Primitive tribes in our world. Where do the world's last uncontacted tribes live? Video: Wild tribes of Africa

It is believed that there are no less than a hundred “isolated tribes” in the world that still live in the farthest corners of the world. Members of these tribes, who have preserved traditions long left behind by the rest of the world, provide anthropologists with an excellent opportunity to study in detail the paths of development different cultures for many centuries.

10. The Surma People

The Ethiopian Surma tribe avoided contact with the Western world for many years. However, they are quite famous in the world due to the huge plates they put on their lips. However, they did not want to hear about any government. While colonization, world wars and the struggle for independence were in full swing around them, the Surma people lived in groups of several hundred people each, and continued to engage in their modest cattle breeding.

The first people who managed to establish contact with the people of Surma were several Russian doctors. They met the tribe in 1980. Because the doctors were white-skinned, the tribe members initially thought they were the living dead. One of the few pieces of equipment that members of the Surma people have adopted into their lives is the AK-47, which they use to protect their livestock.

9. Peruvian tribe discovered by tourists

While wandering in the jungles of Peru, a group of tourists suddenly encountered members of an unknown tribe. The entire incident was captured on film: the tribe tried to communicate with the tourists, but due to the fact that the tribe members did not speak either Spanish or English, they soon despaired of making contact and left the puzzled tourists where they found them.

After studying the tape recorded by the tourists, Peruvian authorities soon realized that the group of tourists had encountered one of the few tribes that had not yet been discovered by anthropologists. Scientists knew about their existence and searched for them without success. long years, and tourists found them without even looking.

8. Lonely Brazilian

Slate magazine called him "the most isolated person on the planet." Somewhere in the Amazon there is a tribe consisting of only one person. Just like Bigfoot, this one mysterious person disappears just when scientists are about to discover it.

Why is he so popular, and why won’t they leave him alone? It turns out that, according to scientists, he is the last representative of an isolated tribe in the Amazon. He is the only person in the world who has preserved the customs and language of his people. Communication with him will be tantamount to finding a precious treasure trove of information, part of which is the answer to the question of how he managed to live alone for so many decades.

7. Ramapo Tribe (Ramapough Mountain Indians or The Jackson Whites)

During the 1700s, European settlers completed their colonization of the east coast North America. By this point, every tribe between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River had been added to the catalog famous peoples. As it turned out, all but one were included in the catalogue.

In the 1790s, a previously unknown tribe of Indians emerged from the forest just 56 kilometers from New York. They somehow managed to avoid contact with the settlers, despite some major battles, such as the Seven Years' War and the War of Independence, which actually took place in their backyards. They became known as the Jackson Whites because they had light color skin, and also due to the fact that they were believed to have originated from "Jacks" (a slang word for British).

6. Vietnamese tribe Ruc (Vietnamese Ruc)

During vietnam war There were unprecedented bombings of regions isolated at that time. After one particularly heavy American bombing raid, North Vietnamese soldiers were shocked to see a group of tribesmen emerging from the jungle.

This was the first contact of the Rook tribe with people with advanced technology. Because their jungle home was badly damaged, they decided to stay in modern Vietnam and not return to your traditional dwellings. However, the values and traditions of the tribe, passed down from generation to generation for many centuries, did not please the Vietnamese government, which led to mutual hostility.

5. The Last of the Native Americans

In 1911, the last Native American untouched by civilization walked calmly out of the woods in California, in full tribal garb - and was promptly arrested by shocked police. His name was Ishi and he was a member of the Yahia tribe.

After questioning by the police, who were able to find a translator from a local college, it was revealed that Ishi was the only survivor of his tribe after his tribe was wiped out by settlers three years earlier. After trying to survive alone using only the gifts of nature, he finally decided to turn to other people for help.

Ishi was taken under the wing of a researcher from Berkeley University. There, Ishi told the teaching staff all the secrets of his tribal life, and showed them many survival techniques, using only what nature provided. Many of these techniques were either long forgotten or completely unknown to scientists.

4. Brazilian tribes

The Brazilian government was trying to find out how many people lived in isolated areas of the Amazon lowland in order to add them to the population register. Therefore, government aircraft equipped with photographic equipment regularly flew over the jungle, trying to locate and count the people below it. Tireless flights did indeed produce results, albeit very unexpected ones.

