They burn manure and sleep with cows - the life of the Mundari tribe, where cattle are more valuable than a person (6 photos)

The fact that in India the cow is a sacred animal that can be everything heard by the vast majority. And it is. Only few people knows that in the life of the African Mundari tribe, cows play where greater role than in the same India.





However, the reasons for such a reverent attitude towards these horned not at all religious, but understandable to everyone - everyday. From cows literally the life of these people depends.

And here a small remark should be made: Mundari is nomadic African people, characterized by very high growth and slender physique. Some people even compare them to giraffes.

What can I say ... Life in the desert is not sugar, therefore unhealthy thinness is indeed inherent in this people.

And their whole life is devoted to cows, because cows are their life. No, they don't eat beef, but they depend entirely on this cattle. So, for example, the main diet of Mundari is fatty cow's milk, cow's blood and sour milk are an analogue of our unsweetened yogurt. Moreover, the Mundari sleep among the cows - they give them warmth, sell milk in exchange for weapons (to protect all the same cows) and they even dye their hair with the waste products of cows ...



Yes, and the desert - this is not a paradise beach from the Bounty advertisement: in the afternoon there is hellish heat, but in the evening and at night - wild cold. Tribe gotta warm up somehow. And it found a way to do it. For this Mundari burn cow dung: this not only gives them warmth, but also protects from insects - the smell is such that mosquitoes and other creeping reptiles to they don't get close. But the ash formed after burning is not thrown away, but put into action: it is applied to the skin to protect from the sun and insects, brush her teeth and wash dishes. In general, from life with cows Mundari try to squeeze literally everything.



And sometimes it's scary. Indeed, in the Mundari culture, the life of a bull or cows are sometimes valued more than human life. Yes, if you get up the question of treating cattle or some old man, then the choice will not fall on person. He, according to the tribe, lived his life. But the cow can still benefit everyone. Cruel, cynical, but probably practical.

But how does this extraordinary tribe live? Like any nomadic pastoralists. In the morning, a little light, men go with cattle to pasture until evening. Women and children do household chores: they clean the dung for the evening, cook food, take care of children and get water.



As for housing ... it simply does not exist. People are literally sleeping among the cows under the starry sky. There are only a few tents for the sick members of society, women in demolitions and very young children. Others community members sleep in an embrace with cows and bulls - they are so familiar and warmer.

However, the process of globalization and tourism influence has already affects these people. Some of the inhabitants of large villages go "to civilization", and the Mundari themselves no longer run in the costumes of Adam and Eve, and dress quite modern, albeit somewhat sloppy.



Tourists are also rare, but guests of these places. And already this presents a serious problem for Mundari as a full-fledged ethnos. First, under the influence of tourists and their money, the tribe can "get lazy" and forget the usual way of life, what then, when the excitement will subside, will lead to the inevitable collapse of the people.

Secondly, for many years and centuries the Mundari lived relatively isolated, with virtually no contact with the outside world. For this reason many diseases inherent in our society are unfamiliar to them. For this reason an outbreak of even the simplest, in our opinion, ailment, can mow down most of Mundari very quickly.



Third, culture. Already now the Mundari are familiar with Islam, which to some extent affects their worldview, correcting behavior. And faced with new traditions and phenomena, The Mundari are simply in danger of losing themselves.

Fortunately, at the moment the tribe is still able to exist relatively autonomously, without relying on the help of others peace. And before any serious consequences of human impact on them still very, very far away.