In Niger, certain rituals withstand the passage of time, such as "Hawan Kaho." This traditional form of bull-taming takes place annually on the eve of Ramadan and Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) celebrations in the Sultanate of Damagaram, a pre-colonial Muslim state with its capital in the city of Zinder.

On Wednesday, March 18, a massive crowd gathered in the courtyard of the sultan's palace to witness this ceremony, which pits young butchers against furious bulls.

The Bulls Are Not Killed

These butchers, immersed in a trance-like state, challenge the bovines by climbing onto their heads with the aim of immobilizing them by firmly gripping their horns. They thereby prove to the watching sultan their bravery, dexterity, and the power of their mystical abilities. The fundamental difference between "Hawan Kaho" and the Spanish Corrida is that the animals are not killed by the toreros, who in this context are akin to the butchers.

As soon as a butcher succeeds in immobilizing the bull, his victory is proclaimed, and the animal is led back to the herd.

Young Butchers Undergo an Initiation Process

Wednesday's "Hawan Kaho" was held under the watchful eyes of the sultan and the sarkin fawa, the head butcher of the sultanate. He told Lesahel.org that his protégés undergo an initiation process before facing the bull. "It is neither chance nor modern tricks that allow one to confront the bull. There is knowledge inherited from our ancestors that must be learned from the holders of this wisdom," he explained.