In 2007, a plane performing a routine low flight in order to obtain photographs was unexpectedly hit by a rain of arrows, which a previously unknown tribe used to fire at the plane with bows. Then, in 2011, satellite scanning detected several specks in a corner of the jungle where people were not even expected to be present: as it turned out, the specks were people after all.

3. Tribes of New Guinea

Somewhere in New Guinea there likely remain dozens of languages, cultures and tribal customs that are still unknown to modern man. However, because the area is largely unexplored, and because the character and intentions of these tribes are uncertain, with frequent reports of cannibalism, the wild part of New Guinea is very rarely explored. Despite the fact that new tribes are often discovered, many expeditions that set out to track down such tribes never reach them, or sometimes simply disappear.

For example, in 1961, Michael Rockefeller set out to find some of the lost tribes. Rockefeller, the American heir to one of the world's largest fortunes, was separated from his group and apparently captured and eaten by members of the flames.

2. The Pintupi Nine

In 1984, an unknown group of Aboriginal people was discovered near a settlement in Western Australia. After they escaped, the Pinupian Nine, as they were eventually called, were tracked down by those who spoke their language and told them that there was a place where water flowed from pipes and there was always an ample supply of food. Most of them decided to stay in modern city, several of them became artists working in the style traditional art. However, one of the nine, named Yari Yari, returned to the Gibson Desert, where he lives to this day.

1. The Sentinelese

The Sentinelese are a tribe of approximately 250 people who live on North Sentinel Island, located between India and Thailand. Almost nothing is known about this tribe, because as soon as the Sentinelese see that someone has sailed to them, they greet the visitor with a hail of arrows.

Several peaceful encounters with this tribe in 1960 have given us almost everything we know about their culture. The coconuts brought to the island as a gift were eaten rather than planted. Live pigs were shot with arrows and buried without being eaten. The most popular items among the Sentinelese were red buckets, which were quickly dismantled by members of the tribe - however, exactly the same green buckets remained in place.

Anyone who wanted to land on their island had to first write their will. The National Geographic team was forced to turn around after the team leader took an arrow to the thigh and two local guides were killed.

The Sentinelese have earned a reputation for their ability to experience natural disasters- unlike many modern people living in similar conditions. For example, this coastal tribe successfully escaped the effects of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which wreaked havoc and terror in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Lives on the banks of the Meikhi River wild tribe Pirahu, numbering about three hundred people. The natives survive by hunting and gathering. The peculiarity of this tribe is their unique language: there are no words for shades of colors, no indirect speech, and also interesting fact, it does not contain numerals (Indians count - one, two and many). They have no legends about the creation of the world, no calendar, but despite all this, the Pirahu people have not been found to have the qualities of reduced intelligence.

Video: Amazon Code. In the deep jungle of the Amazon River lives the wild Piraha tribe. Christian missionary Daniel Everett came to them to bring the word of God, but as a result of becoming acquainted with their culture, he became an atheist. But much more interesting than this is a discovery related to the language of the Piraha tribe.

Another known wild tribe of Brazil is the Sinta Larga, numbering about one and a half thousand people. Previously, this tribe lived in the rubber jungle, however, due to their deforestation, the Sinta Larga became a nomadic tribe. The Indians engage in fishing, hunting and farming. There is patriarchy in the tribe, i.e. a man can have several wives. Also, throughout his life, a Cinta Larga man receives several names, depending on individual characteristics or certain events in his life, but there is one special name that is kept secret and only those closest to him know it.

And in the western part of the Amazon River valley lives a very aggressive Korubo tribe. The main occupation of the Indians of this tribe is hunting and raids on neighboring settlements. Moreover, both men and women, armed with poisoned darts and clubs, take part in the raids. There is evidence that cases of cannibalism occur in the Korubo tribe.

Video: Leonid Kruglov: GEO: Unknown world: Earth. Secrets of the new world. " Great River Amazons." "Korubo Incident".

