Τρίτη 18 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Men in the Bodi Tribe in Ethiopia compete to be crowned fattest man





  • Men from the Bodi tribe compete to become the fattest during the new year or Ka'el ceremony
  • They spend six months guzzling a mixture of blood and milk in a bid to fatten up as fast as they can
  • The winning fat man doesn't get a prize but is feted as a hero for life by the rest of the tribe
  • Bodi want to retain their traditions but they are threatened by government resettlement plans



  • Slim might be in elsewhere but for Ethiopia's Bodi or Me'en people, bigger is always better. The tribe, which lives in a remote corner of Ethiopia's Omo Valley, is home to an unusual ritual which sees young men gorge on cow's blood and milk in a bid to be crowned the fattest man.
    Six months after starting the regime, the men emerge to show off their newly engorged physiques and for a winner to be chosen. The champion fat man is then feted as a hero for the rest of his life. 
    Now the little known rite is the subject of incredible photos taken by French shutterbug Eric Lafforgue - who spent time with the Bodi while travelling through south-western Ethiopia during the run up to the Bodi New Year or Ka'el ceremony.

    Hero: Every child wants to become one of the fat men, according to Lafforgue, who are feted as heroes by the rest of the tribe for their incredible feat
    Hero: Every child wants to become one of the fat men, according to Lafforgue, who are feted as heroes by the rest of the tribe for their incredible feat



    Too much! A Bodi man finds that his morning bowl of blood and milk is a little too much and is ill outside his hut - watched by a baffled-looking herd of cows
    Too much! A Bodi man finds that his morning bowl of blood and milk is a little too much and is ill outside his hut - watched by a baffled-looking herd of cows
    One of the Bodi tribe's fat men with his familyOne of the men enjoys his last blood and milk meals of the day
    Regime: Each competitor is nominated by his family who then spend the next six months helping him to fatten up on a diet of cow's blood and milk

    Σφαγή: Μια αγελάδα σκοτώνεται κατά την κορύφωση των εορτασμών χρησιμοποιώντας μια ιερή πέτραSacrifice: The Bodi kill one of their precious cows at the end of the ceremony and the village elders inspect its blood and entrails to see what the future holds for them

    Opportunity: The Bodi women also use the ceremony as an opportunity to inspect potential husbandsOpportunity: Women use the Ka'el ceremony to inspect potential future husbands - in the Bodi tribe, fat is considered extremely attractive


    Threatened: The Bodi's traditional lifestyle is under threat because of government plans to settle 300,000 people from all over Ethiopia in Hana Mursi, the main Bodi town
    Relief: After the ceremony has concluded, the men return to normal eating patterns and have usually lost the extra weight within a few weeks of Ka'el

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