ENTRY DESCRIPTION
The Mundari tribe have distinctive scarification on their foreheads in the shape of the horns of their beloved Ankole Watusi cows. In Mundari culture, like for many South Sudanese tribes, cattle play an important role in religion, birth and marriage. They are symbols of wealth and power. Every life event includes a reference to cows, the lives of which can be sometimes deemed more important than those of humans. A person’s position in society is established through the ownership of cattle – the size and shape of the horns being the most important features.
Traditionally, Ankole Watusi cows are considered sacred, with an owner’s wealth counted in live animals.
back to gallery