Do you already know the women of the Wodaabe tribe? Separated from urban centers and the means and comforts of modern life, the isolated tribes around the world have managed to strengthen their traditions, rituals and myths. Some of them attract attention, for defending principles that seem contrary to those of Western society.
We are familiar with the practice of polygamy in many parts of the world. And even in societies where monogamy is the norm, the greatest pressure on aesthetics is always on the shoulders of females.
But, Wodaabe women are totally different. In fact, in the Wodaabe tribe, the power to have multiple husbands is theirs. Join us in Supercurioso to learn about the parameters under which the life of this interesting human group is sustained.
Getting to know the Wodaabe tribe
To get to know the Wodaabe tribe in greater depth, it is necessary to travel deep into the desert areas of the Sahel, a region located between the Sahara and Sudan. Wodaabe men and women are noted for their beauty. In fact, this pastoral tribe is considered the most beautiful in the world. But unlike the common one, the greatest aesthetic focus is on men.
For the Wodaabe tribe, aesthetic appearance is one of the most important pillars of life. Wodaabe women are often dressed in dark, knee-length skirts. Tattoos are made on the face, with floral or geometric motifs. They also adorn themselves with earrings in their ears and make elaborate braided hairstyles, which have the symbolism of protection.
But it is the men of the Wodaabe tribe who dedicate the most time to their physical grooming. They dress in long tunics and turbans of blue or white colors. They also make up and always carry a mirror among their belongings. Now, this is counted among the tribes with strange customs for a simple reason: they practice polyandry. Let’s see more about it.
1. What is the Polyandry of the Wodaabe women?
The Wodaabe tribe is an Islamic nomadic community of African countries such as Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and the Central African Republic. But, despite his religious identity, in his daily life he adds quite peculiar aspects, such as polyandry or polygamy to which his women are entitled. Indeed, Wodaabe women can have several husbands, as it is part of what is allowed in their culture.
Wodaabe polyandry is governed by the Pulaake, a strict moral code in which the fundamental thing is discretion, patience and strength. The selection process for a new husband takes place at a festival, the location of which is revealed only days before the agreed date. It is one of the most important events for this tribe.
2. The Guerewol festival
Among the Wodaabe rituals, the most important is the Guerewol festival. It is literally a beauty pageant in an indigenous way. But in him, the protagonists are men. They are the ones who should attract the attention of womenbecause they are the ones who have sexual freedom and the power to choose their husbands.
The festival takes place every September, at the end of the rainy season. Its duration extends for seven days and seven nights, in which men prepare arduously.
In the Wodaabe tribe’s Guerewol festival rite, men prepare their bodies for six hours and paint their faces to impress the women. They paint themselves with red mud, black eyeliner to highlight the whites of their eyes, and lipstick. to show their teeth. To complete the look, white ostrich feathers are placed in her hair to appear taller, with a white streak painted over her shoulder.
If any of the Wodaabe women like any of the participants, they can choose to keep them and leave their current husbands. They wait firmly for women to choose their favorite by touching them on the shoulder. The most striking of all are the Yaake dances, a male contest for sexual supremacy, which is the moment in which the jury chooses its favourites. Also the space in which men do their best to attract attention.
3. The Koogal and Teegal, marriages in the Wodaabe tribe
The Wodaabe tribe develops polygamy in its women in a particular way. The first husband and the marriage contracted with him are called Koogal. This is understood as a family imposition, to guarantee reproduction and preserve the lineage of the tribe.
It is precisely this imposition that makes the Gerewol festival so highly anticipated by Wodaabe women. And it is that it is the moment in which they can choose, for the first time, with whom to unite again, even displacing the first husband to the background.
But it’s not just these two opportunities that Wodaabe women have to expand their love boundaries. In fact, they can continue having successive marriages, as many times as they wish. These later unions are called Teegal. When they occur, priority is given to exogamous marriages, those contracted with people of descent or origin from another region, locality or tribe. In this way it is guaranteed that the Wodaabe have an increasingly heterogeneous offspring.
And you, Did you know the Wodaabe tribe? Did you know about the Wodaabe women’s custom of having several husbands? What do you think of her? Would you join a tribe with these social norms?
Go ahead and leave us all your opinions in a comment. We will be happy to read you! And if you want to continue learning about the different regions of the world, their social groups and cultural manifestations, we invite you to enjoy this article on the most interesting curiosities of Africa. We are in a next super curious article!
In addition to Wodaabe women, you should know about: