milk and blood landscape of the south Ethiopean tribes

The life of Bodi and all tribal traditions are based on cattle. there are more than 80 synonyms in Bodi language describing their cows and goats, differentiating to the smallest details their color and physiological characteristics. the most unique ceremony of the Bodi tribe is “Ka’el” – the holiday of the fat men. A few months before the onset of June or July, the beginning of a new year for the tribe, men begin to drink only blood and full fat milk from the cow, ceasing to do any physical work and pretty much stop moving. Bodi men sit in their homes and eat only fatty, high-calorie food for a few months. On the day of the ceremony and festivities cattle is slaughtered and the elders of the tribe make predictions for the coming year based on the animal’s intestines. Then fat Bodi men pass in front of the elders of the community on the Ka’el day and show them their physical abilities. the fattest Bodi is determined and is known as the “Fat Man of the Year”.