ceremony kills a goat on the grave of the person for whom the ceremony is performed, and the blood nourishes the soul of the dead.
Then the people dance in circles around the grave, sing, shoot with a rifle.
After a while, the person in charge and his brother carefully remove all the bones with their hands and wood. They do not use metal since it could break the bones. . The method of finding the grave consists of starting with a large circle around the place of the tomb and slowly making their way toward the center.
The bones are collected and placed on animal skin (cow, goat, or sheep), covered with the skin, tied tight and run very quickly to the prepared ceremony place, in the hut designated for the bones.
The place of the ceremony
The ceremony took place on a hill in an open and relatively flat area, so that family members and acquaintances can hear the bullets being fired and arrive.
At the entrance to the compound surrounded by a tree fence about a meter and a half long, there is an entrance gate made of trees and leaves. On the inner left side of the gate when entering, there is a kalbash (pumpkin vessel) with water, with inside Karko.
Opposite the entrance gate is another gate called the devil’s door. Through this gate passes only family members, and there the slaughters are carried out. A person who has sinned, such as infidelity with a husband / wife after marriage, will die immediately upon passing through the gate.
In the center, at the top of the hill, there is a hut (round hut) with walls that are lower than usual, about a meter, and a large thatched roof. In this place the bones of the deceased are placed in the skin. The hut is crowded with people. In the hut are only the bones and chairs. Outside the hut there is a shade shed made of trees and branches with leaves above.
In the center of the compound is a tree, and in front of it is a campfire area on which the hot water is brewed to be added to the beer.
The order of the ceremony
Entrance to the complex – When new guests arrive, they stop in front of the entrance gate. If they are part of the family, or sometimes if they are respectable people or people who have come from afar, the family members inside come to the gate area, stand in line, grab kalabash with local beer and shares to each person who drinks from several family members in order. Also a girl with the help of the carcko dipped in the water of the calabash that hangs on the gate, splashes blessing water and “welcomings” to everyone who enters. In the case of other guests, the family members do not gather to share beer with them but only the girl splashes the water.
A man carrying a weapon fires it at the entrance to express his feelings.
If a person has harmed the family or done something bad to them, he is not allowed to enter, but waits outside until the family forgives him. The family chooses a punishment, usually an animal payment, which must be paid.
Slaughter, sacrifice – All during the Gilo ceremony the leader of the ceremony is responsible for slaughtering animals. Animals slaughtered near the hut are for the deceased. Slaughter done outside the door of the devil, is for the sake of cleansing the sins of the family.
A good example of the amount of slaughter and the ease with which it is carried out can be seen in the exchange between two family members. The first demanded “Bring a goat!” And the second answered him “Why a goat? I’ll get a bull!’ which, of course, is more expensive and has more meat.
Family members will eat the meat first and then the guests.
Singing, shooting and dancing – the family dances happily and merrily around the bones. They jump and jump, women sing, ring the bells hanging from the shade shed, shake their ringing ankle bracelets, blow the horn and shoot a lot of guns. When there is slaughter the revelry increases.
They recite: ‘Our father is with us, the old man is with us and we are happy about it and thank him for his actions while alive. Dad here, Dad here with us.’
Stay in the hut – Most of the dead brothers or sisters, as well as the rest of the family sits in the hut next to the bones of the deceased because it is believed that the deceased are present. They drink beer and enjoy.
Kibriko – a traditional dance circle, which is held during the Gilo in order to make it more beautiful, attractive and colorful.
At the Gilo I attended, the kibriko lasted for long hours and with dozens of people in the open area near Gilo Hill.
Because this is a kibriko as part of the Gili, everyone participated, even married women unlike other kibriko.
See a separate explanation in the Kibriko chapter.
How much does it cost?
The ceremony is very expensive for the family, but they are very happy to invest it in the celebrations of the Gilo (a good example of this can be seen under “The course of the ceremony – slaughter”.)
The total total cost is around 100,000 birr, which includes beer preparation, slaughter of animals – goats (can reach up to 3000 birr), sheep and cows (up to 20,000 birr), multiple shots of rifle bullets with each bullet 50 birr. I estimate that between 5-10 goats and 4 cows are slaughtered a day.
