Ethiopian Tribes, Suri
Ethiopia, tribes, Surma, Suri people
Warriors at a funeral ceremony in Koka. The traditional funeral ceremony is a memorial day in honor of a deceased relative. In this case the man died over a year ago. But he was a very powerful and rich man and the family celebrated a big funeral ceremony where all families of the villages around Koka were invited. Similar to a Suri wedding ceremony also the funeral ceremony looks more like a military ceremony than a memorial day with a lot of Kalashnikovs and many many gunshots.
All guests of the other villages arrive in the afternoon to the ceremony with their cattle. In the village Koka itself a huge arch was build days before at the place where the honored man had lived. At the ceremony the cattle is herded through the arch and all people are dancing and singing. Accompanied with a lot of gunshots of the warriors of course.
From time to time a cow or a goat is killed in front of the arch. A cow is traditionally killed by a big stone, a goat by a big stick. The dead cattle lies in front of the arch the whole time during the ceremony. In the evening the real party begins with dances around the fire, more gunshots and with preparing of the killed cattle of the afternoon on open fire.
Blog: Dietmar Temps, travel blog
Website, gallery: Dietmar Temps, photography
Ethiopian Tribes, Suri
Ethiopia, tribes, Surma, Suri people
Warriors at a funeral ceremony in Koka. The traditional funeral ceremony is a memorial day in honor of a deceased relative. In this case the man died over a year ago. But he was a very powerful and rich man and the family celebrated a big funeral ceremony where all families of the villages around Koka were invited. Similar to a Suri wedding ceremony also the funeral ceremony looks more like a military ceremony than a memorial day with a lot of Kalashnikovs and many many gunshots.
All guests of the other villages arrive in the afternoon to the ceremony with their cattle. In the village Koka itself a huge arch was build days before at the place where the honored man had lived. At the ceremony the cattle is herded through the arch and all people are dancing and singing. Accompanied with a lot of gunshots of the warriors of course.
From time to time a cow or a goat is killed in front of the arch. A cow is traditionally killed by a big stone, a goat by a big stick. The dead cattle lies in front of the arch the whole time during the ceremony. In the evening the real party begins with dances around the fire, more gunshots and with preparing of the killed cattle of the afternoon on open fire.
Blog: Dietmar Temps, travel blog
Website, gallery: Dietmar Temps, photography