Gaston Sanchez
09/04/2021 7:00
Clarín.com
International
Updated 09/04/2021 1:55 PM
There is a world within
Islamism
that professes
sexual freedom
for women
and puts them at the center of power.
They can have more than one husband and
choose their husband
, or lover, at an annual event where suitors dance and display their gifts, after spending hours getting ready, in front of a private jury.
All of this happens in the tribe of the
Bororo
(also known as Wodaabe), an ethnic subgroup of the
Fulani
.
They inhabit the Sahel region
and they are distributed in the south of
Niger
, north of
Nigeria
, northeast of
Cameroon
, west of the Central African Republic and the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This nomadic clan, which crosses many African countries torn by
poverty
,
internal
wars
and
droughts
,
is mainly dedicated to livestock
and, to a lesser extent, to trade.
Herders become attached to their few possessions and animals become the center of their economy.
The Wodaabe are located in the Sahel, an area that borders the Sahara desert to the north and the Sudanese savannah to the south.
In the midst of this stark reality, they are completely dependent on their animals for their livelihood.
But despite all that, the Bororo appreciate
beauty
in a way rarely seen by their neighbors.
They are owners of a great imagination and when they dedicate themselves to working on their
makeup
, the elaboration of
costumes
and their great ornamentation, they give something to talk about.
They wait all year for their great festival, which contrasts with the great beauty pageants known to the Western world, since
those who participate are men and not women
.
For their part, they choose the winner, who will be her husband or her lover.
Men show their teeth and dance to be chosen by a woman.
A great festival
The
Gerewol
festival
is particular.
It takes place in September, once the rainy season ends.
It lasts
seven days
and
seven nights
and the location is revealed a few days before.
Wodaabe men prepare for several hours.
They make up their body and face to impress women.
They wear big and raucous suits, hats and feathers.
For them, being chosen in this event and getting married is something fundamental in their life.
They prepare for several hours for the festival.
They wear makeup, costumes and all kinds of decorations.
For makeup
they use everything they find.
They paint their faces orange with a powder
obtained from a mountain in Jongooria, in central Niger, and use a paste made from chalk to highlight the symmetry of their features.
The black color to line their eyes and paint their lips is obtained with
charred heron
bones
.
They use
feathers
on the sides of the head to increase their height, necklaces and white lines on the shoulders.
But in addition to the aesthetic, there is the belief that some of their
makeup
have
magical powers
, therefore, they do everything to obtain them.
Women often flaunt their facial tattoos.
Women choose
They have to look spectacular and show their gifts as the jury will evaluate them in the traditional dance known as
Yaake
, where men demonstrate their
sexual supremacy
.
And the jury is, neither more nor less, than the three most beautiful women of the tribe.
Besides the jury, all the women of the tribe are watching the dances as they can choose their next husband.
And if they are married they can choose to be "robbed."
They just have to wait for the man they like to pass in front of them, to subtly touch their shoulder.
Then all is said.
The Wodaabe have great sexual freedom.
They are a polygamous tribe.
Polygamy and sexual freedom
This tribe practices
polygamy
, therefore, it is normal for
women to have more than one partner
.
In addition, if they are single, they can have sex whenever they want and with whoever they want.
Unlike other tribes, this does not affect the choice of her future husband at all.
But in addition to the
Yaake
, traditional dance of the tribe, within the event dowry negotiations, camel races and other competitions take place to entertain the public.
Thus, they complete a week of festivities and then return to their daily tasks.
The
Wodaabe
are characterized by living in total
harmony
with the environment and the environment they inhabit.
They are characterized by being very
peaceful
and
hospitable
.
And they rarely have conflicts.
The status and wealth of each man depends on the number of cows he owns.
"People of taboos"
His name means "
people of the taboos
".
And they are governed by a strict code of morality and behavior called
Pulaake
.
They attach great importance to certain values such as discretion, modesty, patience and strength.
Therefore, their behavior is not surprising.
On the other hand, in some of their villages, men usually dress in
turbans
and
tunics
, in addition to caring for livestock.
Women wear dark fabrics and are distinguished by their appearance.
They have
facial tattoos
, puffy hairdos, flashy jewelry, and wear large ear rings.
In addition, they usually use two braids, each one on the side of their face, which means
magical protection
.
Its economy revolves around
cattle
.
The status
and the wealth of a Wodaabe man depends on the number of cows he owns.
Meanwhile, for women it is the number of
pots
and
gourds
available, which are visibly displayed alongside the
Suudu
, the nomadic homes of the Wodaabe.
They feed mainly on milk and millet.
Tea is an everyday occurrence and they occasionally eat goat or sheep meat.
During
Gerewol
men drink an
infusion
, made from fermented bark, which according to them has a
hallucinogenic effect
and allows them to dance for hours.
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