All these tribes represent a unique find for anthropologists and evolutionists. By studying their life and culture, language, and beliefs, one can better understand all stages of human development. And it is very important to preserve this historical heritage in its original form. In Brazil, a special government organization (National Indian Foundation) has been created to deal with the affairs of such tribes. The main task of this organization is to protect these tribes from any interference of modern civilization.

Adventure Magic - Yanomami.

Film: Amazonia / IMAX - Amazon HD.

I wonder if our lives would be much calmer and less nervous and hectic without all the modern technological advances? Probably yes, but it’s unlikely to be more comfortable. Now imagine that on our planet in the 21st century there are tribes living peacefully who can easily do without all this.

1. Yarawa

This tribe lives on the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. It is believed that the age of the Yarawa is from 50 to 55 thousand years. They migrated there from Africa and now there are about 400 of them left. The Yarawa live in nomadic groups of 50 people, hunt with bows and arrows, and fish in coral reefs and collect fruits and honey. In the 1990s, the Indian government wanted to give them more modern conditions for life, but the Yarava refused.

2. Yanomami

The Yanomami carry on as usual ancient image of life on the border between Brazil and Venezuela: 22 thousand live on the Brazilian side and 16 thousand on the Venezuelan side. Some of them have mastered metal processing and weaving, but the rest prefer not to contact the outside world, which threatens to disrupt their centuries-old way of life. They are excellent healers and even know how to catch fish using plant poisons.

3. Nomole

About 600-800 representatives of this tribe live in the tropical forests of Peru, and only since about 2015 have they begun to appear and cautiously contact civilization, not always successfully, it must be said. They call themselves "nomole", which means "brothers and sisters". It is believed that the Nomole people do not have the concept of good and evil in our understanding, and if they want something, they do not hesitate to kill their opponent in order to take possession of his thing.

4. Ava Guaya

The first contact with Ava Guaya occurred in 1989, but it is unlikely that civilization has made them happier, since deforestation actually means the disappearance of this semi-nomadic Brazilian tribe, of which there are no more than 350-450 people. They survive by hunting, live small family groups, have many pets (parrots, monkeys, owls, agouti hares) and have proper names, naming himself after his favorite forest animal.

5. Sentinelese

If other tribes somehow make contact with the outside world, then the inhabitants of North Sentinel Island (Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal) are not particularly friendly. Firstly, they are supposedly cannibals, and secondly, they simply kill everyone who comes to their territory. In 2004, after the tsunami, many people on the neighboring islands were affected. When anthropologists flew over North Sentinel Island to check on its strange inhabitants, a group of aborigines came out of the forest and threateningly waved stones and bows and arrows in their direction.

6. Huaorani, Tagaeri and Taromenan

All three tribes live in Ecuador. The Huaorani had the misfortune of living in an oil-rich area, so most of them were resettled in the 1950s, but Tagaeri and Taromenan split from the main Huaorani group in the 1970s and went into the rainforest to continue their nomadic, ancient way of life. . These tribes are quite unfriendly and vindictive, so no special contacts were established with them.

7. Kawahiwa

The remaining members of the Brazilian Kawahiwa tribe are mostly nomads. They do not like contact with people and simply try to survive through hunting, fishing and occasional farming. The Kawahiwa are endangered due to illegal logging. In addition, many of them died after communicating with civilization, having contracted measles from people. According to conservative estimates, there are now no more than 25-50 people left.

8. Hadza

The Hadza are one of the last tribes of hunter-gatherers (about 1,300 people) living in Africa near the equator near Lake Eyasi in Tanzania. They are still living in the same place for the last 1.9 million years. Only 300-400 Hadza continue to live in the old ways and even officially reclaimed part of their land in 2011. Their way of life is based on the fact that everything is shared, and property and food should always be shared.

In today's world, where everyone lives according to a schedule, working around the clock and not looking away from their cell phones, there are some groups of people who focus on nature. The way of life of these tribes is no different from the one they led several centuries ago. Climate change and industrial development have significantly reduced their numbers, but this moment, these 10 tribes still exist.

