The Himba wear little clothing, but the women are famous for covering themselves with otjize, a mixture of butter fat and ochre. The mixture gives their skins a reddish tinge. This symbolizes earth’s rich red color and the blood that symbolizes life, and is consistent with the Himba ideal of beauty.
It also protects their skin from the harsh sun.
It’s also to keep them clean because they live in parts where water is scarce and drinking > bathing. As the otjize flakes off, dirt and dead skin go with it.
The Himba also use it to style their hair, and different headwear is worn during different stages of a female’s life to symbolize her becoming a woman.
I will forever reblog this because I find it so damn beautiful.
^^
I had to reblog this because I found out about these wonderful women through the sci-fi book series Binti by Nnedi Okorafor the Main character Binti is of the Himba (closely modeled on the real Himba people). The novellas talk often of the otijize its use and how it ties her to home and her people.
If you like sci-fi I highly recommend you read the first novella in the series!!
“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude towards what happens to you. And in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”
“Brown eyes are so plain and ugly you can’t even compare them to gems like emerald and saph-”
Stop.
Carnelian
Cairngorm
Cassiterite
Smoky Quartz
Zircon (brown)
Citrine
Diaspore
Dravite
Enstatite
Hessonite
That’s not even all of GORGEOUS BROWN GEMS THAT EXIST IN THIS WORLD. Just like there are a lot of beautiful brown gems they’re a lot of BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES. BROWN IS A GORGEOUS COLOR. Start treating it like one.
I am so glad someone did this.
Hello so glad someone did this, I’m Dad! Dad^bot^1.
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