The Bodi tribe, or Me'en, is a relatively small, semi-nomadic tribe residing in the Omo Valley of southern Ethiopia, near the border with South Sudan, about 140 km from Jinka town. The Me'en are an ethnic group numbering 222.000 individuals located in the highlands and lowlands of southwestern Ethiopia.
For centuries, Ethiopia’s Omo Valley has been a crossroads for many distinct tribes. These diverse ethnic groups have lived in this region long before the modern nation state called Ethiopia existed, and many still live the legends of their ancestors. The Bodi speak the Bodi language as a mother tongue, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language family. They are pastoralists (livestock farmers) and agriculturalists, growing sorghum, maize, and coffee along the riverbanks.
The Bodi are known for their unique and somewhat strange traditions and beliefs, which have drawn attention from outsiders in recent years. The bodis are one of the ethnic group in Ethiopia`s Omo valley that have refused to change to the modern way of life and prefers their indigenous tribal pastoral life. They still engage in barter trade system, walking for hours to reach weekly markets to exchange goods. The Me'en are subsistence-level farmers and herders. They use hoes for loosening the earth and wooden digging sticks for planting and produce no surplus of significance.
The Me'en live in fear of the spirits which inhabit their people as well as the spirits of their dead ancestors. The Me'en also believe in a sky god called Tuma. They believe this god has created them and that he is the god of rain and fertility. They expect a holy dog to intercede with Tuma on their behalf.
For more than a decade, the Bodi Me’en have always warmly welcomed me to photograph them, but I’m happy to say that they don’t really give a damn what outsiders think about their perception of beauty. This is the way their forefathers did it, and this is how they still do it today.
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The Bodi have a natural flair for fashion and they have one of the most diverse magnificent hairstyles (hair-cut) among the indigenous tribes in Omo Valley.
Map showing the location of Ethiopia in Africa.
The Significance of Livestock
Similar to the Mursi, livestock plays an important role in marriage, divination, and name-giving rituals. The Bodi classification of cattle is complex, with over eight words to denote different colors and patterns. The economic activities of Bodi people is keeping livestock. When a child is born into the family, that child is given presents by father usually ox and a cow.
Marriage Customs
Like many African communities, the dowry of a woman is cattle. A Bodi man can, depending upon his wealth, marry more than ten women. Most men, however, have one to three wives. The women plant seeds, weed fields, grind grain, prepare food, draw water, fetch wood, take care of small children, and clean the compound and house. The father gives ten cows to his son as a dowry, a total of 30 to 60 cows are given to the family of bride as a dowry. From them, a bride is given three female cows to gift her husband.
Beauty Standards
Bodi women likes fashion and they are fond of making tribal beautification marks on their bodies. These beautification marks (scarifications) comes in many forms as the bearer want it to be. They adorn their body with beautiful tribal bracelets. Bodi men wander around naked or wearing just a cotton bandage around their waist. Amongst the tribes in Ethiopia`s Omo Valley, Bodi are very have very beautiful women whiles their men tend to be very fat with big feets.
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In particular, the tribe is known for its obsession with body fat, which plays a central role in its culture. Slim might be the big deal elsewhere but for Ethiopia’s Bodi or Me’en tribe, the bigger the better is the case. The body that is desired most is big, but also a rare combination of fat, firm and thick.
This fascination stems from their belief that being overweight signifies health, wealth, and prosperity. In the Omo Valley, cows equal money, and having a big body is a sign of prosperity. Consuming only milk, butter and blood from livestock can show off individual wealth. A big body can also prove your personal connections.
Above all else, participating in the competition is a way to attract potential wives. Men here believe that the bigger they are, the more women will desire them.
Becoming big out here requires discipline. The Bodi Me’en say that typically it is not the richest who wins, but the most mentally dedicated. They must follow a strict and regimented diet.
For the Bodi or Me’en people of Ethiopia being fat is a competitive event. There are benefits of becoming fat, those are; you’re chosen and honored to organize events and getting the freedom to marry the most beautiful girls.
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The food comes in the form of a cow’s blood and milk mixture, served regularly to the men by women from the village. The cows are sacred to the Bodi tribe so they are not killed for the purpose of the ritual. Because of the scorching temperatures, the men have to drink the two-litre bowl of blood and milk quickly before it coagulates but not everyone can handle drinking so much at speed, so they vomit.
“When we measure each other, some of the competitors have a huge belly. But others have a very firm belly. When you’re building your body, it must be big but also firm to win. If our body parts are jiggling, we don't see it as legitimately fat. We actually prefer bloated and firm, not shaking. The winner will actually be decided from the most bloated belly and firmest bum.” - Luchguna, past Kael competitor.
