HIMBAS OF NAMIBIA The Himbas are a pastoral people. They predominantly breed cattle and goats and lead a nomadic life.Depending on the time of year, they move with their herds to different watering places. Milking of animals as well as other jobs like bringing water to the village and building homes is done by women. Women Himbas raise the children. There is a situation in which one woman in the community gets a task of raising children. So, she raises children of her own and those of other women in the community. Men on the other side are more involved in political and legal matters. The Himbas were impoverished by Nama cattle raiders in the middle of 1800s and then forced to be hunter-gatherers. Owing to these events, they were called the Tjimba, derived form the word meaning aardvark, the animal that digs for its food. Many Himbas fled to Angola where they were called Ovahimba, meaning beggars. They then left with their leader called Vita (war). After World War 1 he resettled his people in Kaokoland. Since these events the Himbas were living their nomadic pastoralist lives. But now more and more they reconcile traditional ways with European ones. One of most interesting rituals of the Himbas is that of the ritual fire, the okoruwo. The fire provides contact between the living and the dead, which is necessary for harmonious living and keeping the ancestors happy. It is kept alive until the death of the headman. When this happens, his hut and the fire is destroyed. His family dance in mourning throughout the night. Before his burial everyone says to him: Karepo nawa (keep well). Later a fresh mopane tree is lit from the embers of the old fire. On this photo, a Himba girl shows off her double braids, that is an indicator of her virginity. She wears an impressive jewellery collection, which includes a heavy torque made from iron electric fence wire. When she gets matured and marry, she will change her braids into many different strands.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 18:03:32 +0000
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