Hamar bull jumping
A coming-of-age rite of the Hamar people of southern Ethiopia, in which a young man runs across the backs of a line of cattle.
Also: ukuli bula, bull jumping
Among the Hamar of the lower Omo valley in southern Ethiopia, a young man becomes eligible to marry by completing the bull jump. Cattle are held side by side in a row, and he must run across their backs from one end to the other and back again several times without falling. The ceremony, usually held after the harvest, gathers relatives and guests from across the area, with dancing, singing and feasting, and his female relatives dance in his support. When he has completed the jump he is counted an adult and may marry. The rite is one of the best-known customs of the Omo valley peoples.