Is that a Hadendoa

Jim McDougall · 1st July 2010, 04:42 AM

Interesting photo, and the individual does appear to be Beja, which could be one of a number of tribal groups, including Hadendoa. The Beja (pronounced bay'za) are often nomadic and while normally in Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, surely entered Somalia also.

The hair (=tiffa in thier language), especially the Hadendoa (hada=lion; diwa=clan) is the source for the nickname 'fuzzy wuzzy' immortalized in the Kipling poem, in which the British soldier notably respects these fierce warriors, "..a first class fightin' man". The butter matted, frizzed hair seems to have been also worn in degree among the other Beja tribes as well.

The dagger, which only the hilt can be seen, would be hard to specify whether Hadendoa or other Beja, as the blade form seems to have been varying. I was once told by a Beja man that the curious hooked blade often on these similarly hilted daggers were actually Afar. The 'X' shaped type hilt in highly stylized anthromorphic form was typical on these Beja daggers of varying blade type.

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1st July 2010, 04:42 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,191	Interesting photo, and the individual does appear to be Beja, which could be one of a number of tribal groups, including Hadendoa. The Beja (pronounced bay'za) are often nomadic and while normally in Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, surely entered Somalia also. The hair (=tiffa in thier language), especially the Hadendoa (hada=lion; diwa=clan) is the source for the nickname 'fuzzy wuzzy' immortalized in the Kipling poem, in which the British soldier notably respects these fierce warriors, "..a first class fightin' man". The butter matted, frizzed hair seems to have been also worn in degree among the other Beja tribes as well. The dagger, which only the hilt can be seen, would be hard to specify whether Hadendoa or other Beja, as the blade form seems to have been varying. I was once told by a Beja man that the curious hooked blade often on these similarly hilted daggers were actually Afar. The 'X' shaped type hilt in highly stylized anthromorphic form was typical on these Beja daggers of varying blade type.