The Otole is a traditional war dance of the Acholi people. Its purpose is to teach young Acholi what to expect during combat. Participants include men and strong women aged 30-50 years. [1]
The Otole served a number of purposes, including: [2] [3]
The Otole was organized at the call of a chief. [2] The dance included victory dances and fake fights. During the Otole, men wear leopard skins and ostrich feathers, and carry horns, [4] shields, and spears. [2] [3] Women carry small wooden axes or unsharpened sticks. [2] [4]
A lead woman singer initiates the dance with kigila, or ululations, and the lead man begins the owoc, or mock fight. [4] The Otole is accompanied by drums, and participants sing or yell war songs. [5] [6]
During the dance, women for a procession that it flanked by men, symbolizing the expectation that men ensure the safety of women. [4]
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