Africa has about 3,000 tribes and 2,000 languages and dialects. From this number one tribe has been tagged to be the most dangerous tribe known to still be active in this continent. The tribe can be found in the country located in the Horn of Africa – Ethiopia.
This dangerous tribe is known as the Mursi tribe located on the borders of South Sudan and Kenya. The tribe is thus famous because of their brutal culture and body arts that have been a fundamental part of them since time immemorial.
Who are the Most Dangerous Tribe in Africa?
This Mursi tribe is referred to as the most dangerous tribe in Africa because of how brutal they are when it comes to outsiders. They are quite unwelcoming to people who are not members of their tribe. In fact, even people from neighboring tribes like the Aari tribe are considered to be their enemies.
These people are known to kill anyone who comes close to their village without taking permission. Aside from getting permission from their chief, visitors are also made to pay money in order to be permitted to take pictures and make videos.
The Mursi people are known for their love of fighting even amongst themselves. Most times they fight to kill.
They abide by their mantra ‘It is better to die than to live without killing’. This further, weirdly, justifies their aggressive nature and the reason they kill unwanted visitors.
Despite their penchant for killing outsiders, Mursi people located in the Omo Valley are pretty welcoming to people who seek their permission, have a local tour guide, and are accompanied by security.
Who Really are the Mursi People and Where Can They be Found?
As already stated, these people are part of the country known as Ethiopia. They however do not live like other people in present-day Africa. This tribe still holds on, dearly, to the ancient ways of living and is deeply rooted in their cultural practices.
They can be found in the Mago National Park of the Omo Valley. This location is said to be the border between the African countries known as South Sudan and Kenya. The people are 1 of the 16 tribes found in Omo Valley. They also make up part of the 80 tribes in Ethiopia.
The Mursi people were about 10,000 as of 2020, however, in 2021, their numbers increased and researchers speculate that they have gotten to about 15,000.
These people speak a language peculiar to them known as Mursi. They also live in isolation and far from civilization. However, they prefer to remain like this and have warded away any form of innovation or aid sent their way.
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This Dangerous Tribe Live in Small Villages of About 300 People
The Mursi people stay in villages comprising about 200 to 300 people. They name their villages after the person who built them. These people move villages after defeating the tribe that previously inhabited the area and they name the builder their chief and pay homage and utmost respect to him.
They live in thatch houses made of sticks and grasses with very low doors. Their doors are carved very short and for one to enter and exit the house, he or she has to bend or kneel and crawl in and out. The reason for this has been speculated to be for security reasons and also reverence.
In this thatched house, a man and his family sleep together regardless of their number. Most of the men of this tribe live in the bushes and leave the women in the village to cook and take care of the family.
It is also important to note that the Mursi houses are small and do not have compartments or other rooms. It is mainly just a small round room that can house close to 8 people depending on how large the family is.
People of this tribe sometimes ignore government orders and only listen to their chief who they see as their superior head and the solver of their challenges and problems.
Importantly, they do not believe in any religion or gods. Their beliefs are mostly in nature and they abide by the natural turns of events. They consider themselves to be moon people and that is about a belief in something for them.
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Culture and Bodily Arts of the Mursi People
https://youtu.be/vqX-R9VLTCI
Aside from being infamous for their aggression and unwelcoming nature, the Mursi people are also well known for upholding the olden cultures and traditions of their people and refusing to follow the path of the developing world. They also have a unique art evident in their body modifications,
One of their known cultural practices is their lack of eating fish. They believe that people who eat fish are weak and poor so to show how strong they are, they do not eat fish.
As a result of their lack of interest in fish, these people have market days and their trading is basically in cows. Their trading also involves monetary exchange for goods sold.
An interesting aspect of their love for cows is the fact that they drink the blood and milk of their cows. They also use the horns of the cows to make decorations.
The men of this dangerous tribe are known to live in bushes guarding their cattle while the women and kids remain in the village.
At the age of 15/16, the boys are conscripted into the league of men and can now participate in the activities of the older men of the tribe.
At the same age, the Mursi girls also begin to get their beauty modifications. These modifications are in the form of a disc or plate made of clay or wood which they place in their lips and ears.
When the girl gets to that age, she cuts her lower lip with a knife or arrow or any sharp object and then begins to insert discs of different shapes, sizes, and designs in the opening made in their lips. In the process of doing so, the girls/women lose two of their teeth so that the disc can stay properly in place.
According to this people who still dress in ancient ways and live in a park, the bigger the lip plate, the more valuable a woman is.
On the other hand, the men, in order to show their strength, engage in a fight known as the Donga stick fighting which occurs once every year. The fight is usually very brutal and could lead to many injuries, some lethal, and some may even lead to death.
At the end of the fight, the winner is eligible to pick a woman of his choice to marry and that is how the Mursi people marry and procreate.
The men have marks on their bodies that signify their strength, how many people they have killed, and how many times they have been married. The more scars and spiral art a man’s arm carries, the stronger he is perceived to be.
The People of Mursi Tribe Trades Their Cows for Guns
Known to be nomadic people who deal mostly in cattle-rearing, the people of the Mago Nature Park trade their cows for guns gotten from the countries they border. Mursi people could trade as many as 8-10 cows for guns such as AK-47s gotten from South Sudan. The number of cows exchanged depends on the model of the arm.
Through this trade, they get to protect themselves from foreign attacks and invasion. When engaging in their Donga Stick fighting ritual, they do not use the guns they acquire. They only make use of sticks and are permitted to wield them however they desire.
The exchange of animals for guns is accepted and allowed by this tribe. It is considered legal in their territory and even if it isn’t okay by the government of Ethiopia, they have little or no control over the Mursi Tribe people anyway.
