The general perception is that slim men are preferable. This, however, is not the case of Bodi, an Ethiopian tribe in the Horn of Africa in East Africa.
Slim might be the in-thing elsewhere but for Bodi men in Ethiopia, bigger belly is always better. The Bodi Tribe is located in a remote corner of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley.
Rather than being an exception, big belly is the acceptable rule among Bodi men. In Bodi, the bigger and fatter the belly, the more attractive is the man. Men with big belly are the cynosure of women seeking for marriage in Bodi.
In the Bodi Tribe, the bigger the belly, the most desirable man you become. Basically, the men with the biggest belly are most craved.
In Bodi Tribe, the cow is seen as highly sacred. Their cows are so special to them that its blood together with fresh milk is a source of food for the Bodi people.
Bodi is home to an unusual ritual in a bid to be crowned the man with the biggest belly. Bodi men drink fresh cow blood and fresh cow milk for three to six months. This is to quickly become fat and be crowned the fattest man.
During the Kael ceremony, the winner of the contest receives great fame by the Bodi Tribe. Bodi women and girls bring their men milk every morning in their quest for the big belly glory.
As noted in an October 2013 report (www.dailymail.co.uk), “Bodi men compete to be the fattest in the village by drinking a gruesome mixture of blood and milk while living in isolation for six months.”
Men from the Bodi Tribe compete to become the fattest during the new year or Ka’el ceremony. The process of fattening up to achieve big tummy is gruesome and unhealthy. Ironically, the winning fat man in Bodi doesn’t get a prize but is feted as a hero for life by the rest of the tribe.
Six months after starting the regime, Bodi men emerge to show off their newly engorged physiques and for a winner to be chosen.
In Bodi, every child wants to become one of the fat men. On the day of the Ka’el ceremony, the Bodi tribe’s fat men walk for hours around a sacred tree, watched by other men and helped out by the women.
The feat begins six months before the Ka’el ceremony in Bodi. Participants retire to their huts where they stay, while the women bring them food.
In Bodi, the contest begins six months before the ceremony. Every family is allowed to present an unmarried man for the challenge. After being chosen, the Bodi man retires to his hut and must not move or have sex for the duration.
Food comes in the form of a cow’s blood and milk mixture, served regularly to the Bodi men by women from the village.
“The cows are sacred to the Bodi tribe so they are not killed. The blood is taken by making a hole in a vein with a spear or an axe. After that, they close it with clay,” Daily Mail reports on the strange Bodi culture.
It was also reported that, because of the scorching temperatures, the Bodi men have to drink the two-litre bowl of blood and milk quickly before it coagulates. However, not everyone can handle drinking so much at speed.
“The fat men drink milk and blood all day long. The first bowl of blood is drunk at sunrise. The place is invaded by flies. The [Bodi] man must drink it quickly before it coagulates. But some cannot drink everything and vomit it,” it was further reported
On the day itself, Bodi men cover their bodies with white clay and ashes. This they do before emerging from their huts for the walk to the spot where the ceremony will take place.
The dress code for the Bodi ceremony includes a selection of beautifully worked headdresses; made from a mixture of cowrie shells and ostrich plumes. Every part of the Bodi men’s bodies are daubed with the ash and clay mixture.
The Bodi men also wear colourful beaded necklaces and bracelets. The Bodi tribes women wear beautifully bright clothes for the ceremony. Bodi women also wear ash and white clay.
The Bodi men walk to the sacred tree where the ceremony takes place. This is often a challenge for them because of their weight.
There is however a relief during the walk and the ceremony that follows. Bodi women are on hand to help out the fat men with drinks of water and fortifying alcohol.
“Some fat [Bodi] men are so big that they cannot walk anymore,” Daily Mail reported. “They however would want to keep trying to be the fattest until the very last moment.”
Once the fattest man has been chosen, the ceremony ends with the slaughter of a cow, using a huge sacred stone. Bodi village elders will then inspect the stomach and the blood to see whether the future will be a bright one or not.
There is much anticipation at the end of the ceremony. The men wait to hear who will take the title of the Bodi’s fattest man. Their women await the results with just as much interest. Majority of Bodi girls hope to one day marry one of the fat men, if they can.
After the ceremony, the Bodi men’s lives return to normal. Many of them lose their enormous bellies after a few weeks of eating sparingly.
But a few weeks later, the next generation of competitively fat Bodi men will be chosen and the cycle will begin again.
“Becoming a fat man is the dream of every Bodi kid. A few weeks [after the ceremony] he will recover a normal stomach but he will remain a hero for life,” a report stated.
•With Agency Report.
