In the north of Namibia lives an amazing tribe that few people knew about. Its residents, who had no contact with white people, did not allow journalists to visit them for a long time, and after several reports, interest in them increased incredibly. There were many people who wanted to visit the tribe and tell the world about nomads living by their own laws.
Herder tribe
The Himba tribe, whose number does not exceed 50 thousand people, has lived in scattered settlements since the 16th century and leads a semi-sedentary, semi-nomadic existence in the desert where there is no water. Now it is engaged in cattle breeding: residents breed cows of a special breed, unpretentious and ready to do without water for a long time. Pets are the main wealth and inheritance, which is not considered as food.
People unfamiliar with the benefits of civilization
By selling animals, they earn some money, and frequent guests buy souvenirs and crafts. The Himba spend their earnings on buying sugar, corn flour, and treats for the children. The inhabitants do not need clothing; they make clothes from animal skins and fasten them to their bodies with a belt. All they need are flip-flops to walk through the scorching desert. None of them uses technology, hardly knows writing, the tribe members’ dishes are replaced by vessels hollowed out in a pumpkin, but they do not suffer at all from the lack of attributes of civilization.
The Himba tribe, whose photos were often published in various publications, observes ancient customs and worships souls of the dead and god Mukur, raises livestock and does not shed other people's blood. They lead a peaceful existence in a lifeless desert, in conditions of severe water shortage.
Attention to appearance
For tribe members, appearance plays an important role in traditional culture. It indicates position in society and certain phases of life. For example, married women wear on their heads some kind of crown, which is made from goat skins, and married men- turban.
Girls braid their long hair in braids above the forehead; as they get older, they do hairstyles that consist of a huge number of braids, and boys pull their hair into a ponytail tied in a bun.
Women voted the most beautiful
Representatives of the Himba do not miss a single detail and carefully monitor their appearance, taking care of their skin and hair. They compensate for the lack of clothing with numerous jewelry made from copper, shells and pearls. This is an important part of centuries-old traditions, and the women of the Himba tribe are recognized as the most beautiful. Their delicate facial features and almond-shaped eyes are admired by travelers who claim that every girl could work as a model on the catwalk.
These are tall and slender women who stand out from the rest. They deftly carry containers of precious water on their heads, thanks to which they have developed excellent posture. The jewelry that the fair sex wears on their necks, legs, and arms serves not only for beauty - in this way local girls protect themselves from snake bites.
Magic mixture for face and body
Every drop of water is worth its weight in gold, and what they manage to get is drunk, so the members of the tribe do not wash, and a special mixture of red-orange color helps them survive, to which the Himba owe their special skin tone. Women grind volcanic rocks into powder and mix it with butter whipped from cows' milk, ash, and herbal elixirs. Every morning begins with the natives applying ocher paint, which maintains the necessary level of hygiene and protects against insect bites and scorching sun rays, to the entire body and face.
The women's incredibly soft skin looks great and smells nice with an aromatic resin that is often added to the mixture, which also serves as the basis for the complex hairstyles that distinguish the Himba tribe.
Each resident has a second, “European” name. Children receive it when they study in mobile schools. Every child can count and knows several phrases in English language, but after the first classes of training, few people continue it.
The Himba tribe in Namibia build cone-shaped huts from saplings and palm leaves that intertwine leather straps, and later covers them with manure and silt. There are no amenities inside such a home, except for a mattress on the floor.
The tribe lives in a clan, led by an elder - the grandfather, who is responsible for housing, religious aspects, observance of laws and traditions, economic issues, and property management. His powers are confirmed by a special bracelet on his erenge hand. The headman concludes marriages, conducts various ceremonies and rituals near the sacred fire, attracting the spirits of ancestors to resolve pressing issues.
Marriages are arranged in such a way that wealth is distributed equally. After the wedding, the wife moves in with her husband and accepts the rules of the new clan.
Women get up very early, at dawn, to milk the cows, which the men take to pasture. As soon as the land becomes scarce, the Himba tribe leaves the place and moves to another place. Husbands wander with their herds, leaving their wives and children in the village.
