The Maasai people are primarily found in the northern regions of Tanzania, particularly in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park.
However, some Maasai people are found in Kenya.
They’re known for their distinct customs, vibrant attire, and traditional way of life, which have captured the imagination of people worldwide.
The Maasai Family Structure
The man was the key figure in the Maasai patriarchal family, and his control was ultimate.
The man had his hut, while his wives and kids had their own. They resided in small manyattas that were temporary since they were pastoralists.
The Maasai Clans
Among the traditional Maasai, the clan system was significant since the members of each clan had communal support obligations.
The clans identified themselves with branding made on cows according to the different clans.
The Maasai clans are;
Il-aiser
Il-molelian
Il-makesen
Il-taarrosero
il-ikumai.
The Maasai Totems
The Maasai had two significant totems that were pillars of their society.
The two totems were: Oodo Mongi (Red Cow) and Orok Kiteng, (Black Cow), and subdivision of five other clans.
They also had the Lion totem.
The lion was killed in rites of passage ceremonies only.
The Maasai Subgroup
The Maasai have 14 tribal groups, including the Kisongo, Purko, Loita, and Mataputo.
The Maasai Dialects
The Maasai speak the Maa language, a Nilo-Saharan language related to Dinka and Nuer.
They also speak the official languages of Tanzania and Tanzania, which is Swahili and English.
Age Sets
However, the basic institution of social integration is the system of age sets.
Under this system, groups of the same age are initiated (circumcised) into adult life during the same open-initiation period; thus, the age class is a permanent grouping, lasting the life of its members.
They move up through a hierarchy of grades, each lasting approximately 15 years, including those of junior warriors, senior warriors, and junior elders, until they become senior elders authorized to make decisions for the tribe.
Young men are traditionally known as morans between the ages of about 14 and 30.
During this life stage, they live in isolation in the bush, learning tribal customs and developing strength, courage, and endurance—traits for which Maasai warriors are noted worldwide.
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The Details of the Maasai of Kenya
The Maasai Naming System
According to the Traditional Maasai, when a baby was born, a temporary name, ‘embolet’, was given.
The name was maintained until a naming ceremony is held. The mother and child exclude themselves from the clan in preparation for the naming ceremony.
They also allow their hair to grow for shaving during the ceremony.
At the ceremony (Enkipukonoto Eaji), both mother and child were prayed for and then allowed back into the clan for the ceremony.
Both the mother and child were shaved and the father gives the child a name as agreed by his age set and clan elders.
A symbol of beginning a new life was later unveiled by feasting, songs, and dances to welcome the newborn to the world.
For the kids that grew fond of their Embolet name, they were given that name permanently.
The Maasai Marriage/Courtship
The marriage ceremony was one of the longest ceremonies in the Maasai community.
A man in the traditional Maasai community was only allowed to marry after he had completed his term of service as a junior warrior.
He would then go through a ceremony (Eunoto) after acquiring a certain number of cattle.
He was allowed to choose a wife, or in other instances, a wife was already picked for him by his parents.
In this case, girls do not have a choice but to acknowledge because it is their parents’ wish for them.
This was sometimes poignant because some girls were so young and were forced to marry older men who did not care for them. If a girl tried to decline a marriage offer, she was beaten until she accepted.
After the man chooses the bride he wants to marry, he informs his parents who visit the bride’s parents and informs them of their interest.
If the girl’s parents agree, then the next visit involved taking the bride price to the girl’s home. The dowry comprised of cows, goats, and sheep.
A traditional brew was also brought and given to the bride's parents. This first stage, Esirit Enkoshoke, indicated that the girl was now engaged.
The bridegroom and best man walk to the bride’s home on the wedding day. They pick up the bride from her boma, and they walked back to the groom’s boma. No members of her family were permitted to attend the marriage ceremony. She was no longer part of their family.
Polygamy
Traditionally, the Maasai were polygamous. When a woman was married, she doesn’t just marry her husband, but his entire age group as well. A man was expected to give up his bed to a visiting male guest.
Polygyny was also common among older men; wife lending occurred between men of the same age set.
Gender Roles in Marriage
The role of Maasai women was to have children, who were introduced to raising cattle as soon as they could walk.
Women and girls had a variety of chores besides building the family house, taking care of the home and their children. They milked the cows, fetched water, and also collected firewood.
The men offered security to the family, took care of the animals, and were the decision-makers in the community.
Widows
The eldest son in the family was the next of kin after the death of their father. He was responsible for taking charge of the family.
He was to take care of his mother and ensure that she was given the respect she deserved.
The widows were regarded as the head of the community and could take part in any ceremony taking place in the community.
In instances where the widow was still young, she was inherited by the deceased brothers.
Divorce
A Maasai woman was to be submissive to her husband. Under no circumstance was a woman allowed to divorce her husband.
It was only allowed in instances of physical abuse but the woman was not allowed to be married again.
Inheritance
Traditionally, the bride was allocated a herd of cattle which her sons would build up herds of their own.
When both parents died, the eldest son inherited what was left of his father’s herd, while the youngest son inherited what was left of his mother's herd. Daughters were not given any inheritance.
Death
For the Maasai, death was not something to celebrate. To them, it was the end of life and the dead had no other use in the community.
They never believed in life after death like many African communities.
The dead were left in the fields to be eaten by scavengers and wild animals. They considered burials as harmful to the soil.
The deceased's body was smeared with ox blood and cattle fat to attract scavengers.
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