Members live under a tribal structure based on bilateral descent that helps them live in one of the most extreme environments on earth. Since Mukuru is often busy in some other realm, the ancestors often serve as Mukuru’s representatives. Between that fire and the hut of the head man of the village, there is an imaginary line which should never be crossed by visitors. As is customary in Himba culture and climate, a Himba girl of northern Namibia wears a traditional skirt made from calfskin leather, headdress and jewelry which signify her social status. The Himba people of Namibia can see fine details and ignore distraction much better than most other human beings – a finding that may reflect the ways that modern life is changing us. WINDHOEK-(MaraviPost)-The traditional customs and beliefs enshrine tribeswomen of the Himba tribe to offer what most people call free ‘Sex’ to their visitors or guest and cousins. The Himba practice ancestor worship and maintain the sacred fire ‘okoruwo’, which is always kept burning and considered to be a vital link between the living and the dead. … The huts are circular in shape, too, and are built using mud, excrements and mopane branches. The men's main tasks are tending to the livestock farming, herding where the men will often be away from the family home for extended periods, animal slaughtering, construction, and holding council with village tribal chiefs. For years, an ancient tribe of semi-nomadic herders known as the Himba has drawn photographers to Namibia’s barren northwest. Despite this they have persevered and the traditions and culture of the Himba people remains; Himba women rub their bodies with otjize which is a mix of ochre and butter fat, this give protection to their skin from the harsh climate. Women's sandals are made from cows' skin while men's are made from old car tires. Peter Pickford, Beverly Pickford, Margaret Jacobsohn: This page was last edited on 17 February 2021, at 18:41. KHOI AND SAN RELIGION KHOI AND SAN RELIGION . The Himba tribe… some interesting facts! Among the Himba people, it is customary as a rite of passage to circumcise boys before puberty. The OvaHimba are predominantly livestock farmers who breed fat-tailed sheep and goats, but count their wealth in the number of their cattle. The vast majority of Namibians (about 80 to 90%) are Christians. Despite the fact a majority of OvaHimba live a distinct cultural lifestyle in their remote rural environment and homesteads, they are socially dynamic, and not all are isolated from the trends of local urban cultures. Each group has its sacred ancestral fire, which is administered by the fire-keeper. Their homes surround an okuruwo (ancestral fire) and their livestock, both closely tied to their belief in ancestor worship. A Himba girl is not considered a fully-fledged woman until she bears a child. [15] Often, because Mukuru is busy in a distant realm, the ancestors act as Mukuru's representatives. However, the OvaHimba do not like to be associated with OvaTwa. Religion and beliefs The Himba worship their ancestors as well as the god Mukuru. The Himba are a monotheistic people who worship the god Mukuru, but also practice ancestor worship as well. Sons live with their father's clan, and when daughters marry, they go to live with the clan of their husband. [1] They also grow and farm rain-fed crops such as maize and millet. [1], Women and girls tend to perform more labor-intensive work than men and boys do, such as carrying water to the village, earthen plastering the mopane wood homes with a traditional mixture of red clay soil and cow manure binding agent, collecting firewood, attending to the calabash vines used for producing and ensuring a secure supply of soured milk, cooking and serving meals, as well as artisans making handicrafts, clothing and jewelry. Himba village about 15 km north of Opuwo, Namibia. [1] There are also a few groups left of the OvaTwa, who are also OvaHimba, but are hunter-gatherers. This sacred fire is considered the spirit protecting the good. Some of the villagers are socially inclined and very religious, reversing and worshiping their ancient gods. [7] In order for the bride's family to accept the bridewealth, the cattle must appear of high quality. The fire must be kept lit at all time to protect the inhabitants from demons. [17] Additionally, some believe that evil people who use omiti have the power to place bad thoughts into another's mind[18] or cause extraordinary events to happen (such as when a common illness becomes life-threatening). The Himba people of Namibia practice a form of monotheistic panentheism, ... Waaq is the name of a singular God in the traditional religion of many Cushitic people in the Horn of Africa, denoting an early monotheistic religion. As stated in my earlier post on this page, “the Himba tribe are among the peoples of Namibia. Christian festivals are celebrated throughout the country. The Himba don’t count their years from when they were born, nor from when they are conceived, but from the day that the child was a thought in his mother’s mind. The Himba live in Northern Namibia, they refuse modern progress and Western culture and still live according to ancient traditions. [19] But users of omiti do not always attack their victim directly; sometimes they target a relative or loved one. Also ancestral spirits play an important role. Women of the semi-nomadic Himba tribe in northern Namibia