Among the modern things the tribe has adopted are plastic bottles in which jewelry is stored.
It is best to go to the village with a guide, who will tell you in detail about the life of the tribe and will be able to negotiate with the leader about visiting the home.
The amazing Himba tribe are hospitable and smiling people who do not seek benefits from frequent travelers. An original people existing in isolation from outside world, is indifferent to the benefits of civilization, and every case of preserving traditional ways of life is of great interest to scientists and tourists.
In southwest Africa, deep into the desert from the coast Atlantic Ocean Dubbed the “Skeleton Coast” due to frequent shipwrecks, there is an area in northern Namibia where time has stood still. People live here, they are called Himba tribe. A century ago, almost nothing was known about him. But thanks to tourists and journalists, photographs appeared on the Internet and now this tribe is considered the most beautiful in Africa.
The Himba are a semi-nomadic African people living in the northern part of Namibia near the border with Angola, in the Kunene region, in the inaccessible areas of the Kaokoland plateau. The number of its representatives is 20,000-50,000 people. They speak the Otjihimba language and trace their origins to the Herero people. Several hundred years ago, the Herero, including the ancestors of the Himba, migrated to Namibia from east Africa. About 150 years ago, the rest of the Herero separated from these lands and went further south.
The well-known about the little-known Himba
IN mid-19th century, the tribe was attacked by the Nama tribe, and many of them, along with the leader, moved to Angola. After World War I, the Himba returned to Namibia. In 1904 they were subjected to genocide by the German colonialists.
In 1980, a terrible drought broke out on the tribal lands, as a result of which the tribe almost ceased to exist. The remaining Himba took refuge in the city of Opuwo. Only in the 1990s did the revival of the tribe begin on their ancestral lands.
The tribe, thanks to its isolation from the outside world, maintains its traditional way of life. Social structure is a tribal system based on bilateral inheritance (each member of the tribe belongs to two clans - the patriclan and the matriclan). The main occupation of the Himba is cattle breeding: they raise cows, as well as goats and sheep.
These people retain their traditional beliefs. They consider Mukuru the only god, the creator of everything, and perform rituals associated with the sacred fire - okoruvo.
The chief of the tribe is the elder; he monitors compliance with the rules and customs.
Himba traditions
Women should be beautiful - they are busy with their beauty, not all the time, of course, but they consider this activity extremely necessary and important. Himba women have extraordinarily beautiful skin, the secret of its beauty lies in the ointment with which they cover their entire body and hair every day and more than once.
This ointment, prepared from powdered volcanic pumice, cow butter and a variety of plant extracts, not only gives the skin a beautiful reddish tint, but also maintains its elasticity and firmness for a long time. long years, it is also an excellent hygiene product and protects against sunburn.
The Himba people carefully protect their established way of life from strangers and, possessing a mass of unique knowledge about nature and man, replenished from generation to generation, are content with the little that they have and do not need anything that they do not have and never had - here you go
The African Himba tribe lives in the Kunene region, which is located in the northern part of Namibia. This is one of the most difficult places for a person to exist.
The hot African climate prevails here, malaria is widespread and great amount poisonous snakes. However, despite such difficult conditions, the Himba are very peaceful and friendly people.
Its number, according to various sources, ranges from 20 to 50 thousand people. The history of the Himba begins in eastern Africa, from where, a couple of hundred years ago, they, together with the Herero tribe, moved to Namibia.
The traditional Himba lifestyle is similar to that of other African tribes (e.g.
), i.e. nomadic. The main occupation of this tribe is cattle breeding - they raise large and small cattle, as well as sheep. Himba women have a long list of responsibilities.
Besides the fact that milking cows falls on their shoulders. So they also do more difficult work: provide settlements with water and even build houses. In addition, they are required to provide childcare. Moreover, often one woman watches not only her own, but also other people’s offspring. While their mother is working.
