Pygmy is a representative of one of the peoples living in the equatorial forests of Africa. This word is of Greek origin and means "a man the size of a fist." This name is quite justified, given the average growth of representatives of these tribes. Find out who the pygmies of Africa are and how they differ from other indigenous people of the hottest continent.
Who are the pygmies?
These tribes live in the equatorial forests of Africa, near the rivers Congo, Ogove and Ituri. In total, there are about 80 thousand pygmies, half of whom live off the banks of the Ituri River. The growth of representatives of these tribes varies from 140 to 150 cm. The color of their skin is somewhat atypical for Africans, because they have a little lighter, golden brown. Pygmies even have their own national clothes. So, men wear a fur or leather belt with a small apron made of wood in front and a small bunch of leaves at the back. Women are less fortunate, often they only have aprons.
At home
The buildings in which the representatives of this people live are made of twigs and leaves, fastening everything with clay. Oddly enough, the construction and repair of the hut here is the concern of women. A man, having planned the construction of a new house, must go to the elder for permission. If the elder agrees, he hands over to his visitor the nyombikari - a bamboo stick with a peg at the end. It is with the help of this device that the boundaries of the future home will be outlined. A man is engaged in this, all other construction concerns fall on the woman's shoulders.
Life style
A typical pygmy is a forest nomad who does not stay long in one place. Representatives of these tribes live in one place for no more than a year, while there is game around their village. When frightened animals end, the nomads are removed in search of a new home. There is another reason why people often move to a new place. Any pygmy is an extremely superstitious person. Therefore, the whole tribe, if one of its members has died, migrates, believing that the forest does not want anyone to live in this place. The deceased is buried in his hut, a wake is arranged, and the next morning the whole settlement goes deep into the forest to build a new village.
Production
Pygmies feed on what the forest gives them. Therefore, in the early morning, women of the tribe go there to replenish supplies. On the way, they collect everything edible, starting with berries and ending with caterpillars, so that every pygmy fellow tribe is full. This is an established tradition, according to which the woman is the main earner in the family.
Total
Pygmies are accustomed to the traditions of their lives that have been established for centuries. Despite the fact that the state government is trying to educate them in a more civilized life, cultivating the land and settled life, they continue to be far from this. Pygmies, photos taken by many researchers studying their customs, refuse any innovations in their everyday life and continue to do what their ancestors did for many centuries.