are famous for their reddish hair and complexion. Their fame for ornate styles have spread beyond the remote, Kunene region where they live, mostly tending livestock. The OvaHimba have been successful in maintaining their culture and traditional way of life. The name ‘Himba’ has become a worldwide name following the ‘weird’ ancestral practice of the people of the Himba tribe.. The Himba have a monotheistic belief system, but their god is distant and all communications have to take place through the spirits of their male ancestors. The Himba Tribe – History and Culture Published on February 9th 2017 by staff under Tribe Facts Inhabiting the Kunene region (previously Kaokoland), and Damaraland of northern Namibia and the other side of the Kunene River in Angola, the Himba are a semi-nomadic, pastoral tribe that speak the language, OtjiHimba. The OvaHimba submitted in February 2012 their protest Declaration against the hydroelectric dam to the United Nations, the African Union and to the Government of Namibia.[22]. These particular people reside on the northwestern side of Namibia and are bordered by Angola to the north. Common creation stories exp… However, the OvaHimba do not like to be associated with OvaTwa. [13] OvaHimba living over the border in Angola were occasionally victims of kidnapping during the South African Border war, either taken as hostages or abducted to join the Angolan branch of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN, army of SWAPO). Pubescent Himba girl with hair headdress styled to veil her face. [citation needed] Women who have given birth wear a small backpack of skin attached to their traditional outfit. The indigenous people have a population of 50,000, living in northern Namibia. [4][5] Widowed men will remove their cap or head-wrap and expose un-braided hair. What could be the reason behind such an act? Flickr.com. Under bilateral descent, every tribe member belongs to two clans: one through the father (a patriclan, called oruzo) and another through the mother (a matriclan, called eanda). [13] A severe drought killed 90% of their livestock, and many gave up their herds and became refugees in the town of Opuwo living in slums on international humanitarian aid or joined Koevoet paramilitary units to cope with the livestock losses and widespread famine. Traditionally, both men and women walk around naked. Holy fire/Supreme being (Mukuru) Himbas are animists, and their supreme being is called Mukuru. Testi e immagini © Exploring Africa - 2021, Africa's Most Successful Conservation Projects, Himba people social organisation and religious beliefs. Otjize cleanses the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protects from the hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland, as well as from insect bites. The Himba worship their ancestors and the god Mukuru. [1], Some Himba children attend Western schools and some young people leave the homelands to live in towns.[8]. [1] Women and girls take care of the children, and one woman or girl will take care of another woman's children. An ancient tribe of semi-nomadic herders known as the Himba, embrace a new faith. [16] Some OvaHimba believe that death is caused by omiti, or rather, by someone using omiti for malicious purposes. In the belief system of the Himba, their natural environment plays an important role in shaping the religion. Only occasionally, and opportunistically, are the livestock sold for cash. A sacred fire, the okuruwo, is lit at the centre of the village, close to the headman’s hut. The appellations formerly applied to them (Hottentot and Bushmen, respectively) have gone out of use because of their derogatory connotations. The indigenous people have a population of 50,000, living in northern Namibia. Their main diet is sour milk and maize porridge (oruhere ruomaere) and sometimes plain hard porridge only, due to milk and meat scarcity. Facing crisis, the tribe decided to move south and explore different regions. The fire represents ancestral protection and the livestock allows for proper relations between human and ancestor. The Himba (singular: OmuHimba, plural: OvaHimba) are indigenous peoples with an estimated population of about 50,000 people living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene Region (formerly Kaokoland) and on the other side of the Kunene River in southern Angola. Women play a fundamental role in the Himba society and do most of the duties, such as the collection of water, the construction of homesteads and the care of the children. Unmarried young men continue to wear one braided plait extending to the rear of the head, while married men wear a cap or head-wrap and un-braided hair beneath. Both the fire and the livestock are closely tied to their veneration of the dead, the sacred fire representing ancestral protection and the sacred livestock allowing "proper relations between human and ancestor". Culturally distinguishable from the Herero people, the OvaHimba are a semi-nomadic, pastoralist The Himba religion itself is monotheistic. They expressed their frustration over the lack of recognition of their traditional chiefs as "Traditional Authorities" by the government;[29] Namibia's plans to build the Orokawe dam in the Baynes Mountains at the Kunene River without consulting with the OvaHimba, who do not consent to the construction plans; culturally inappropriate education; the illegal fencing of parts of