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Africa's Most remarkable ethnic group
The
Maasai (Masai or Masaai) are a semi nomadic Nilotic ethnic group, found in
Kenya and also Tanzania, both countries in East Africa. The Maasai are amongst
the most renowned ethnic groups in Africa, due to their distinctive traditional
values. They speak a Nilo-Saharan language known as Maa. The Maasai are known to originate from North West Kenya, and
started migrating to the South of Kenya around the 15th century.
Traditional
administration in the Maasai community is carried out by the elder men,
sometimes in conjunction with men who have already retired from traditional
rule. Individual and collective conduct amongst the Maasai is governed by a set
of oral principles and laws, which are carefully passed on from generation to
generation. Capital punishment is entirely unknown within the Maasai community
and sometimes individuals may decide to settle disputes out of the locally
administered justice system. This practice is usually called amitu, and it’s a way of maintaining
peace or arop. During this practice,
the guilty party is usually required to offer a substantial apology to the person
who has been wronged.
In
view of religion, the Maasai are monotheistic, and worship a single God known
as Enkai or Engai, which is essentially held to have a dual nature. Engai Narok (Black God) is viewed as
being benevolent, while Engai Nanyokie
(Red God), is considered to be vengeful. The principal religious or spiritual
personality within the Maasai community is the Laibon, who is endowed with the qualification to carry out acts of shamanism,
healing, divination and prophecy; while also ensuring that the community
experiences adequate rainfall, amongst others. However, some Maasai have become
Christians and others, Muslims.
The
Maasai make use of locally available material and indigenous know-how to
construct their houses. Due to their historically nomadic and currently semi-nomadic
lifestyle, their houses were of an impermanent nature. The houses or Inkajijik are normally constructed by
women skilled in this art; and they often assume a circular or star shape.
Usually, the key framework of the house is made of wooden poles, directly fixed
into the ground, and interlaced with a pattern of smaller branches, which is then
plastered with a combination of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung, urine and ash.
The houses are usually small and serve the purposes of cooking, eating,
sleeping, receiving visitors, storing food, fuel and other important items.
More
often, the bravery and endurance of young boys might be tested, through ritual
beating. Girls are expected to perform certain tasks such as cooking and other
household assignments, which they must have learnt from their mothers at an
early age. About a period of fifteen years, a new generation of warriors is
normally initiated. These warriors usually consist of young people within the
age range of 12 to 25 years. The transformation from boyhood to junior warrior
is characterised by a very painful circumcision festival, which is conducted by
the elders of the community.
Upon
the initiation of a new generation of warriors, the existing generation usually
becomes junior elders, who are then entrusted with political decision taking,
until they become senior elders. This passing from a warrior to junior elder
usually occurs in large assemblies called Eunoto.
During this time, the long hair of the emerging junior elder is shaved off,
because short hair is one of the attributes of elders of the community. The
warriors expend a majority of their time walking around their territory.
The
Maasai also maintain a polygamous system of marriage, a tradition that had been
prevalent, since the inception of this unique group of people.
The
Maasai are also known for their distinctive musical style, for which the
rhythms are offered by a chorus of vocalist singing harmonies, while the song
leader sings the melody. A
song leader is usually someone who is known to be well versed in a particular
song. It’s a common practice for women to sing lullabies, humming songs and
rhythms praising their sons. Groups of women usually assemble, while singing
and dancing together.
The
Maasai are also known to perform a kind of jumping dance to celebrate the
coming of age of a warrior. This ceremony can actually last for ten or more
days of singing. The warriors usually form a circle and each time in a rotating
manner, one or two warriors enter the circle and begin to jump while
maintaining a narrow posture and never letting their heels touch the ground.
Those participating and singing may increase the pitch of their voice, to
acknowledge someone who has achieved a very high jump.
It’s
customary for Maasai women to pierce and extend their earlobes, using various
materials such as thorns for piercing, twigs, bundle of twigs, stones, empty
film canisters etc. This feature is more common amongst women than men. Maasai
women usually wear very elaborate beaded ornaments and other locally made jewellery.
One
of the most popular meals amongst the Maasai is soup, and the plant known as Acacia nilotica, is the most used in
producing their soup. The bark of the stem or root is usually boiled in water
and the decoction drunk alone or added to soup. This product is regarded as
offering the consumer abundance of energy.
In
terms of clothing, red is the most popular colour amongst the Maasai people,
though blue, black, striped and checkered cloth are also commonly worn,
including multicolour
designs. Young men usually appear in black attire immediately after
circumcision.
Maasai
women are known to be very skillful in beadwork and indeed, the status of a
woman in society is communicated through the volume of bodily ornaments the
woman is wearing.
During
most rituals, hair shaving is a common tradition, for this is seen as
symbolising the starting of
a new life, which one passes into, after such an initiation session.
A visit to the Maasai community is a truly compelling niche for
anyone interested in a rare form of cultural tourism. Such a visit would take
the visitor through an exploratory journey of the Maasai’s well kept cultural
secrets. Be prepared to experience a combination of excitement, astonishment,
bewilderment and even speechlessness. Hundreds of thousands of visitors to
Kenya have had the opportunity to capture the lifestyle of the Maasai at close
range, through a visit to their abode. Many television and radio programs had
been made regarding this distinctive ethnic group in Kenya. However, you don’t
need to watch out for a television documentary to capture the distinctiveness
of the Maasai community; for, you can watch it live. See you in Kenya.
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