Mursi

The Mursi tribe lives on the banks of the Omo River on the outskirts of Mago National Park. It is a semi-nomadic tribe which counts approx. 10,000 people, who are well known for the fierce way they fight with batons.

Mursi women wear a circular clay plate on their lower lip. They are among the last in the world to still use a labret, which can take impressive dimensions according to the status of the woman: up to 20 cm in diameter. The size of the labret is a criterion of choice for the amount of the dowry to be paid by the future spouse, this dowry being paid mainly for livestock. This practice tends to be abandoned today, even if it is a sign of elegance and prestige.

Men and women have pierced ears and insert wooden slices of varying sizes. The women wear scarifications on their shoulders, which are a sort of tribal identity card, while the mammary paintings are carried out with a seduction objective. Warriors’ scarifications have a trophy status as they reflect the number of enemies killed. Today, inter-tribal wars have given way to a cordial understanding based on exchanges of goods and zebus.

The Mursi village visited is a summer village with temporary huts made with the materials found on the ground: grass, earth and branches. The doors are very small to prevent the air from entering the huts, which are carefully looked after by the women.