their traditional land; and their lack of property rights to the territory that they have lived upon for centuries. [6] Religion of Himba Tribe The OvaHimba are a monotheistic group who worship the god Mukuru and their ancestor reverence (clan’s ancestors). [1] Non-farming businesses, wages and salaries, pensions, and other cash remittances make up a very small portion of the OvaHimba livelihood, which is gained chiefly from their work in conservancies, old-age pensions, and drought relief aid from the government of Namibia. Two tribal groups report practicing traditional beliefs: the San people, which make up approximately 3% of the population, and the Himba, which are less than 1% of the total population. There Are Three Very Distinct Aspects to An Ovahimba Woman’S look. Groups of the last remaining hunters and gatherers Ovatwa are held in secured camps in the northern part of Namibia's Kunene region, despite complaints by the traditional Himba chiefs that the Ovatwa are held there without their consent and against their wishes.[23]. Himba tribe was first a part of the Herero tribe and then they did not have the separate … Two tribal groups living in Namibia, the San and the Himba, practice their traditional beliefs while a section of the Christian population also incorporates traditional rituals and customs in their religious life. A practice not carried out by men, the Himba women apply a paste of butter, […] [1] Otjize is considered foremost a highly desirable aesthetic beauty cosmetic, symbolizing earth's rich red color and blood, the essence of life, and is consistent with the OvaHimba ideal of beauty. The government of Norway and Iceland funded mobile schools for Himba children, but since Namibia took them over in 2010, they have been converted to permanent schools and are no longer mobile. The OvaHimba are considered the last (semi-) nomadic people of Namibia. Bridewealth is involved in these transactions; this can be negotiable between the groom's family and the bride's father, depending on the relative poverty of the families involved. Bilateral descent is found among only a few groups in West Africa, India, Australia, Melanesia and Polynesia, and anthropologists consider the system advantageous for groups that live in extreme environments because it allows individuals to rely on two sets of kin dispersed over a wide area. [14] Each family has its own sacred ancestral fire, which is kept by the fire-keeper. The Khoi and San are the aboriginal peoples of southern Africa. [1] The responsibility for milking the cows and goats also lies with the women and girls. [27], November 23, 2012, hundreds of OvaHimba and Zemba from Omuhonga and Epupa region protested in Okanguati against Namibia's plans to construct a dam in the Kunene River in the Baynes Mountains, against increasing mining operations on their traditional land and human rights violations against them. The first, titled "Declaration of the most affected Ovahimba, Ovatwa, Ovatjimba and Ovazemba against the Orokawe Dam in the Baynes Mountains"[22] outlines the objections from regional Himba chiefs and communities that reside near the Kunene River. An ancient tribe of semi-nomadic herders known as the Himba, embrace a new faith. They also protested against the implementation of the Communal Land Reform Act of 2002. Mukuru only blesses, while the ancestors can bless and curse. Along with the inheritance of wealth, moral obligations are also important within the tribal structure. The Himba are animists, their religious beliefs revolve around the god Mukuru and the cult of ancestors. The OvaHimba are also accustomed to use wood ash for hair cleansing due to water scarcity. The Role of Time in Himba Valuations of Cattle. The Himba leaders complain in their declaration about the culturally inappropriate school system, that they say would threaten their culture, identity and way of life as a people. [32], Several researchers have studied the OvaHimba perception of colours. Each family must keep the ancestral fire lit to communicate with Mukuru through the intercession of the ancestors. [12], In the 1980s it appeared the OvaHimba way of life was coming to a close due to a climax in adverse climatic conditions and political conflicts. The Himba also believe in witchcraft, omiti, and “black magic”, and think that those who practice omiti can even cause illness or death. [2], The OvaHimba use a heterogeneous pasture system that includes both rainy-season pastures and dry-season pastures. Marriage among the OvaHimba involves transactions of cattle, which are the source of their economy. About 50% of the population is affiliated to the Lutheran Church. Around the 16th century, the Himba people crossed to Namibia from Angola, settling in Kaokoland (nowadays Kunene) as part of the Herero tribe. Typical Bantu beliefs (the majority of tribes and ethnicities in Namibia are related to the larger Bantu group) include the existence of a supreme god that is related to the sun in some way and lives in the sky. This is especially true of those in proximity to the Kunene Region capital of Opuwo, who travel frequently to shop at the local town supermarkets for the convenience of commercial consumer products, market food produce and to acquire health care. Men mainly look after the cattle and take it on long transhumance, in search for better pastures. Every Himba family builds an altar in the hut with sacred ancestral