Ukuli Bula is the Hamar people’s Ethiopian initiation ritual in which a young man leaps repeatedly over a line of cattle.
The ceremony is widely known as bull jumping, although the animals may be castrated cattle rather than bulls in the everyday English sense. The initiate must successfully run across the animals’ backs several times without falling. Success demonstrates readiness for adult responsibilities and allows him to enter the social stage associated with marriage and family life.
The event is a major community gathering. Singing, dancing, feasting, and ritualized participation by relatives accompany the central test. Women related to the initiate may also take part in demanding and highly symbolic activities.
Ukuli Bula is associated with the Hamar of Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley. It is often confused with Maasai warrior ceremonies or with Karo cattle-jumping traditions, but those belong to different peoples and cultural settings.