Traditions of the Himba tribe
Himba settlements are built in a circle. In the center there are pens for livestock, which are surrounded by their own residential buildings. Their houses are very similar to yurts.
As building materials They use young wood, from it they form the frame of the future house, which is then covered with mud and manure, the whole structure dries perfectly and is fixed under the rays of the hot African sun.
To this day, the Himba tribe has a cult of ancestors. They also perform rituals in which they use okoruwa (sacred flame), because... it is a symbol of the inextricable connection between the world of the living and the world of the dead. 
Okoruwa burns continuously as long as the elder lives. When he leaves the world of the living, his home is subject to destruction, and the flame itself is extinguished. Members of the elder's family are required to perform a dance ritual throughout the night.
Speaking about the Himba tribe, it is necessary to dwell separately on their appearance. This tribe, like the representatives of the Watusi tribe, pay great attention to their appearance and caring for it.
The Himba do not miss a single detail: hairstyle, various jewelry, clothing - all this is carefully monitored, because this is part of the centuries-old Himba traditions. Even just after the baby is born, pearl jewelry is worn.
Representatives of the beautiful half of the Himba stand out clearly against the background of other tribes living in Namibia. These are tall, slender women with a reddish skin tone and not particularly burdened with clothing.
The lack of outfits is compensated by numerous decorations made of copper, shells, pearls, etc. Jewelry is worn on the arms, legs, neck, in general, wherever they can be used.
It is worth noting that in this way they not only decorate themselves, but also protect them. For example, ankle bracelets from snakes, which are abundant in the Kunene region. Also, women of this tribe have excellent posture, which is formed as a result of constantly wearing containers of water on their heads.
In general, Himba women are very attractive: slender figures, delicate facial features and almond-shaped eyes.
Traditionally, the Himba cover their entire body, as well as their face and head, with a kind of ointment, which includes fat, ocher and ash. That's why their skin has a red tint.
Also, in this way, they protect their skin from the scorching African sun. In addition, this mixture has a unique cosmetic effect and gives the skin elasticity and shine.
Himba women do not have the habit of washing; all hygiene procedures are associated with this mixture. 
The traditional women's hairstyles of the Himba people are various braids, depending on the type of which you can determine whether the girl is married. Men's and children's hairstyles are also very diverse. In addition, married men wear a headdress - a turban.
Due to complex climatic conditions The Himba rarely have contact with the civilized world. Therefore, all that this tribe took from the modern benefits of civilization were plastic bags and plastic bottles. They store their numerous decorations and household items in them.
The Himba, like many other African tribes, suffered greatly during the colonial period of Africa. This small nation was subjected to merciless genocide (mass extermination) in 1904.
It was carried out by the representative of the German colonial machine, Lothar von Troth, who also led the massacres of other tribes inhabiting the territory of Namibia, some of them were completely wiped off the face of the earth (for example, Herero).
Fortunately, the Himba managed to avoid a similar fate, but the number of this tribe decreased sharply.
The Himba tribe is one of the few in modern Africa where they continue to lead a traditional way of life. They don't enjoy the benefits modern civilization and are in no hurry to leave their homes for life in the city, and the women of this people are rightfully considered the most beautiful on the African continent.
The Himba, who number less than 50,000 people, are the hallmark of Namibia's tourism industry. Living in the arid regions of the country, the Himba people earn their living by raising cattle and gathering. Just like their ancestors hundreds of years ago, the Himba raise goats and cows. Their pets are not very well-fed: the lack of succulent food affects them. But lean goats and cows provide the tribe with nutritious milk, which, along with plant foods, forms the basis of the Himba diet. They eat meat extremely rarely, only on major holidays. The Himba people are busy all day long. physical labor: men graze cattle, walking several kilometers from the village every day, repair and build huts, women raise children, cook food and devote time to handicrafts.
Their traditional home is an ordinary mud hut, sometimes covered with thatch. The food is cooked over fires, and the little ones eat the porridge with their hands directly from the communal cauldron. Traditionally, the tribe practiced polygamy, but today this custom is often abandoned. The Himba actively communicate with neighboring tribes and can enter into alliances not only with representatives of their own people.
