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Wednesday, Jun 29th 2022 7PM 24°C 10PM 18°C 5-Day Forecast
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THE TRIBE WHERE BIG IS DEFINITELY BEAUTIFUL: ETHIOPIAN MEN COMPETE TO BE THE
FATTEST IN THE VILLAGE BY DRINKING A GRUESOME MIXTURE OF BLOOD AND MILK WHILE
LIVING IN ISOLATION FOR SIX MONTHS

 * 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

By Ruth Styles

Published: 12:13 BST, 31 October 2013 | Updated: 17:55 BST, 31 October 2013

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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.

Scroll down for video




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







Competition: On the day of the Ka'el ceremony, the tribe's fat men walk for
hours around a sacred tree, watched by other men and helped out by the women





Challenge: The feat begins six months before the Ka'el ceremony when
participants retire to their huts where they stay, while the women bring them
food





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







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




Sadly, the Ka'el ritual and the Bodi's traditional way of life is under threat
from the Ethiopian government who plan to resettle 300,000 people from all over
the country on their lands.

For now, the tribe continue as they always have, and still celebrate Ka'el in
traditional style each June.





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The contest begins six months before the ceremony. Every family is allowed to
present an unmarried man for the challenge, who, after being chosen, retires to
his hut and must not move or have sex for the duration.

Food comes in the form of a cow's blood and milk mixture, served regularly to
the men by women from the village. 'The cows are sacred to the Bodi tribe so
they are not killed,' explains Lafforgue. 'The blood is taken by making a hole
in a vein with a spear or an axe, and after that, they close it with clay.'

Because of the scorching temperatures, the men have to drink the two-litre bowl
of blood and milk quickly before it coagulates but as Lafforgue reveals, not
everyone can handle drinking so much at speed.

'The fat men drink milk and blood all day long,' he says. 'The first bowl of
blood is drunk at sunrise. The place is invaded by flies. The man must drink it
quickly before it coagulates but some cannot drink everything and vomit it.'

On the day itself, the men cover their bodies with clay and ashes before
emerging from their huts for the walk to the spot where the ceremony will take
place.


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





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Preparation: On the big day, the contenders for the Bodi tribe's fattest man
ceremony ready themselves by covering their bodies in a mixture of white clay
and ash





Decoration: The dress code for the ceremony also includes a selection of
beautifully worked headdresses, in this case, one made from cowrie shells and
ostrich plumes 






Covering: Every part of the men's bodies are daubed with the ash and clay
mixture and the men also wear colourful beaded necklaces and bracelets





On the way: Once the men are ready to go, they walk to the sacred tree where the
ceremony takes place - a challenge for them because of their weight





Challenging: For many of the fat men, the walking proves exhausting. Luckily,
the women (left) and Lafforgue himself (right) help them out






Relief: During the walk and the ceremony that follows, the Bodi women are on
hand to help out the fat men with drinks of water and fortifying alcohol



Thanks to the weight gain, many of them find covering the short distance tougher
than the weeks spent fattening up. 'Some fat men are so big that they cannot
walk anymore,' explains Lafforgue.

'One asked me if he could use my car to go to the ceremony area. Once in the
car, he started to drink milk and blood again because he said he wanted to keep
trying to be the fattest until the very last moment.'

The ceremony itself involves spending hours walking in a circle around a sacred
tree, watched by the other men and helped by the women who ply them with alcohol
and wipe away the sweat.

Once the fattest man has been chosen, the ceremony ends with the slaughter of a
cow using a huge sacred stone. Village elders will then inspect the stomach and
the blood to see whether the future will be a bright one or not.

After the ceremony, the men's lives return to normal and most lose their
enormous bellies after a few weeks of eating sparingly. But a few weeks later,
the next generation of competitively fat Bodi men will be chosen and the cycle
will begin again.

'Becoming a fat man is the dream of every Bodi kid,' says Lafforgue. 'A few
weeks [after the ceremony] he will recover a normal stomach but he will remain a
hero for life.'

See more of Eric's work at ericlafforgue.com and at
flickr.com/photos/mytripsmypics



Sacred: The fat men run or walk around the village's special tree, watched by
the tribe's elders and other men, and helped by the women





Exhausting: Because the men are so overweight and have been unable to exercise
for six months, they need regular breaks during the ceremony






On tenterhooks: After hours of running around the tree in the scorching sun, the
men wait to hear who will take the title of the Bodi's fattest man





Nerves: The women await the results with just as much interest as the men - the
majority of Bodi girls hope to one day marry one of the fat men if they can





Winner: The 2013 champion is the man on the left, who beat off all comers -
including the man on the right. Both will be feted as heroes for the rest of
their lives






Sacrifice: 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








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





Opportunity: 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







Beautiful: A Bodi woman living in the threatened village of Hana Mursi displays
her spectacular scar patterns and elegant gold coiled cuff jewellery





Striking: The women attending the ceremony use it as an opportunity to show
themselves off in their brightest and most beautiful clothes








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ETHIOPIAN BODI TRIBE WHERE BIG IS BEAUTIFUL AND MEN COMPETE TO BE THE FATTEST

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