fire, … Many consider the Himba people the most beautiful African tribe. Himba huts in the background. Himba people, especially women, are famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment. The villages have a circular shape and are generally enclosed by a fencing made up of mopane branches, for protection against any type of danger and to delimit the village borders. Double lineage means that each Himba belongs to two clans at the same time, the matriarchal and the patriarchal, this enables them to rely on two family groups when in need. As such, the OvaHimba have worked with international activists to block a proposed hydroelectric dam along the Kunene River that would have flooded their ancestral lands,[21] 2011, Namibia announced its new plan to build a dam in Orokawe, in the Baynes Mountains. [15], The OvaHimba traditionally believe in omiti, which some translate to mean witchcraft but which others call "black magic" or "bad medicine". However this religion was mostly replaced with the Abrahamic religions. Huts are arranged around the central fencing, called kraal, where the cattle is kept. This happens from the onset of puberty,[1] which may mean that girls aged 10 or below are married off. [1], Members of a single extended family typically dwell in a homestead (onganda), a small family-village, consisting of a circular hamlet of huts and work shelters that surround an okuruwo (sacred ancestral fire) and a kraal for the sacred livestock. Young Himba girls are married to male partners chosen by their fathers. The OvaHimba coexist and interact with members of their country's other ethnic groups and the social trends of urban townsfolk. [28], March 25, 2013, over 1,000 Himba people marched in protest again, this time in Opuwo, against the ongoing human rights violations that they endure in Namibia. The different clans living in a village are led by a headman who establishes rules and prohibitions, such as the ban for menstruated women to eat the meat of a certain animal or to milk cows. Visit Africa with us! [33] The OvaHimba use four colour names: zuzu stands for dark shades of blue, red, green and purple; vapa is white and some shades of yellow; buru is some shades of green and blue; and dambu is some other shades of green, red and brown. [13], The OvaHimba are a monotheistic people who worship the god Mukuru, as well as their clan's ancestors (ancestor reverence). The ancient tribe of semi-nomadic herders from the barren lands of Namibia known as the Himba have been a favorite for photographers. In February 2012, traditional Himba chiefs[24] issued two separate Declarations[25][26] to the African Union and to the OHCHR of the United Nations. The Himba (singular: OmuHimba, plural: OvaHimba) are indigenous peoples with an estimated population of about 50,000 people[1] living in northern Namibia, in the Kunene Region (formerly Kaokoland) and on the other side of the Kunene River in southern Angola. The Himba society is matriarchal. They do not take bath, but they make aromatic baths with herbs. Apart from the food you can buy … The fire-keeper approaches the ancestral fire every seven to eight days in order to communicate with Mukuru and the ancestors in behalf of his family. They are an indigenous group of people with a population range of about 20,000 to 50,0000.” They are an indigenous group of people with a population range of about 20,000 to 50,0000.” Mukuru only sanctifies, while the ancestors can curse and bless. In most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins and sheep skin or, increasingly, from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear. Their homes are built around an okuruwo (ancestor fire) and their animals, all of which are connected to their ancestor worship. Polygamy is permitted in the Himba society, each man can marry more than one woman, the first marriage is usually arranged by the village elders whereas the following ones are free, the only thing required is the consent of all the spouses. A few centuries later, a bovine epidemic swept through Namibia, causing a great loss in cattle. Between 1904–1908, they suffered from the same attempt at genocide during the Herero Wars conducted by the imperial colonial government in German South-West Africa under Lothar von Trotha that decimated notably the Herero people and the Nama people during the Herero and Namaqua Genocide. Their diet is also supplemented by cornmeal, chicken eggs, wild herbs and honey. We will make you live an unforgettable experience! Now I know exactly what to bring next time! Religion and beliefs. Namibia, Etosha N.P. The importance of being able to count on an extended family is confirmed by a tribal teaching that says: “Do not built your village starting with cattle, start with people”. It is standard practice to offer an ox, but more cattle will be offered if the groom's father is wealthy and is capable of offering more. [31], March 29, 2014, OvaHimba from both countries, Angola and Namibia, march again in protest against the dam's construction plans as well as against the government attempt to bribe their regional Himba chief. Himba woman and some of her family standing in her father's homestead in Otutati, Kunene Region, Namibia. It is up to the eldest woman of the village to tender the sacred fire. It gives Himba people's skin and hair plaits a distinctive texture, style, and orange or red tinge, and is often perfumed with the aromatic resin of the omuzumba shrub. The Himba are animists and they have their own god called Mukuru, who they speak to via a holy fire that burns in their village. [34], Like many traditional societies, the Himba have exceptionally sharp vision, believed to come from their cattle rearing and need to identify each cow's markings.