Dance like their horns

Hamar herders tend to beautify their favorite cow. One way to beautify the cow is to alter the shape of her horns. In Europe, many people are even unaware that the horns of cows are removed. That would be unimaginable for the Hamar!

When a herder really loves a cow, he guides the growth of the horns to become new shapes and forms. And those beautiful horns are celebrated in a dance that is especially designed for your cow, mimicking the shape of the beautified horns. As a consequence, the Hamar language has a specialized vocabulary to describe the shape of the horns. If you are interested in other forms of honoring the horns of a cow, have a look at Sophie Spickenbom's story about the Herero in Namibia.

There is more to mimic. As Hamar you can also adorn yourself as a cow…