For a boy to become a man he must jump the bulls - in an all day ceremony his female relatives show their love for him by being whipped...
A flowering cactus on our walk out to the Hamer Village
The desert we walked through to get to the Hamer Village
wild berries
A Baobab like tree
A Baobab like tree - Bright pink flowers
The Whipping took place in a dried up river bed half an hour's walk from the Hamer Village
The Jumping boy walking towards the waiting crowd
The Whipping boys didn't hold back
Hamer women being whipped
A Hamer women ready to be whipped
Hamer women chasing after the whipping boys
Hamer Whipping Boy
Two Hamer children watching the ceremony
Hamer Women chasing after the whipping boy
Hamer women being whipped
First blood for the day
A Young Hamer girl
Hamer watching from the far bank
Past scars...
Hamer woman with brass trumpet
Hamer man with women chasing whipper in background
A young Hamer girl
Line her up...
Swing with all your might
And barely a flinch
Hamer boy playing in the shade
Two Hamer Women fighting over who should be whipped
Two Hamer Women fighting over who should be whipped
A young Hamer cow herder
Hamer women after hours of whipping
Hamer women after hours of whipping
A weary whipper
Hamer women tending to cuts
Young Hamer women chatting to the Hamer Men
Eye contact during the Whipping
Eye contact during the Whipping
Eye contact during the Whipping
Hamer women dancing and singing
A young Hamer Dancer
The Whipper - notice the smile
A young Hamer girl
Three Hamer Children crossing the river bed
A Whipper preparing a whip
Hamer women taunting the cattle
Hamer men herding cattle - weapons in hand
A Hamer Whipper - resting
A Hamer - The Haircut denotes he is the killer of big animals
A local cop - heavily armed
The jumping boy has his braids undone
Old Hamer man sleeping in the shade
Hamer villager packing heat
Freshly buttered Hamer women
That's a bit cheeky
The older Hamer women resting in the shade in the Village
Heavy ankle braclets
Proud young Hamer Woman
The necklace denotes her as a second wife
Battle scarred
A heavily whipped back
Young Hamer girl watching the Dancers
The buttered hair melts during the day
The Jumping boy prepares himself
Pounding feet of the Hamer Dancers
A baby goat is sacrificed and eaten
The sun sets over the village
Twin feathers that mark the whipping boys
The Hamer men hold the bulls in line
Leaping onto the bulls 9 times he crossed to show his strength
Naked bar his jewellery
Jumping of the Bulls - A near fall
Jumping of the Bulls - A near fall
Jumping of the Bulls - A near fall
Tears of joy
A golden sunset after a massive day
