Latch Ashley Johnson Commentary

The Drawers - Ashley Johnson - Primal Commentary by Ashley Johnson

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LATCH

There is a myth that is replicating furiously on the net from blog to blog. To quote from one site: African tribal men eat cows' menstrual matter and grow huge testicles.

Scanty nourishment and the permanent lack of microelements and vitamins made people of the Bubal tribe ask their only wealth - cows - for help. The tribers learned that eating the menstrual matter of cows helps them fight such diseases as rachitis, scurvy and leukemia.

The mysterious tribe and their cows roam on the border between Kenya and Somalia. This is the only nation in the world, which practices a very unusual tradition: their children eat cows' menstrual matter until they get married. The Bubals believe that the licking of cow's vagina makes would-be warriors strong and courageous. Italian scientists have recently discovered that the menstrual matter of cows is a source of such vitamins as B6, B12, E and D. In addition, it makes up the deficiency of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and potassium. That is why, scientists think, cows protect the tribe from the most horrible disease of the region - anemia (the lack of haemoglobin). The most interesting thing happens afterwards, though. Hormone changes become extremely conspicuous with all males of the African tribe, after they reach puberty: their testicles grow up to 70-80 centimeters in diameter. The "miracle of nature" happens on account of the untraditional nourishment that tribal individuals practice in their adolescence. The hormone-rich menstrual secretion of the cattle causes irreversible hormone changes with humans. It is noteworthy, that such giant testicles do not exert any negative influence on the reproductive function, although they do cause many other obvious problems. Tourists from all over the world are ready to pay huge money to take a look at giant testicles. Tourists' money help the tribal nation improve the quality of their meals. It is not ruled out that the next generation of Bubals will have nothing to boast with. Express Gazeta - 2004/11/18.

In actuality, African people living in tropical mosquito ridden regions do exhibit more of this abnormality but it has nothing to do with eating the menstrual blood of cows. It is elephantiasis, a condition brought on by a worm thought to be mosquito borne.

In Africa, particularly amongst the Masai of Kenya, it is common to make a cut on a cow's neck and drink the blood as a source of nourishment. Cattle are seen as a source and sign of wealth, much like money in Western society. The horns are meticulously shaved on one side so they grow into decorative shapes.
Early 17th century encounters between African people and European settlers in South Africa were initially friendly. The Africans gave the farmers heifers, and according to their tradition, the settlers were supposed to give the first calf born back to the tribe. Unfortunately, the European settlers were either ignorant of this tradition or unwilling to give. This led to cattle theft when the Africans took back what they perceived as belonging to them. In reaction the settlers began to raid the tribes and urge the government to take action. This led to police and military action, including the restriction of movement to control the situation. It is arguable that this original misunderstanding or lack of generosity was the beginning of the mistrust that developed into the Apartheid system.

Famous battles between the British and the Zulus like the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 would seem to have been exacerbated by the British confiscating Zulu cattle. My great-grandfather was present at these events and his diary notes that the Officer Commanding sold the cattle to the butchers. In writing about the aftermath, he comments that he was very shocked by the mutilation and dismemberment of the corpses by the Zulus. In anger, they buried dead and still living Zulus in the same mass graves. Naturally, the history books only mention in passing that the cattle were seized.

An important social custom amongst African people is hospitality. Even strangers can knock on a door and expect food and lodging. Most probably this evolved due to the harsh nature of the African environment.

The myth about Africans eating menstrual matter and growing huge testicles is a modern example of the same inability to empathize or understand other cultures. It seems to say more about the people who invented it and the society that nurtures it. This painting, Latch, tries to tell some of the story. The title is taken from maternal jargon where the baby is said to latch, learning to drink from its mother's breast .