Kayapo Indians

The Kayapo are a Brazilian tribe that lives along the Xingu River in 44 separate villages connected by barely visible paths. They call themselves mebengokre, which means “people big water" Unfortunately, their big water” will undergo a dramatic transformation as the huge Belo Monte Dam is being built on the Xingu River. The 668 square kilometer reservoir will flood 388 square kilometers of forest, partially destroying the Kayapo tribe's habitat. The Indians fought against infiltration modern man for many centuries, they fought with everyone, from hunters and animal catchers, to lumberjacks and rubber miners. They even successfully prevented the construction of a major dam in 1989. Their population was once only 1,300 people, but has since grown to almost 8,000. The question today is how people will survive if their culture is threatened. Members of the Kayapo tribe are famous for their body painting, agriculture and colorful headdresses. Modern technologies are already penetrating their lives - the Kayapo are driving motorboats, watching TV, or even logging on Facebook.

Kalash

Situated in the Pakistani mountains, on the border with the Taliban-controlled region of Afghanistan, is the most... unusual tribe white, European-looking people known as Kalash. Many Kalash blonde hair And Blue eyes, which is in stark contrast to their darker-skinned neighbors. Not only does the Kalash tribe differ in physical signs, they have a very different culture from Muslims. They are polytheistic, have a unique folklore, produce wine (which is prohibited in Muslim culture), wear brightly colored clothes and give much more freedom women. They are a decidedly happy, peace-loving people who love to dance and hold numerous annual festivals. No one knows for sure how this fair-skinned tribe came to be in remote Pakistan, but the Kalash claim they are long-lost descendants of the army of Alexander the Great. Evidence from DNA tests shows that they had an infusion of European blood during the time of Alexander's conquests, so there is a possibility that their stories are true. During for long years the surrounding Muslims persecuted the Kalash and forced many to convert to Islam. Today, approximately 4,000-6,000 members of the tribe remain, engaged primarily in agriculture.

Cahuilla Tribe

While southern California is most often associated with Hollywood, surfers and actors, the area is home to nine Indian reservations inhabited by the ancient Cahuilla people. They lived in the Coachella Valley for over 3,000 years and settled there when prehistoric Lake Cahuilla still existed. Despite problems with disease, gold rushes and persecution, the tribe managed to survive, although it was dwindled to 3,000 people. They have lost much of their heritage, and the unique Cahuilla language is on the verge of extinction. This dialect is a mixture of Yuta and Aztec languages, which can be spoken by only 35 elderly people. Currently, the elders are trying hard to convey their language, “bird songs” and other cultural characteristics to the younger generation. Like most indigenous peoples in North America, they faced the challenge of assimilating into the wider community in an attempt to maintain their old traditions.

Spinifex tribe

The Spinifex tribe, or Saw Nguru, are indigenous people living in the Great Victorian Desert. They have lived in some of the harshest climates for life for at least 15,000 years. Even after Europeans settled in Australia, this tribe was not affected as they occupied an environment that was too dry and inhospitable. Everything changed in the 1950s, when Spinifex Land, unsuitable for Agriculture, chosen for nuclear tests. In 1953 the British and Australian governments blew up nuclear bombs in the Spinifex homeland, without any consent and after a short warning. Most Aboriginal people were displaced and did not return to their homeland until the late 1980s. After returning, they faced heavy opposition when trying to legally recognize the area as their property. I wonder if they beautiful works art helped prove the deep connection of the Spinifex people to this land, after which they were recognized as an indigenous people in 1997. Their works of art received widespread recognition and appeared on art exhibitions worldwide. It is difficult to count how many members of the tribe currently exist, but one of their largest communities, known as Tjuntyuntyara, has an estimated population of 180-220.

Batak

On Philippine island Palawan is home to the Batak people, a tribe of the most genetically diverse people on the planet. They are believed to belong to a Negroid-Australoid race, distantly related to those people from whom we are all descended. This means that they are descendants of one of the first groups that left Africa approximately 70,000 years ago and traveled from the Asian mainland to the Philippines approximately 20,000 years later. Typical of Negroids, Bataks have short stature and strange, unusual hair. Traditionally, women wear sarongs, while men cover their body only with a loincloth and feathers, or jewelry. The entire community works together to hunt and harvest, followed by celebrations. In general, Bataks are shy, peaceful people who prefer to hide deep in the jungle without engaging in confrontations with outsiders. Like other local tribes, disease, territorial conquests, and other modern invasions have devastated the Batak population. Currently there are approximately 300-500 people. Oddly enough, among the biggest dangers for the tribe was defense environment. The Philippine government has banned logging in certain protected areas, and the Batak have traditionally practiced tree cutting. Without the ability to grow food efficiently, many suffer from malnutrition.

