Of course, regardless of music or riches, the thing that strikes you first is the mad shape of their heads. They get this cone look from wrapping their baby’s head tight with cloth and pressing it between giraffe hide or strips of wood. Either that or they tie it with a piece of cord. The term for this strange practice is lipombo. Just look at this little fellas head!:

The Mangbetu believe that an elongated head increases the child’s intelligence due to the extended brain case. It seems to have worked for them so who am I to judge. I might even try it on my first born when/if he/she shows up.

The Belgians owned the Congo for quite a while and they banned lipombo in the 50’s and it’s now pretty much died out. I have mixed feelings about that, I guess they considered it child abuse, which I totally get. But it’s also a shame that another cultural tradition has died out because of colonial interference. I’m sitting on the fence for now.

☛ Up Next: Tribes #2: The Dayak Headhunters Of Borneo