We’ve all seen this video floating around the internet. The customs and chants as performed by a group of tribesmen have become the stuff of chuckles, remixes, and sometimes insults.
But, what many do not know is that this video features a rather well known Arabian tribe -one with a unique set of customs and rituals.
The screams contain a bigger story than what meets the eye (or the ear, in this case).
The Shihuh tribe can be found in the Musandam Peninsula, and straddles the northern border of the Sultanate of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates' Ras al-Khaimeh.
The yelling is a call for unity in times of tragedy
Their traditions suggest that they came into Arabia during the great wave of migration. Their screaming chant, which is a form of yelling communication, has been passed down through the generations.
The chant is a call for unity, employed as a means to gather the tribes during times of sadness, war, or wedding ceremonies.
The Shihuh are mountain people. This is why yelling is used as a form of traditional communication.
The Shihuh are fairly isolated from the world
Formerly feared and seen as mysterious, the Shihuh live a reclusive lifestyle, eking a frugal existence out of one of the Arab world’s most inhospitable terrains.
They are different than the Bedu in that they are semi-nomadic, living in barasti huts on the coast and in stone dwellings (bayt al qufl) in the mountains. They migrate between the two depending on the season.
An axe is to the Shihuh what a khanjar is to the Omanis
As shown in the video, the main chanter carries a small axe in his hand. This is known to the Shihuh as a jizr (meaning hand held axe), and can serve as either a weapon or a climbing/walking stick.
The Shihuh men prefer colored headgear
Shihuh men wear a unique traditional dress. They favor colored headgear in place of the white ghotra worn by Gulf Arabs. Men carry a small dagger on their waist.
Shihuh women are known for their distinct masks. They wear them with the thin strip of cloth over the nose.
Their dialect is a mix of Arabic and Farsi
The Shihuh speak a unique blend of Arabic and Farsi – a dialect that both Arabs and Iranians cannot understand. Today, younger generations are favoring Arabic over the language of their forefathers, which means that the days of their unique dialect are probably numbered.
Also, Musandam’s villages are being steadily depopulated as their inhabitants depart in search of more comfortable living.