Andamanese

Andamanese are also classified as Negroids, but due to their extremely short height (adult males are under 150 centimeters), they are usually referred to as pygmies. They inhabit the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Like the Bataks, the Andamanese are one of the first groups to migrate from Africa, and developed in isolation until the 18th century. Up until the 19th century, they didn't even know how to start a fire. The Andamanese are divided into separate tribes, each of which has its own own culture and language. One group disappeared when it last participant died aged 85 in 2010. Another group, the Sentinelese, are so fiercely resistant to outside contact that even in the modern technological world very little is known about them. Those who have not integrated into the larger Indian culture, still live like their ancestors. For example, they use a single type of weapon - a bow and arrow - to hunt pig, turtle and fish. Men and women collect roots, tubers and honey together. Clearly, their lifestyle is working for them, as doctors rate the health and nutritional status of the Andamanese as “optimal.” The most big problems What they have is the impact of Indian settlers and tourists who force them off the land, bring diseases and treat these people like animals in a safari park. Although the exact size of the tribe is not known, as some still live in isolation, there are approximately 400-500 existing Andamanese.

Piraha tribe

Although there are many small primitive tribes throughout Brazil and the Amazon, the Pirahã stand out because they have their own culture and language, unlike many other people on the planet. This tribe has some quirky features. They don't have colors, numbers, past tense or subordinate clauses. While some might call the language simplistic, these features are a result of Piraha values of living only in the moment. In addition, because they live completely together, they have no need to ration and divide property. A lot of unnecessary words are eliminated when you have no history, don't have to track anything, and only trust what you see. In general, the Pirahã differ from Westerners in almost every way. They sincerely rejected all missionaries, like everyone else modern technologies. They have no leader and do not need to exchange resources with other people or tribes. Even after hundreds of years of external contact, this group of 300 people has remained largely unchanged since ancient times.

People of Takuu Atoll

The people of Takuu Atoll are Polynesian in origin, but are considered one of the isolated cultures as they live in the Melanesian region instead of the Polynesian triangle. Takuu Atoll has a particularly distinct culture, which some call the most traditionally Polynesian. This is because the Takuu tribe are extremely protective of their way of life and protect themselves from suspicious outsiders. They even enforced the ban on missionaries for 40 years. They still live in traditional thatched buildings. Unlike most of us, who spend most of our time working, Takuu devote 20-30 hours a week to singing and dancing. Surprisingly, they have over 1,000 songs that they repeat from memory. The 400 members of the tribe are somehow connected to each other, and they are controlled by one leader. Unfortunately, climate change may destroy the Takuu's way of life as the ocean soon engulfs their island. Rising sea levels have already polluted freshwater sources and drowned crops, and although the community has created dams, they are proving ineffective.

Spirit Tribe

Spirit - last group nomadic herders of Mongolia with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty. About 300 members of the tribe remain, carefully protecting their cold homeland and believing in a sacred forest where the ghosts of their ancestors live. This cold, mountainous region has very few resources, so the Spirits rely on reindeer for the sake of milk, cheese, transportation, hunting and attracting tourists. However, due to the small size of the tribe, the Spirit's way of life is in jeopardy as the reindeer population rapidly declines. There are many factors contributing to this decline, but the most important are overhunting and predation. Making matters worse, the discovery of gold in northern Mongolia brought here the mining industry, which is destroying the local wildlife. With so many problems, many young people are leaving their ancient roots and choosing life in the city.