Imagine your reaction when you find yourself a tribe where big is definitely beautiful. This is a beauty pageant where all the contestants dream to be the fattest. No where else in the world can you see this- the Kael Ceremony practiced by the Me’en tribe.
The Fatting Ceremony
One of the most striking practices of the Bodi tribe is the “fatting ceremony.” This is a ritual that takes place annually, during which young men compete to gain as much weight as they can over a six-month period. The winner of the competition is considered a hero and is rewarded with gifts and accolades, which he takes back to his family.
During the ceremony, young men are secluded from the rest of the tribe and given a diet rich in milk, blood, and meat. To celebrate their new year called the Kael, the Bodi tribe in south Ethiopia, Omo valley, kill a cow. The feeding on the blood mixed with honey and cow milk enables them to almost double their weight, which makes them ready for the competition. Contestants for this competition goes naked to make them eligible to participate.
Every year, they celebrate their new year, 'Ka`el’ (Bodi New year Celebration) between June and July, depending on the full moon, the rains. This celebration is a bit different than a usual new year celebration’s as the tradition is to feed young men from every Bodi village. They are fed with only honey, cow blood and milk during 3-6 months (fattening process).
The Kael celebrates the vitality of grazing land during the rainy season.
Every year in June or July, the Bodi celebrate the ‘Kael’ ceremony which mark the start of new year. To participate, only unmarried men are sent from each household. These men are fed with blood, milk and sometimes honey for several months to increase weight. Women from competitor’s home bring a mixture of cow’s blood and milk in a bamboo pot. During this time the bodies of these men are covered by mud and ash. Cows are considered very sacred in Bodi culture and therefore they are not killed in such whole events but the blood is extracted from the vein. After that the wound is filled with the help of soil. The cow is killed on the day of ceremony which is set by Komoro assisted by elders.
On the competition day, the contestants and the village folks assembles at the Bode King village. Traditional bodi tribal warrior dances are performed to the delight of on-lookers. After the dance, the bodies of the contestants are measured by the elders who then decide who is the fattest winner.
On the d-day, the men design their bodies with clay and ashes before emerging from their huts for the walk to the spot where the ceremony will take place. This long walk seem tortuous, no thanks to the excess weight gain and protruding stomach.
Once the fattest man has been chosen, the ceremony ends with the slaughter of a cow using a big sacred stone.
The fattest person is then declared as the winner of the competition and is honored with a great fame in the bodi tribe. At the end of the feast, a cow is sacrificed, for which a sacred stone is used.
Gontele has the biggest belly this year, but he’s not declared the winner. After much pinching and grabbing, the main judge and speaker Mualony comes to a consensus with the group, and they choose another: Bocha. The decision is based on more subtle characteristics- his body is big, but it’s so firm that it feels like a rock. Bocha admits some last minute chugging of milk helped him. There’s no big announcement, but everyone will know. Elders will respect Bocha. Neighbors will gossip. Women will talk amongst themselves.
The Bodi Tribe Live: Guardians of Tradition and Strength 🌍💪
Death Rituals
When a member of Bodi tribe dies. The woman of the tribe shout to the spirits and chant of his/her death to bring the soul to peace. The Bodi men perform ceremonial death procession and will keep the body of the deceased safe for 3 days. After this, the tribe will gather together and eat as a sign of respect, and to ensure passing into the next world.
At the burial, the Me'en will kill cattle or goats and read the intestines in order to discern signs from the spirit realm.
Bodi Tribe Today
Bodi tribe are the most friendlier,shy and accommodating people. The Bodi Me'en measured their wealth through their own livestock, through the family or friends who wanted to be their patrons for the competition.
Sadly, Bodi’s traditional way of life is under threat from the Ethiopian government who plans to resettle 300,000 people from all over the country on their lands. The homeland of the Me'en, Suri and Mursi peoples is remote and distant from control of the central government.
Bodi people are sociable and welcoming to strangers. The traditional chief Komoro, is the leader and presides over most of the functions revolve around the community. The position of Komoro is hereditary where the eldest son is chosen as successor when chief dies.
Table: Key Aspects of Bodi Tribe Culture
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Omo Valley, Southern Ethiopia |
| Language | Bodi (Me'en), Nilo-Saharan family |
| Economy | Pastoralism and agriculture |
| Beauty Standard | Larger body size signifies health and wealth |
| Kael Ceremony | Annual New Year celebration with fatting competition |
| Livestock | Plays a crucial role in marriage, rituals, and wealth |
