The ostrich is the largest bird in the world. Its adult individual is not inferior in size to a horse, and there are two fingers on the paws of an ostrich, which is not observed in any other living creature in the world. The only exception is the mysterious, lost in Africa, the Sapadi tribe, which calls itself … yes, that's exactly what - ostrich people.
The most mysterious tribe in the world
For the first time about the sapadi, or people-ostriches, it became known after the publication of a book by an American of French origin Paul Du Chaiou about a journey deep into the African continent. This man entered world history as the first European who was able to see and receive a gorilla as a hunting trophy in the jungles of Central Africa in 1863. At the same time, during an expedition on the border of Zimbabwe and Botswana, Shayu heard stories about a tribe of savages who had only two toes on their feet, growing perpendicular to each other, as a result of which the outward appearance of the feet of the natives resembled the paws of an ostrich. After returning home, Paul du Chailh wrote two books, "The Land of the Long Night" and "Travels and Adventures in Central Africa," which immediately became bestsellers. They started talking about the Sapadi people again a century later,when the British newspaper The Guardian published an extensive article with a loud headline: “Ma Seeking Africans with Two Fingers. Mysterious tribe. " The article, as before in the book by Paul du Chaillet, described in detail a tribe of people with two toes instead of five, and even growing in different directions. The text provided the approximate boundaries of habitation (the tribe occupied a rather small area located mainly on the banks of the Zambezi River). The text provided the approximate boundaries of habitation (the tribe occupied a rather small area located mainly on the banks of the Zambezi River). The text provided the approximate boundaries of habitation (the tribe occupied a rather small area located mainly on the banks of the Zambezi River).
Much to the surprise of the editorial board, the public considered the article an open newspaper duck, the information contained in it looked too incredible. Nevertheless, photographs taken by a certain Ollson soon appeared in the press. The two blurry shots showed two Africans with feet that really looked like those of an ostrich. Gradually, articles about two-toed people began to appear in many world media outlets, including even the most respectable geographical publications.
Personal acquaintance with sapadi
The existence of this amazing tribe was finally proved after an article by Buster Phillips, an ethnographer who had an indisputable authority in the study of African peoples. In a thick journal dedicated to geographical discoveries, the scientist detailed the history of the existence of the Sapadi tribe, and not from someone's words, but thanks to his personal observations during an expedition to Central Africa. Thanks to the pen of Buster Phillips, the tribe of two-toed Africans got their nickname - "people-ostriches". In addition to the unusual structure of the aboriginal legs, the ethnographer noted that their growth was no more than one and a half meters. People-ostriches lived mainly by gathering, eating edible fruits of wild trees, mushrooms and cereals. A special delicacy among the Sapadi tribe was considered a dish made from insect larvae collected in the crowns of trees. The last doubts about the existence of two-toed aborigines of Africa among scientists have disappeared after the publication of the first clear picture of an ostrich-man, taken by a military pilot Mark Mullinu, who literally miraculously managed to photograph a two-toed man in the basin of the Canyembe and Shevore rivers. At the same time, the pilot found that the number of the mysterious tribe is only about four hundred people, among whom only every fourth inhabitant of the tribe has an ostrich foot, and not all, as previously thought. Having thoroughly studied the pictures taken by the pilot, the scientists came to the conclusion that the presence of two toes on the soles of the tribe's feet is a deformity that is inherited. Which, in turn, is the result of numerous marriages between close relatives, which caused not only this deformity, but also contribute to the degeneration of the sapadi.
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Two-fingered sorcerers and mysterious rituals
In order to finally dot the "I", a scientific expedition was organized in 1971 to find a tribe of ostrich people. Much to the surprise of the research participants, who gathered from several countries of the world, they actually managed to find a man at the age of 35, with only two toes that grew perpendicular to each other, one of them was 15 centimeters long, and the other 10 centimeters. X-rays were taken, it turned out that he had all five fingers, just two of them were overdeveloped, and the other three were only outlined. Two-toed Africans were later discovered in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
The next expedition in search of ostrich people went to Africa in 1999. The participants in the research were able to come into close contact with the tribes of Central Africa, who found out the whereabouts of the mysterious tribe and even got an "appointment" to its leader.
The head of the tribe greeted the white-faced strangers rather coldly, but allowed them to get to know their entourage better. Studies have shown that about 25% of tribe members have syndrome of syndoctyly, or claws. For a long time, the representatives of the tribe were helped to keep their distance from world civilization by the mystical fear that the neighboring tribes experienced towards him, sincerely considering two-fingered people to be sorcerers. This belief arose, on the one hand, because of the ability of people-ostriches to run quickly, and on the other hand, thanks to the strange rituals practiced in the tribe. Sometimes, not understanding the essence of this or that sacred action, the sapadi neighbors attributed to them the worship of evil spirits.
Indeed, how else to explain the meaning of the magical ritual, when on the new moon several members of the tribe buried them waist-deep in sand, lit fires with incense around them and sang prayers around them all night and pronounced mysterious incantations? The mystical halo of the Sapadi tribe added their ability to successfully treat many diseases, as well as to carry out complex surgical operations with the help of primitive improvised means. Ointments, powders, and tinctures made by tribal members were highly sought after by the Neighboring Tribes, but did not add to the credibility of the Sapadi tribe.
The marriage ritual of the inhabitants of the tribe turned out to be interesting. For a certain time before the wedding, the future spouses had to spend a day, lying side by side on the hot sand. At the same time, the hands of the groom were tightly tied to the hands of the bride. Only if the future spouses withstood this test with honor, they were allowed to enter into a legal marriage.
Degeneration or whim of nature
For a long time, it remained unclear how people with similar physical disabilities are born. In search of an answer to this question, one of the tribe members was brought to Great Britain and subjected to the most serious study. In the course of research, it turned out that the ostrich man has a dominant gene, thanks to which only two strange toes are formed on the leg instead of the usual five. Moreover, a child born in the tribe had only to inherit this gene from one of the parents in order to receive two huge two-toed feet as a “gift”.
However, the sapadi themselves do not suffer at all due to the peculiarities of their legs, since in the climatic conditions where they live, the ability to run quickly and climb trees is a necessary trait for survival. Also, in the course of research, scientists found that the ostrich people themselves consider the territory of Mozambique their homeland. This version is supported by the historian from the National Archives in Harare Dawson Mungeri, in his opinion, a rare "ostrich" gene could have been brought into these places by a woman who had it by nature. In turn, the inhabitants of the tribe, entering into closely related marriages, "replicated" it. At the same time, it is interesting to note that ostrich humans have also been found in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana to date. Research on such tribes continues to this day.
Magazine: Secrets of the 20th century №39. Author: Dmitry Sokolov