Masai - a tribe that has preserved its traditions thanks to militancy

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Masai - a tribe of proud warriors, one of the most ancient and numerous throughout Africa. They live in Kenya and Tanzania. A distinctive feature of this tribe is that none of its members has a passport or any other document. That is why it is simply impossible to determine the exact number.

In the 15th-16th centuries. The Maasai led a nomadic lifestyle, they came from the banks of the Nile. In modern times, many of them, not without the pressure of today's realities, are forced to become settled. However, not all of them give up, most of them still remain nomads.

Who are the Maasai?

Children under 14 are considered the happiest Maasai. The tribe does not force them to learn anything, go to schools, do social work, and so on. At this time, they only dance, have fun and sometimes go hunting. However, none of the children refuses personal self-improvement, they all watch adults, especially the leader. By seeing how they act and what they do, babies build their own behavior pattern.

After 14 years, the next 2-3 years, the Maasai walk and look closely. Gradually, they enter the established structure of the tribe, where each person has his own duties. Teenagers are not immediately determined with their employment, they try themselves in all areas. So, for example, one of the girls can become a cook, the other will start looking after the children.

Then at the age of 16-17, the Maasai get married or get married, build their own house, where they will live as a young unit of society. Gradually there is an accumulation of funds. Since there are no banks in the villages, the status is determined by the number of livestock. The larger it is, the higher the position in society, respectively. After the wedding, a measured life begins, the formed personality already knows exactly what responsibility falls on it. And so it continues until old age.

How do the Maasai live?

Maasai live in a relatively large village 160 km from Nairobi. The tribe has preserved its original way of life to this day. Since the area where it lives does not have fertile soil, people are forced to engage in cattle breeding. Each person determines his age only approximately, he does not have a passport, and the Maasai are not used to following the calendar.

Each village has about 100 inhabitants. And they are all members of this big family. The leader is at the head. The way of life, respectively, is only patriarchal. Modern men, since there are no wars, graze cattle. Previously, this was the responsibility of the weaker sex. Women prepare food and exerciseraising children. There is also no special education, the young simply look up to their elders, imitating them in everything.

Three wives can have a Masai leader. The tribe, of course, is distinguished by militancy, but this does not apply to women. They deserve the respect and trust of men with delicious food. By the way, the leader determines his beloved wife every day. And his choice will depend directly on the deliciousness of the cooked dinner.

Maasai wedding

In the Maasai tribe, we alth is accumulated by selling daughters. Therefore, a man who has more girls has a high status. The wedding begins with the groom coming to his bride's house. Her father is sitting on the threshold, guarding the dwelling (so that her daughter is not stolen). Before handing over his daughter, he determines how much the young guy will have to give cows for her.

The bride must be a virgin. Many guests come to the wedding, each of whom gives a little (or a lot) of money for the benefit of the young. All funds are collected by the mother-in-law. At first, she will live with the young, doing the work of the treasurer. As for the celebration itself, it takes place in the standard and familiar mode - guests, fun, presenter, festive costumes and so on.

A terrible tradition is that on the wedding night, the spouse will not sleep with her husband, but with the toastmaster. This is due to the fact that a young man should not see the blood of his Maasai woman.

If a warrior decides to marry again, then the new bride is chosen not by his mother, but by his first wife. Sosame is the case with the subsequent ones. That is, no matter how many brides a man requests, they all pass the selection of the one who was married at the beginning.

Maasai food

The food and drink of the tribe is very peculiar. Moreover, it is better for faint-hearted people not to get acquainted with the cuisine in question at all. The Maasai's favorite drink is fresh blood. Sometimes it is bred with milk. Drinking is done in the following way. A man pierces the artery of an animal with a sharp object and puts a container under pressure. The beast does not die, unless on the 10th time of quenching thirst. After the warrior has filled his cup, he closes up the hole with clay, and the cow or ram continues to live.

But the Maasai tribe of Africa is extremely negative about meat products. This is not due to the fact that they are ideological vegetarians. It's just that livestock is the main income, and eating it means depriving oneself of status, lowering one's significance in society.

Interesting facts about the Maasai

The African Masai tribe is distinguished by amazing traditions, which for a European or Slavic person may seem terrible. So, for example, all girls go through the rite of circumcision, along with the guys. Moreover, if a woman has not done this, then she will never be married.

Also, all girls have to shave their heads bald. Apparently, the men of the tribe do not believe that female beauty lies in long curls.

Each tribe has its own distinctive sign - tattoos. Imiboth human bodies and livestock are covered. Only in this way, when grazing, can they distinguish their ram from someone else's. By the way, if foreign cattle accidentally got into the tribe, then it is immediately returned. No one has forgotten the militancy of the Maasai, even after decades of peaceful existence.

Conclusion

Literally strikes the originality that the Maasai tribe has. A photo of each of its members proves militancy and willfulness. It is also not uncommon to see notes that they place themselves above other African tribes, as well as Europeans or Americans visiting the continent.

Moreover, when the colonizers came to Africa, they were actually afraid and even afraid of meeting with the Maasai. With all this, the Europeans had modern technology and weapons, while the tribe was primitive. It should be noted that this ancient culture is still preserved only thanks to militancy and unwillingness to surrender their ancestral territories to the colonialists.