The larger the family, the higher the expense. There are a number of reasons for this, including if the family can invest more it will do so, higher expenses due to a larger number of guests, and a unified Gilo for a number of family members which increases the number of massacres, shootings, beer and ceremony days.
It should be noted that the family does not physically spend all the money I mentioned, but instead sacrifices opportunity cost. That is, the family will usually have sheep and cattle, which it will slaughter at the Gilo ceremony and therefor not sell at the market.
Clothing and accessories
Those present take care to wear traditional attire at the ceremony. Usually they will only wear this at ceremonies, and the women will even wear it when serving food.
The women wear leather skirts, with the front and back elongated and the sides almost to the waist. The back drags on the floor, and the women attach a small branch to it that stretches behind them in order to keep the skin from getting stuck to things, destroying, or tearing. At the top of the chest pierce are additional animal skins, the weight rests on their necks or alternatively on their necks and under one of the arms and adorned with shells and beads.
The men wear pieces of cloth to cover the groin area, and adorn their heads with a thick beaded chain in the tribes colors, with short beaded sequins with plastic hairs tied at the ends.
Men and women alike wear many tribal bracelets on their feet and hands, as well as rustling bracelets for dancing above the knee. The women put on large golden bracelets at their feet.
A traditional dance routine between men and women in a circle, can be performed by itself or within other ceremonies. The Kibriko is performed after the harvest or during the Gilo usually.
In general, the dance is designed to create acquaintances between men and women. The woman chooses a man with whom she dances, as detailed in “The Way of Dancing,” a relationship is formed, and at the end of the kibriko the two can talk, have sex (so the ceremony begins at midnight after the harvest) or even begin a relationship that may lead to marriage. Therefore, women should note that they do not choose a man from their family tree, and men should know their family tree and note that women do not select them and try to attract them to dance while both are under the same family tree.
The kibriko is a wonderful opportunity for men and women to prove themselves alike, so attendees wear their best clothes and dress up for the event. The performance of the men, the height of the jumps when they dance, indicates their strengths and durability, so they prove themselves as equal to the women.
Present
Participants dress in their best traditional clothes, skirts and leather tops for women, sometimes clean pink skirts, men’s loincloths, necklaces, bracelets, headbands, rustling bracelets on the legs, and the men even paint their feet with clay and decorate with their fingers in lines and waves.
In a regular kibriko that takes place on its own, married women will not participate. On the other hand in kibriko which takes place as part a Gilo, the married women will indeed participate. This is because kibriko is a couples dance, and married women can not be with anyone other than their husbands (as opposed to men who can marry more than one woman).
It is evident that those present love the dance, they arrive at the compound with great joy and energy, and even invite the passers-by who are on their way to join them with a smile and a little graceful tenacity.
The manner of the dance
The men stand in a crescent, and the women in front of them.
Throughout the kibriko the men sing. The women march to the center of the circle, each woman standing in front of a man and signaling that she has chosen him.
One form of marking is by pointing the elbow while folding the wrist toward the shoulder. After the selection, the women withdraw. With the singing, the selected men begin to jump higher and higher as they progress towards the woman who has chosen them. The woman must escape slowly and elegantly inside the circle, with small jumps slightly to the right and slightly to the left, so that the man do not “catch” her. She will be “caught” if the man stands directly in front of her. If the man succeeds, he has proven himself as a man, but usually does not happen because the course of the dance is courtship and evasion. In order to maintain concentration in the jump and the chase, the selected men stop singing and concentrate on the dance while keeping the rhythm in their head.
The Tsemay are an Omo Valley people of southern Ethiopia that practice tattooing which is called do-ey. I met young Elsa Mamo at a tourist rest-stop before the village of Weyto and she told me that “once I became a woman, I got my facial tattoos.” Unfortunately, I had just a few moments with her and the only other information I could learn about her beautiful tattoos is that payment was a chicken, goat or some quantity of sorghum beer (depending on the size, form, and amount of tattoos), and that she was tattooed by a woman. In the old days, the neighboring Hamar who practice incredible forms of scarification believed that the Tsemay had karsama or lethal magic so they rarely attacked them. Photograph © Alexander Khimushin
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