The alchemist
VIP
For people who know a thing or two about Somali historical culture, feathers on the heads of males are granted to the ones who best others in a fight to the death. This feather-wearing is a practice that goes back to the Nubian days:
From Lower Nubia between 3500-3000 years ago:
Othere Lower Nubian (also the Upper Nubians wore feathers):
This is from older rock art in the central Eastern Desert, Egypt.
"Feathers are the most common feature added to the basic body shape. Both Rohl (2000) and Wilkinson (2003) maintained that plumes not only represented status, but that divinity and twin plumes were a precursor of the double-plumes worn by gods and goddesses in the pharaonic era. They are examined here to determine if they are may indicate status or are associated with hunting, since the latter is such a feature of the Central Eastern Desert petroglyphs."
Distribution:
If the Somali practice of putting feathers only after killing someone, it does answer why these guys reason to wear them. Here they seem clueless:
"Plumed figures are mostly found in the southern wadis and at sites dated to the Predynastic (see Chapter Seven). They are especially prevalent in the heavily early Wadis Baramiya, Hajalij (S), and Umm Salam. But they also feature at predynastic sites in Abu Wasil, and this north-central wadi sees a concentration of feathered figures. There are comparatively few examples in Wadi Hammamat where there are a number of pharaonic figures, only one of which has double plumes. In Wadi Atwani again plumed figures are present entirely at early sites in association with predynastic boats. In the core central Wadis Iqaydi and Shalul plumed figures are rare."
Here is evidence that the North Cushites, Blemmyes (ancestors of the Beja) wore feathers and even depicted such:
"However, plumes do not always indicate an early date. At IQA-10 comparison to Greek lettering shows that one plumed figure in a boat is probably Greco Roman. The plumes also have bulbous ends, a feature never seen on predynastic figures (Figure 5.9)."
In reality, this is a practice that likely goes way deeper in time and relates to the AEA side of Cushitic ancestry. Why do I say this? Because Nilo-Saharan peoples also wear feathers on their heads.
Trusting ChatGPT on this, I asked why the Hamer men wear plumes on their heads. The machine answered; it is a symbol of bravery and status, and masculinity, after going through a rite of passage. Their specific challenge has to do with bull-jumping. If the individual succeeds, the male becomes an adult and eligible for marriage. I think this is, in structural framework, similar to the Somali, where we signify the ultimate rights of passage as being a warrior, with the morbid reality being, to test one's prowess is to battle someone. If one succeeds, that becomes the sign of bravery, status, masculinity, etc. In that regard, I think that it is overall the same since those ancients in the Egyptian Central Eastern Desert. Only for them, it was about hunting as a rights of passage:
To give us more insight, the mixed Rendille (with Samburu) wear a spesific headgear that they place several feathers on.
For the Rendilles, it showcases ones expressed and proven hunting prowess.
For the Turkana, it is for the same reason as the Somalis.
"A warrior also has the right to wear white ostrich feathers. The warlike philosophy of the Turkana fascinated E. R. Shackleton, who was a District Commissoner in Lodwar during the 1930s. Shackleton recorded a long story told by a veteran chief named Lonyamon: 'I was a warrior. I knew everything. And ever since I have killed a man I have worn nothing but the best ostrich feathers -- white.'"
The Turkana are nilotics who are mixed with Cushites.
This is the hunter palette of Naqada III, dated to 3100 BC:
To summarize, this feather-wearing practice has to do with masculinity affirmation and social status that has existed for at least 5000 years (plus) and goes back to the Nubian region (for us, much more recently). I don't want to go too deep with the Eastern Desert rock art stuff because it goes into a whole lot of things that have massive historical significance, and it is an expansive topic that needs its respective focus.
From Lower Nubia between 3500-3000 years ago:
Othere Lower Nubian (also the Upper Nubians wore feathers):
This is from older rock art in the central Eastern Desert, Egypt.
"Feathers are the most common feature added to the basic body shape. Both Rohl (2000) and Wilkinson (2003) maintained that plumes not only represented status, but that divinity and twin plumes were a precursor of the double-plumes worn by gods and goddesses in the pharaonic era. They are examined here to determine if they are may indicate status or are associated with hunting, since the latter is such a feature of the Central Eastern Desert petroglyphs."
Distribution:
If the Somali practice of putting feathers only after killing someone, it does answer why these guys reason to wear them. Here they seem clueless:
"Plumed figures are mostly found in the southern wadis and at sites dated to the Predynastic (see Chapter Seven). They are especially prevalent in the heavily early Wadis Baramiya, Hajalij (S), and Umm Salam. But they also feature at predynastic sites in Abu Wasil, and this north-central wadi sees a concentration of feathered figures. There are comparatively few examples in Wadi Hammamat where there are a number of pharaonic figures, only one of which has double plumes. In Wadi Atwani again plumed figures are present entirely at early sites in association with predynastic boats. In the core central Wadis Iqaydi and Shalul plumed figures are rare."
Here is evidence that the North Cushites, Blemmyes (ancestors of the Beja) wore feathers and even depicted such:
"However, plumes do not always indicate an early date. At IQA-10 comparison to Greek lettering shows that one plumed figure in a boat is probably Greco Roman. The plumes also have bulbous ends, a feature never seen on predynastic figures (Figure 5.9)."
In reality, this is a practice that likely goes way deeper in time and relates to the AEA side of Cushitic ancestry. Why do I say this? Because Nilo-Saharan peoples also wear feathers on their heads.
Trusting ChatGPT on this, I asked why the Hamer men wear plumes on their heads. The machine answered; it is a symbol of bravery and status, and masculinity, after going through a rite of passage. Their specific challenge has to do with bull-jumping. If the individual succeeds, the male becomes an adult and eligible for marriage. I think this is, in structural framework, similar to the Somali, where we signify the ultimate rights of passage as being a warrior, with the morbid reality being, to test one's prowess is to battle someone. If one succeeds, that becomes the sign of bravery, status, masculinity, etc. In that regard, I think that it is overall the same since those ancients in the Egyptian Central Eastern Desert. Only for them, it was about hunting as a rights of passage:
To give us more insight, the mixed Rendille (with Samburu) wear a spesific headgear that they place several feathers on.
For the Rendilles, it showcases ones expressed and proven hunting prowess.
For the Turkana, it is for the same reason as the Somalis.
"A warrior also has the right to wear white ostrich feathers. The warlike philosophy of the Turkana fascinated E. R. Shackleton, who was a District Commissoner in Lodwar during the 1930s. Shackleton recorded a long story told by a veteran chief named Lonyamon: 'I was a warrior. I knew everything. And ever since I have killed a man I have worn nothing but the best ostrich feathers -- white.'"
The Turkana are nilotics who are mixed with Cushites.
This is the hunter palette of Naqada III, dated to 3100 BC:
To summarize, this feather-wearing practice has to do with masculinity affirmation and social status that has existed for at least 5000 years (plus) and goes back to the Nubian region (for us, much more recently). I don't want to go too deep with the Eastern Desert rock art stuff because it goes into a whole lot of things that have massive historical significance, and it is an expansive topic that needs its respective focus.
