Probably among
the best known and most easily
recognized of Kenya's
people, the Maasai are a pastoral
people whose name was
derived from their
language, Maa. Actually
a combination of Nilotic
and Cushitic peoples,
the Maasai originated northwest
of Lake Turkana. They
spread down through the Rift
Valley, which provided
fertile grasslands for their
cattle. Their northern
grazing lands were
on the shoulder of Mount
Kenya. (Both of Mount
Kenya's peaks are named after Maasai
laibon (ritual leaders)
of the nineteenth century.)
By the 19th century they
had established themselves
as warriors and were
feared for raids
deep into the territory
of neighboring tribes. By
the end of the 19th century, however,
the Maasai were divided
by internal conflict
and further weakened by
huge losses of cattle
to rinderpest
and drought. Outside Nakuru for instance, a 19th century
battle took place
between Maasai factions
at Menengai
("place of the corpses"
in Maa).
Five clans (or seven, depending on which source you use) constitute the Maasai. They are il-makesen, il-aiser, il-molelian, il-taarrosero, and il-ikumai. Each clan is further divided into sections distinguished by their cattle brands.
The enkang,
which is a semi-permanent
settlement, comprises
the basic Maasai unit.
It usually consists
of several families in
ten to twenty huts
who care for their
stock together. The entire
settlement is surrounded
by a thorn fence,
which serves both
to keep cattle
in and unwelcome visitors
out. The warriors occupy
an i-manyat, which
is often composed
of about fifty huts
and all the members of
one age group in
a district live there.
Milk, either
fresh or curdled, is
the basic Maasai food and is
often mixed with
blood tapped from
a cow's jugular.
It is generally
stored and carried
in long, decorated gourds.
Because of the value of cattle
to the Maasai, most
meat is obtained
from sheep and goats.
Wild animal meat
is generally forbidden,
although eland and buffalo
meat is allowed.
Authority
among the Maasai is
based on age-group
and age-set. Prior to
circumcision a natural
leader (olaiguenani) is
chosen to lead
his age-group until
old age. This responsibility,
shared with a few select
others, involves providing
leadership through a series of complex
rituals. If questions
arise concerning the rituals,
the ritual expert (oloiboni)
has the final say.
Like
many other tribes,
Maasai youth are not
circumcised until
mature. Every twelve to
fifteen years a new age-set
is initiated together.
The young warriors
(il-murran) go through a period
of initiation which lasts
for some time. Warriors
are not permitted to
drink milk in their parents' huts
or to eat meat
in the i-manyat. Meat is
provided for the warriors
by killing oxen
away from the settlements.
The warriors carry
the traditional long-bladed
stabbing spears and buffalo-hide
shields with their
black, red, and white designs
to mark their
status. Eventually, the warrior age-set
is replaced by
their juniors and goes
through a special ceremony (eunoto)
to reach senior status.
In order to "open the way" for the initiation of an age-set, a young warrior of repute with leadership qualities and no physical blemish is chosen. After being approved by the oloiboni, a bullock is slaughtered and the chosen leader (the olotuno) drinks the blood from the animal's neck first. The eunoto's four days of rituals takes place in the enkang o sinkira, an enclosure and ceremonial hut built specifically for the occasion. Each warrior has his head shaved by his mother while sitting on the same cowhide on which he was circumcised. His head is then decorated. The olotuno may select any girl he chooses for his wife at the end of the ceremony. This marks the next stage for his age-set (the new senior warriors), because they are now permitted to marry. After going through further rituals, the restrictions on drinking milk and eating meat are lifted
©1996-2000
Timothy F. Bliss