Nomadic Tribe

Women tend to be in charge of individual households. But the community is politically and publicly led by men who will come together to make collective decisions.

The Traditional religion among Mursi is an animist one. They believe in Tumwi (God) and the village’s kômoru (Priest) will lead public rituals to gain Tumwi’s blessings over their people, cattle, harvest, etc.

But this religion has been rapidly disappearing since Christian missionaries arrived in the area to convert the indingenous peoples.

As well as religious traditions, a large part of Mursi culture is they’re traditional body decorations. For example, women decorate their chests for and will wear ceramic lip plates for important events. Bigger plates represent beauty. This is practised from an adolescent age, the woman’s lower teeth are removed and she will slowly increase the size of her lip plate over years.

Scarring is something else you will see a lot of. When they come of age, men scar their left shoulder to show that they are now warriors.

Mursi is a Nilo-Saharan language closely related to other languages in the area. Until recently, there was no way to write Mursi but missions over the last few decades have developed both a latin-based and an Amharic-based writing system for Mursi.

You’ll see a lot of stunning jewelry among the Mursi, including bracelets and big headpieces. These are often made from metal or elephant tusks. During dances and ceremonies they paint their body with white chalk paint.

Mursi events include religious rituals, ceremonial dueling, dances and other festivities.

The Donga: Young, single men engage in stick-fighting to show their strength and ultimately to earn a wife. The winner is brought to the women who decide which of them will propose to him.