Ethiopia 12 It Was Erotic, But Happily Innocent

 On a low ridge, we arrived at the village with flocks of goats returning to their family corrals for the night. There was a dance at sunset. The warriors appeared, their bodies decorated with white markings. They assembled in a half-circle under a rising moon. The women clustered nearby, wearing thick, bundled necklaces and skirts of oiled skins. 

With elaborate hand-clapping rhythms and deep, mesmeric chants, the men took turns leaping into the air. The women, too, began clapping; and one-by-one, they danced forward to select a man of their choice from the line. Amidst rising clouds of dust, the couples thrust their hips at one another in a pantomime of sex. It was erotic, but also happily innocent, full of laughter and teasing.

A trio of new women arrived on the periphery to watch the dance.

Stanley Stewart  (to be continued)