For the love of cows

The Hamar people living in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia agree: their cattle are so precious to them that they are deserving of having songs composed especially for them. And not in general, no, unique songs and poems are composed for individual cows. After having visited the Hamar people of Ethiopia for fourteen years now, I learnt that the Hamar do not only love their cattle and goats like family, their being, rituals, objects and language are interwoven with that of their cows.