Why Mangbetu Women Elongated Their Heads: The Art and Pride of Lipombo

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Profile of a Mangbetu woman showing lipombo head shape and cultural hairstyle.

Disclaimer:  This image is AI-generated for illustrative purposes and does not depict real people or events directly.

When European explorers came to the Mangbetu region in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 1800s, they were surprised.

Upon seeing the Mangbetu women, they noticed that most of them had long and stretched heads. The Europeans misunderstood this. Some of them thought it was abnormal and wrote many stories about it. 

They took some photos of Mangbetu women in order to show the world something they had never seen before. These images appeared in magazines, books, and museums in Europe.

For the Mangbetu, lipombo was something to be proud of. It was not an evil custom, it was their respected tradition. 

It showed their beauty, identity, creativity, and cultural pride. It was their way of telling the world, “This is who we are.”


How Did They Do It?

When a baby was born, Mangbetu parents gently wrapped the baby’s head with cloth or plant fibres while the skull was still soft and forming.

This careful wrapping guided the head to grow in a long, high shape, especially around the forehead. 

It was done early, usually starting from first weeks after birth, and could go for several months or years.

This process was not painful as the Europeans thought, and didn’t harm the brain. It was done carefully, like how people today use braces to slowly straighten teeth or correct body posture.

This unique tradition is called lipombo, the cultural practice of head elongation.


Why Did They Do It?

The Mangbetu believed that a long head meant:

  • Great beauty.
  • High intelligence.
  • Royal or noble status.

It was practiced mostly among the wealthy, powerful, or respected families. A child with an elongated head was seen as someone who came from a family of good values, knowledge, and honor.

To the Mangbetu the head was a special body part. It was a sign of identity and belongingness to the people with proud traditions.

A Crown of Hair and Pride

Mangbetu women did not stop only at reshaping their heads. They made their hair in a unique style to enhance their look:

  • Hair was braided high and wide to make the head appear taller.
  • Some added beads, feathers, or colorful cloth to express beauty and status.
  • Hairdressing was an art. Women spent enough time to create these styles, and helped each other.

The look made them stand out like queens, tall, elegant, and full of confidence.


Decline of Lipombo

The tradition of lipombo began to fade in the 1950s, mainly due to outside influence:

  • Colonial rulers discouraged the practice, saying it was “uncivilized.”
  • Missionaries called it pagan and evil.

  • More people moved to towns and cities, where modern lifestyles changed them.
  • Parents stopped practicing lipombo because they feared judgment and discrimination from people who had exposure to western education or urban life. 
  • Children went to schools where African customs were not welcome.

Little by little, lipombo disappeared.


Today, the lipombo tradition is no longer practiced. But it is still remembered and respected, especially by the Mangbetu community and cultural historians.

It can only be found:

  • In old black-and-white photographs taken by explorers.

  • In stories passed down by elders.

  • In museums around the world, where Mangbetu art and traditions are preserved.

Some modern artists and filmmakers have even started to celebrate lipombo again, showing it in fashion, sculpture, and storytelling.

Even though lipombo is gone, it remains as a symbol of Mangbetu identity, beauty, and innovation. 

It tells the story of a people who turned the human body into a living work of art, and who proudly wore their culture on their heads.


Related topics:

Tamaduni za kushangaza

https://historyforumtz.blogspot.com/2022/01/tamaduni-tano-za-kushangaza-barani.html

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