Namibia is a beautiful country that sits in the southern part of Africa. The country has a breathtaking landscape that is dotted with glorious mountains, the Fish River Canyon, gold-grass plains of the Kalahari and wildlife. All of these make Namibia an interesting tourist destination.

However, the peculiar custom of the Himba tribe in Namibia has brought her to the international spotlight, especially in recent times. What makes them popular involves not just their interesting custom, but also their way of life, clothing and economy.

The Himba people, also regarded as the Omuhimba or Ovahimba people, live in northern part of Namibia, especially in the Kunene region.

They are said to offer sed for free and adorn newborns with beaded necklaces. Although the Himba people engage cooperatively with neighbouring tribes, they live in seclusion and are wary of external contacts. This is their way of resisting contamination to their beliefs and culture. Himba is one of the warmest tribes in Africa and they are courteous to strangers and visitors alike. They, however, frown at anything that will threaten their cultural values and traditions

The Himba people are predominantly farmers. They raise different breeds of livestock especially goats, cattle, sheep, etc. The women collect firewood, search for potable water, cook and serve meals, and skillfully make things by hand. Some members of the tribe are religious and socially inclined, worshipping the gods of their ancestors. They can be polygamous, marrying many of their girls off at an early age.

One peculiar thing about this tribe is that they do not take baths with water. This is mostly because of their harsh climatic conditions. The Himba people live in one of the most extreme environments on earth with the harsh desert climate and the unavailability of potable water.


However, their lack of bathing has not resulted into lack of personal hygiene. Members of the tribe apply red ochre on their skin and partake in a daily smoke bath in order to maintain good hygiene.

To do this, they put smouldering charcoal into a little bowl of herbs (mostly leaves and little branches of Commiphora trees). Then they bow over the smoking bowl until they start perspiring. For a full body wash, they cover themselves with a blanket so that the smoke gets trapped underneath the fabric.”

Source: https://www.kirkiblog.com.ng/2018/06/the-real-reason-why-himba-people-in.html?m=1

R

Interesting Piece

They Simply Found A Way Around Dearth Of Water In Their Vicinity. Ingenuity Of A People

E go take d next 1000 yrs for Dis people to civiise

How do these people survive without taking their bath?If person no baff twice a day e go be like say body dey heavy am let alone.........

sammysammy111:
E go take d next 1000 yrs for Dis people to civiise

Not really. They live side by side with civilization. They buy foodstuff and some other things from supermarkets and disappear with them back into their habitat. People of urban settlements are used to seeing their near-nude figures pass streets, hop into buses and enter public buildings.

The only thing people of the tribe don't want is a total loss of their cultural practices to modernization.

ReneeNuttall:
How do these people survive without taking their bath?If person no baff twice a day e go be like say body dey heavy am let alone.........

It's likely the application of red ochre on their skin which may have a cooling effect. I know they coat their hair in mud for both protection from the elements and maybe starvation of oxygen which could breed lice.
I remember mud is cooling to human and animal skin, it's why pigs roll in it. My question is how they don't catch skin irritations and diseases. I guess smoke baths have antiseptic qualities.

Bathing using sweat. Man's ingenuity knows no limits.
Hey, I forgot something close to this, it's called a sauna.

okwabayi:

Not really. They live side by side with civilization. They buy foodstuff and some other things from supermarkets and disappear with them back into their habitat. People of urban settlements are used to seeing their near-nude figures pass streets, hop into buses and enter public buildings.

The only thing people of the tribe don't want is a total loss of their cultural practices to modernization.

Do de intermarry with d outsiders ? Cos I tink dat will be d only and quickest way to .... Dat dia culture

okwabayi:

It's likely the application of red ochre on their skin which may have a cooling effect. I know they coat their hair in mud for both protection from the elements and maybe starvation of oxygen which could breed lice.
I remember mud is cooling to human and animal skin, it's why pigs roll in it. My question is how they don't catch skin irritations and diseases. I guess smoke baths have antiseptic qualities.

Jeez!this is just out of the world.

sammysammy111:

Do de intermarry with d outsiders ? Cos I tink dat will be d only and quickest way to .... Dat dia culture

I am sorry. I have no idea. The documentary I watched featuring them spoke very briefly of their exploits.