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Ethiopian Orthodox pilgrim, Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia (December 2015)Each year, hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians wearing white robes makethe pilgrimage to the rock-hewn churches built in the twelfthcentury by King Lalibela. (Art Wolfe Inc./Art Wolfe, artwolfe.com)
Orthodox Jews celebrate Simchat Torah, Me'a She'arim, Jerusalem, Israel (October 2019)Translated as Rejoicing with the Torah, Simchat Torah is a holiday immediately following Sukkot--a joyous, seven-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the survival of the Israelites during the forty years they wandered in the desert more than 3,400 years ago. (Art Wolfe Inc./Art Wolfe, artwolfe.com)
Young Orthodox Jewish men remove a Torah scroll the from a Torah ark during Passover. Their long sidecurls fulfill a biblical commandment against removing hair from the “corners” of their heads. Wilson’s Arch, Western Wall, Old City of Jerusalem (April 2022) (Art Wolfe Inc./Art Wolfe, artwolfe.com)
Rapa Nui men in traditional dress at the Tapati Rapa Nui Festival, Easter Island, Chile. (February 2020)In the distance are Motu Nui, Moto Ito, and Motu Kao Kao, the center of the Bird Man cult. In a traditional competition men would swim to Motu Kao Kao, the sea stack, to collect the first tern egg of the season. The tradition was ended by Christian missionaries in the late 1800s. Easter Island,…
Bear dancing is a tradition intended to scare aware evil spirits. The bear skins are handed down through the generations. Transylvania, Romania (October 2019)Romania has the densest population of brown bears in central Europe. In Romani culture, they have hunted the bear and use the skins and skulls to adorn themselves. They go to houses that people believe are haunted by ghosts, and these…
Buddhist nun, Kyoto, Japan (November 2011)Buddhist monks and nuns take similar vows of celibacy and poverty and structure their days around communal prayer. However, while monks have access to higher levels of ordination, nuns focus on developing their wisdom and compassion in order to serve others. (Art Wolfe Inc./Art Wolfe, artwolfe.com)
Crab-plovers (Dromas ardeola), Mnemba Island, Tanzania (Art Wolfe/Art Wolfe, artwolfe.com)
Hmong shaman ritual to cast out demons, not the least of which are bad thoughts, behaviors, Vietnam (May 2025)When Hmong people fled suppression in China in the early 1800s, they took their spiritual practices with them. In a soul-healing ceremony, a spiritual intermediary called the Txiv Neeb, tries to restore wholeness to the twelve parts, or dimensions, of the soul. Hmong who have converted to…
Hmong shaman ritual to cast out demons, not the least of which are bad thoughts, behaviors, Vietnam (May 2025)When Hmong people fled suppression in China in the early 1800s, they took their spiritual practices with them. In a soul-healing ceremony, a spiritual intermediary called the Txiv Neeb, tries to restore wholeness to the twelve parts, or dimensions, of the soul. Hmong who have converted to…
Marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa), willet (Tringa semipalmata), and short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus), Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California Sur, Mexico (Art Wolfe/Art Wolfe, artwolfe.com)
