A highly skilled tribe, they herd cattle and live in one of the world’s harshest environments. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.Explore the hair rituals of the Namibian Himba tribe, captured by Brendan McGintyFor a Himba woman, her hair is her power. This crown is made of cow or goat leather and is placed on the head when a girl reaches puberty. On rare occasions, such as weddings, the Himba do eat meat, but this is more an exception than a rule.Himbas are animists, and their supreme being is called Mukuru. For the Himba tribe, hair indicates one’s age, life stage, and marital status. The tall and slender Himba women sport unique hairstyles that are complicated and require hours of preparation. Hair braiding is a communal activity with the range of styles differing from tribe to tribe. It gives the Himba women’s skin a distinctive look.Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role within the Himba tribe — it indicates age and social status within their community.The youngest children keep closely shaved heads or a small crop of hair at the top of their heads that is later sculptured to one braided hair plait lowered to the back of the head for young boys.On the other hand, young girls have two braided hair plaits extended forward towards the face often parallel to their eyes.Some young girls, with exception, may also have one braided hair plait hung at the front, indicating that they are one of a pair of twins.From pubescence, boys maintained one braided hair plait while the girls will have many otjize textured hair plaits.Women who have been married for about a year, or have had a child, wear an ornate headpiece called the Erembe, sculptured from sheepskin, with many streams of braided hair, colored and put in shape with otjize paste.Unmarried young men continue to wear one braided hair plait extended to the rear of the head, while married men wear a cap or head-wrap and un-braided hair beneath.Widowed men will remove their cap or head-wrap and expose un-braided hair.Uncensored news, views and analysis for the thinking person The holy line starts from the main entrance of the chief’s hut and goes straight, passing the holy fire, to the entrance of the cattle enclosure.One of the most remarkable Himba traits is that women are not allowed to use water for washing.

You are not allowed to cross the holy line if you are an outsider or you have not been invited into the village. When they get married keep their hair tied in the shape of a turban." Here are five interesting facts about the Himba: 1.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media GroupA group of tribeswomen in a remote village mix up a special paste using butterfat and ochre so they can create extraordinary red braids in their hair.For generations the semi-nomadic Himba tribe have made the Otjize paste, a red substance, to cover their braided hair and skin with.Due to the scarcity of water, the indigenous tribe developed the special substance to cleanse their skin, protect them from the sun and to look good.Its rich red colouring is meant to symbolise the earth and blood and is an ideal of beauty among the 50,000-strong tribe in western Kaokoland, northern Namibia.Keeping the elaborate dreadlocks in perfect shape is a challenge in itself, with women spending several hours a day tending to their hair and complexion.From puberty Himba women braid their hair and veneer each one with clay and red ochre made from ferruginous soils, and they use the same mixture in their body paint.Photographer Franco Cappellari took the stunning pictures of the tribe while visiting the African country.The 61-year-old, from Venafro, near Naples, Italy, said: 'The Himba are very welcoming and kind people. Apart from applying red ochre on their skin, Himba women do take a daily smoke bath to maintain personal hygiene. The hair is made up of goat fur, ground ochre, and butter. The Himba Tribe — Clothing And Hair Style With A Difference. The traditional Himba people are mostly settled in a remote part of northern Namibia and have a population of up to 50,000. The loose-hanging strands are then tied backwards (when the girls reach puberty) and combined with an Ekori headdress made from tanned sheep or goatskin – thus denoting marriageable age.We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. “Hair braiding is a communal activity with the range of styles differing from tribe to tribe. The way they communicate with their God is through the holy fire. The hair is braided ("weaved") and covered with the special ochre mixuture called "otjize". The shaved-off hair is then used to make plaits, which are woven back into the remaining hair and hang down over the face. Her other neck ornament is made from metal beads backed onto leather.

This ‘otjize’ paste gives the women’s skin and hair a distinctive red glow which symbolizes both blood, the essence of life, and the earth’s rich red colour.Hairstyles play a significant role within the Himba community and reflect marital status, age, wealth, and rank within the group.

Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Hairstyle and jewelry play a significant role within the Himba tribe — it indicates age and social status within their community. Photo by Mikael Castro.