El Molo

The ancient El Molo tribe of Kenya is the smallest tribe in the country and also faces many threats. Due to the almost constant persecution of other groups, they have already isolated themselves in a remote coastline Lake Terkana, but still can't breathe easy. The tribe depends solely on fish and aquatic animals for survival and trade. Unfortunately, their lake evaporates by 30 centimeters every year. This contributes to water pollution and a decrease in fish populations. It now takes them a week to catch the same amount of fish that they previously caught in a day. El Molo must take risks and dive into crocodile-infested waters to catch his catch. There is fierce competition for fish, and the El Molo are under threat of invasion by warring neighboring tribes. In addition to these environmental hazards, the tribe experiences cholera outbreaks every few years that wipe out most of the people. The average lifespan of an el molo is only 30-45 years. There are approximately 200 of them, and anthropologists estimate that only 40 of them are “pure” El Molo.

Multifaceted Africa, on a vast territory of which there are 61 countries, with a population of more than a billion people, surrounded by cities of civilized countries, in secluded corners More than 5 million people of almost completely wild African tribes still live on this continent.

Members of these tribes do not recognize the achievements of the civilized world and are content with the modest benefits that they received from their ancestors. Poor huts, modest food and a minimum of clothing suit them, and they are not going to change this way of life.

Children of the tribe...

Cooking...

There are about 3 thousand different tribes and nationalities in Africa, but it is difficult to name their exact number, since most often they are either densely mixed together, or, on the contrary, radically separated. The population of some tribes is only a few thousand or even hundreds of people, and often inhabit only 1-2 villages. Because of this, in the territory African continent There are adverbs and dialects that sometimes only representatives of a particular tribe can understand. And the variety of rituals cultural systems, dances, customs and sacrifices are enormous and amazing. Besides appearance the people of some tribes are simply amazed by their looks.

However, since they all live on the same continent, all African tribes still have something in common. Some cultural elements are characteristic of all nationalities living in this territory. One of the main defining features of African tribes is their focus on the past, that is, the cult of the culture and life of their ancestors.

The majority of African peoples deny everything new and modern and withdraw into themselves. Most of all, they are attached to constancy and immutability, including in everything that concerns Everyday life, traditions and customs that originate from our great-grandfathers.

It’s hard to imagine, but among them there are practically no people who are not engaged in subsistence farming or cattle breeding. Hunting, fishing or gathering are completely normal activities for them. Just like many centuries ago, African tribes They fight among themselves, marriages most often take place within the same tribe, intertribal marriages are very rare among them. Of course, more than one generation leads such a life; every new child from birth will have to live the same fate.

Tribes differ from each other by their own unique system of life, customs and rituals, beliefs and prohibitions. Most tribes invent their own fashion, often stunningly colorful, the originality of which is often simply amazing.

Among the most famous and numerous tribes today are the Maasai, Bantu, Zulus, Samburu and Bushmen.

Maasai

One of the most famous African tribes. They live in Kenya and Tanzania. The number of representatives reaches 100 thousand people. They are most often found on the side of a mountain, which features prominently in Maasai mythology. Perhaps the size of this mountain influenced the worldview of the tribe members - they consider themselves the favorites of the gods, the highest people, and are sincerely confident that there are no more beautiful people in Africa than them.

This opinion of oneself gave rise to a contemptuous, often even derogatory attitude towards other tribes, which became the cause of frequent wars between tribes. In addition, it is the Maasai custom to steal animals from other tribes, which also does not improve their reputation.

The Maasai dwelling is built from branches coated with dung. This is done mainly by women, who also, if necessary, take on the duties of pack animals. The main share of nutrition is milk or animal blood, less often meat. Distinctive feature The beauty of this tribe is considered to be the elongated earlobes. Currently, the tribe has been almost completely exterminated or dispersed; only in remote corners of the country, in Tanzania, are some Maasai nomads still preserved.

Bantu

The Bantu tribe lives in Central, Southern and East Africa. In truth, the Bantu are not even a tribe, but an entire nation, which includes many peoples, for example, Rwanda, Shono, Konga and others. They all have similar languages and customs, which is why they were united into one large tribe. Most Bantu people speak two or more languages, the most commonly spoken of which is Swahili. The number of members of the Bantu people reaches 200 million. According to research scientists, it was the Bantu, along with the Bushmen and Hottentots, who became the progenitors of the South African colored race.

Bantus have a peculiar appearance. They have very dark skin and the amazing structure of the hair - each hair is curled in a spiral. Wide wings of the nose, low bridge of the nose and high growth- often taller than 180 cm - are also distinctive features of Bantu people. Unlike the Maasai, the Bantu do not shy away from civilization and willingly invite tourists on educational walks around their villages.