Interestingly, numerous missionaries tried to convert the Himba people to Christianity. For more than 150 years, their tribes were constantly visited by white people, but the Himba remained with their traditional values. They believe in nature spirits just like their ancestors.
It is noteworthy that the Himbas still prefer traditional clothing, which is especially noticeable for women. A goat skin skirt, many bracelets and a magnificent hairstyle are the external signs by which you can easily recognize the women of this tribe. Among the others African peoples, most of whom wear short hair, the Himbas stand out for their long hair. Such beauty requires careful care: these beauties devote several hours a day to cosmetic procedures. With little water and constant economy, the Himba braid their hair. And so that they have to be washed less often, the braids are coated with a special composition from a mixture goat milk, powdered ocher and herbs. When the girl is still small, there are two braids and they are braided forward. And when a girl is ready to get married, she braids her hair back and puts on a beautiful hairstyle on her head.
But Himba women's concerns about their attractiveness are not limited to hair care. They fumigate their hair and skin with smoke every day, and also rub in a nourishing cream based on the same goat's milk and ocher. Such efforts pay off handsomely: Himba women are considered the first beauties of Africa. Tall, slender, long-legged with amazing hairstyles and beautiful faces, they arouse genuine interest from the outside world.
Visiting Himba villages is included in everything tourism programs Namibia. But, despite the growing interest in itself, the tribe did not acquire those features of ostentatious “originality” inherent in many peoples involved in travel business. They don’t force their souvenirs on guests and don’t run to dress up in traditional clothes before arrival next group, although they are happy to communicate with visitors. With the money, Himba women buy food, mainly cereals, as well as combs to care for their beautiful hair.
The Himba have almost no water at all: every drop that can be obtained will be carefully preserved and drunk. To also wash with water is unimaginable here.
The Himba have been helped to survive since time immemorial by a magical ointment, to which they owe their now famous red skin tone: a mixture of butter churned from the milk of their skinny cows, various plant elixirs, as well as bright red volcanic pumice “okra” ground into the finest powder. Himba women apply this mixture to their entire body and hair several times a day.
The ointment helps maintain the required level of hygiene, protects against sunburn and insect bites.
Surprisingly, Himba women have absolutely perfect skin. And they smell quite pleasant - except that they smell a little like melted butter...
The same super cream serves as the basis for a traditional hairstyle. Long "dreadlocks", however, are grown approximately twice as long with someone else's hair: usually male, most often respectfully accepted from the father of the family.
By the way, every resident of a Himba village has, in addition to the one received at birth, also a “European” name.
Children receive it when they study in mobile free schools organized by the state: almost everyone goes to study, so almost everyone knows how to count, can write their name, say a few English words and phrases (first of all, English numbers will come in handy - especially when it comes time to bargain).
After the first two or three classes, very few continue to study. Only a rich family can afford to send a child to the city, to a “big” school: education, housing, clothing, and food in the city cost an average of seven cows a year. But sometimes it happens.
From there, from the city, comes the most terrible problem of the Himba: AIDS. In Namibia, almost 20 percent of the population is infected with AIDS, and the Himba have a purely philosophical attitude towards the danger of becoming infected: God gave, God takes away.
Of course, they are not talking about any kind of prevention. But if you’re lucky and don’t get infected with AIDS in childhood or youth, the Himba live for quite a long time: often longer than 70 years, and sometimes live up to 100. However, old people are not visible in the village: either in distant pastures, with livestock, or in huts where tourists are not allowed.
An ideal starting point for a trip to the Himba settlements is the town of Opuwo. Already here, by the way, you can meet representatives of the Himba. Don't be surprised if you see one of these gorgeous ladies in the supermarket.
It is better to go directly to the Himba village with a local guide. He will be able to negotiate with the tribal leader about visiting the “kraal” (the traditional home of the Himba) and he will talk about the life and culture of the Himba.