[35]. From pubescence, boys continue to have one braided plait, while girls will have many otjize-textured hair plaits, some arranged to veil the girl's face. [20] Some OvaHimba will consult a traditional African diviner-healer to reveal the reason behind an extraordinary event, or the source of the omiti.[19]. They also practice early arranged marriages. Because of the harsh desert climate in the region where they live and their seclusion from outside influences, the OvaHimba have managed to maintain and preserve much of their traditional lifestyle. Himba have suffered severe droughts and guerrilla warfare during the Angola civil war and Namibian independence. The fire is maintained by one designated person in the village only. The fire-keeper approaches the sacred ancestral fire every seven to eight days in order to communicate with Mukuru and the ancestors on behalf of his family. [30], On October 14, 2013, Himba chief Kapika, on behalf of his region Epupa and the community which was featured in German RTL reality TV show Wild Girls condemned the misuse of Himba people, individuals and villagers in the show, and demanded the halt of broadcasting any further episodes as they would mock the culture and way of being of the Himba people. Find out here our itineraries. The OvaHimba are polygamous, with the average Himba man being husband to two wives at the same time. [11], The OvaHimba history is fraught with disasters, including severe droughts and guerrilla warfare, especially during Namibia's war of independence and as a result of the civil war in neighboring Angola. [citation needed] Culturally distinguishable from the Herero people, the OvaHimba are a semi-nomadic, pastoralist people and speak OtjiHimba, a variety of Herero, which belongs to the Bantu family within Niger–Congo. The second, titled "Declaration by the traditional Himba leaders of Kaokoland in Namibia"[25] lists violations of civil, cultural, economic, environmental, social and political rights perpetrated by the government of Namibia (GoN). Knowing they are dressed in a traditional way, bringing clothes was not an option so I felt lost. Women who have been married for about a year or have had a child wear an ornate headpiece called the Erembe, sculptured from sheepskin, with many streams of braided hair coloured and put in shape with otjize paste. The patriarchal clan, oruzo, passes the residence down to new generations, the matriarchal one, eanda, which is much more important, hands down the property of land and cattle. Anthropologists, who have studied the Himba social structure, have stated that they are characterized by a double, or bilateral, lineage, that can be found in other ethnic groups who live in extreme environments. Properly, the terms Khoi and San refer to groups of related languages characterized by click consonants and to speakers of these languages, … Access to water-points and pastures are another part of the OvaHimba inheritance structure. The Himba are animists, their religious beliefs revolve around the god Mukuru and the cult of ancestors. September 2012, the United Nations special rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples visited the OvaHimba and heard their concerns that they do not have recognized traditional authorities and that they are placed under the jurisdictions of chiefs of neighboring dominant tribes, who make decisions on behalf of the minority communities. In his view, the lack of recognition of traditional chiefs, in accordance with Namibian law, relates to a lack of recognition of the minority indigenous tribes' communal lands. The Himba people are predominately livestock breeders and farmers while their women are preoccupied with gathering firewood, cooking and serving meals and sourcing for fresh water. However, inheritance of wealth does not follow the patriclan but is determined by the matriclan, that is, a son does not inherit his father's cattle but his maternal uncle's instead. Often, because Mukuru is busy in a distant realm, the ancestors act as Mukuru's representatives. [1] The OvaHimba are semi-nomadic as they have base homesteads where crops are cultivated, but may have to move within the year depending on rainfall and where there is access to water. The indigenous religions are based on animistic beli… Each family has its own ancestral fire, which is kept by the fire-keeper. Crandall, D. (1998). Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area. The Himba are a semi-nomadic, pastoralist people, culturally distinguishable from the Herero people in northern Namibia and southern Angola, and speak Otji-Himba, a variety of … In daily practice the plaits are often tied together and held parted back from the face. Himba woman prepares a fire. As stated in my earlier post on this page, “the Himba tribe are among the peoples of Namibia. According to tradition, when a woman desires to have a baby, she goes off the village and sits under a tree by herself, and she keeps silent until she can hear the “birth song”, or the “song of the child”. Access is via a small opening on one side and the interior is plain.