Like any African tribe, a large part of Bantu life is occupied by religion, namely, traditional African animist beliefs, as well as Islam and Christianity. The Bantu home resembles a Maasai house - the same round shape, with a frame made of branches coated with clay. True, in some areas Bantu houses are rectangular, painted, with gable, lean-to or flat roofs. Members of the tribe are mainly engaged in agriculture. Distinctive feature Bantu refers to an enlarged lower lip into which small discs are inserted.

Zulus

The Zulu people, once the largest ethnic group, now has only 10 million people. The Zulus enjoy own language- Zulu, which comes from the Bantu family and is the most common in South Africa. In addition, English, Portuguese, Sesotho and other African languages are in circulation among members of the people.

The Zulu tribe suffered a difficult period during the apartheid era in South Africa, when, being the most numerous people, was defined as a second-class population.

As for the beliefs of the tribe, most of The Zulu remained faithful to national beliefs, but there are also Christians among them. Zulu religion is based on the belief in a creator god who is supreme and separate from everyday routine. Representatives of the tribe believe that they can contact the spirits through fortune tellers. All negative manifestations in the world, including illness or death, are considered as the machinations of evil spirits or the result of evil witchcraft. In the Zulu religion, the main place is occupied by cleanliness, frequent bathing is a custom among representatives of the people.

Samburu

The Samburu tribe lives in the northern regions of Kenya, on the border of the foothills and the northern desert. About five hundred years ago, the Samburu people settled in this territory and quickly populated the plain. This tribe is independent and confident in its elitism much more than the Maasai. The life of the tribe depends on livestock, but, unlike the Maasai, the Samburu themselves raise livestock and move with them from place to place. Customs and ceremonies occupy a significant place in the life of the tribe and are distinguished by the splendor of colors and forms.

Samburu huts are made of clay and skins; the outside of the home is surrounded by a thorny fence to protect it from wild animals. Representatives of the tribe take their houses with them, reassembling them at each site.

Among the Samburu, it is customary to divide labor between men and women, this also applies to children. Women's responsibilities include gathering, milking cows and fetching water, as well as collecting firewood, cooking and looking after children. Of course, in charge female half The tribe enjoys general order and stability. Samburu men are responsible for herding livestock, which is their main means of subsistence.

Most important detail The life of the people is childbearing, sterile women are subjected to severe persecution and bullying. It is normal for the tribe to worship the spirits of ancestors, as well as witchcraft. The Samburu believe in charms, spells and rituals, using them to increase fertility and protection.

Bushmen

The most famous African tribe among Europeans since ancient times is the Bushmen. The name of the tribe consists of the English “bush” - “bush” and “man” - “man”, however, calling members of the tribe this way is dangerous - it is considered offensive. It would be more correct to call them “san,” which means “stranger” in the Hottentot language. Externally, the Bushmen are somewhat different from other African tribes; they have more bright skin, and the lips are thinner. In addition, they are the only ones who eat ant larvae. Their dishes are considered a specialty national cuisine of this people. The way of society of the Bushmen also differs from that generally accepted among wild tribes. Instead of chiefs and sorcerers, the ranks choose elders from among the most experienced and respected members of the tribe. The elders lead the lives of the people without taking any advantage at the expense of others. It should be noted that the Bushmen also believe in the afterlife, like other African tribes, but they do not have the cult of ancestors adopted by other tribes.

Among other things, the Sans have a rare talent for stories, songs and dances. They can make almost any musical instrument. For example, there are bows strung with animal hair or bracelets made from dried insect cocoons with pebbles inside, which are used to beat the rhythm during dance. Almost everyone who has the opportunity to observe musical experiments Bushmen, try to write them down in order to pass them on to future generations. This is all the more relevant given that present century dictates its own rules and many Bushmen have to deviate from centuries-old traditions and work as workers on farms in order to provide for their family and tribe.

This is a very small number of tribes living in Africa. There are so many of them that it would take several volumes to describe them all, but each of them boasts a unique value system and way of life, not to mention rituals, customs and costumes.