After lunch, we took a 15 minute drive to a dried-up river bed where a Hamer bull jumping (coming of age) ceremony was to take place. Crowds of women danced in a circle and blew horns. Unmarried girls entice the initiated men to flog them with sticks, causing lacerations on their backs. The chosen man then has an obligation to the girl. After several hours of this, the crowd moved 200 yards up the road to a clearing where a herd of cattle had been taken. They selected about eight bulls and after more dancing around, the initiate ran over the backs of the bulls, repeating his run about four times. It was all a most amazing spectacle. Returned to the camp for a shower and tea, then walked up to the bar in town for a drink before dinner.
Lacerations following a good flogging
Tribesman with his Kalashnikov
Doing one's makeup
The walk to the bull ring
Cattle are selected and lined up
The initiate jumps onto the back of the first bull...
