MASAI LAND IN SHORT!
Ø A spot on the map of that immense continent called Africa divided between Tanzania and Kenya in the neighborhood of ungumuez, land of the mountains of the moon, which was already known by harmer and ancients. In these vast plains live people who speak the maa language and call themselves the maasai, they consider their neighbors ilmeek, “means” (Other tribes)
Ø The maasai are slender, tall people with Nilotic features.
Ø The huts are oval, made by the women from branches and cow dung with a flat roof on which one can store a piece of furniture
Ø The huts are arranged in a circle and are indicating from the entrance as “from left” or from “right”. Even the woman are referred to as “from left” or from “right” because the house belong to woman
Ø The maasai lives in close harmony with their cattle at which the know every single one by name
Ø Maasai children have a care free childhood. When a child is born it is given a pet name “embolet” which means “opener”
Ø When a man marries his first wife builds her house on the right side in the in the endosure ink-ang’ite. The second wife occupies the house on the left side
Ø Black and brown cattle catch the eye immediately, when a man marries
Ø The second wife has mainly black coloured cattle
Ø The circumcision of a young man has to strengthen him, he will bear the blood operation courageously and will stifle his pain the same as he will under circumstance show fear as a warrior
Ø The newly circumcised “oscolio” are wearing black gowns and decorate their head with ostrich feathers
Ø After circumcision they youth are promoted to “itmurran” warriors and have to prove thir courage, for gives them opportunity for work with the cattle protect the family wild animals also neighboring tribes
Ø But the climax of the warrior days was killing of lion this usually happened in groups. The murran who was the most courageous stroke compelled envy and adimiration from the girls
Ø A maasai must never run away from a lion but has to kill it or drive it away
Ø It is remarkable that the maasai still belive that God (Enk-ai)has given them a monopoly on the keeping of cattle
Ø The dance of the maasai specially “almurran” is a mystery of harmony and ritual.
Ø The jumps are amazing and seem to ridicule the low at gravity. The dancers seem to hand in the air and when they touch the ground with their feet again it is only to jum iven higher It is also natural
Ø Maasai dislike killing on animal of their flock unless for a special enent a ritual or a ceremony a feast or the arrival of guests. The slaughtering and catting up to the animal is done according to structures each piece belong to an order and standard of value, the kidneys are eaten raw the liver is roasted the mixed soup of the intestines is cooked roasted piece of meat are passed by the following a certain etiquette, spare ribs are peeled
Ø Nothing of a slaughtered animal is wasted – skins dung “engang’itie” as well as fuel glue and Dalm for wounds
Ø The milk is stored in long cylindrical gourds. They are rinsed with cow urine and disinfected with glowing sparks of fragrant wood. This process turns the milk slightly sour, which makes it tenable for a longer period
Ø The maasai are not hunters. Meat from the hunt is only eaten during famine and they eat only the elk and the buffalo, which can be compared to cattle.
Thank for sharing this with me.
Douglas Philipo Mombury
E-mail: momburymountain@yahoo .com
Phone: +255 784 939707 or 712 919192
