Interesting facts about the lip-cutting tribe in Africa

Although they do not like strangers visiting, the Mursi tribe still agrees to let tourists take pictures and considers it a source of income for them.

Kellie Netherwood is a writer and explorer with dual British and Australian citizenship, who has traveled to every continent in the world. Here are some revelations about the Mursi tribe in Africa that Kellie had the opportunity to explore.

Ethiopia’s Omo Valley is one of Africa’s most fascinating destinations, thanks to the cultural diversity of the more than 20 tribes that share its borders. One of these is the Mursi, a nomadic community that occupies the land between the Mago and Omo rivers and is famous for the women who wear lip-piercing plates to mark their coming of age. Many tourists come here to see the tribe, despite the fact that the Mursi are often quite aggressive and unwelcoming to tourists.

Mursi hut. Photo: Kellie Netherwood.

However, the relationship between the Mursi and tourists is complicated. Visitors want to learn about a community that is isolated from the outside world, while the Mursi earn extra income by allowing tourists to visit and take pictures. Most who have visited here agree that the Mursi's strange appearance, unique lifestyle and fascinating culture make them the most special tribe in the Omo Valley.

In the valley, wealth is measured by the number of cattle they own. Therefore, the Mursi are considered the richest tribe.

Mursi men traditionally carry a 2-meter long stick (donga) with them. However, it has now been replaced by an AK-47 as a sign of wealth.

The AK-47 is a symbol of wealth. Photo: Kellie Netherwood.

There are four types of marriages among the Mursi: arranged, consensual, through force or abduction, and inheritance. An inheritance marriage is when a widow passes on to her brother or the man closest to her deceased husband.

Men named their livestock after the color of their cattle, while women named them after the wild animals they liked.

Men could not marry until they won the donga battle, as a demonstration of their strength to the girls and to help them find a suitable wife.

Mursi women are easily recognizable by their lip-cutting and plate-mounted custom. When a Mursi girl reaches adulthood, she cuts a small hole in her lower lip and inserts a clay plate. Over time, she replaces the plate with a larger one. The larger the plate, the more valuable the woman is in marriage.

The lip plate is the standard of beauty for Mursi women. Photo: Kellie Netherwood.

According to VNE