Maasai People

The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and Tanzania. They are among the best known of African ethnic groups, due to their distinctive customs and dress. They reside near the game parks of East Africa. They speak Maa which is a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Some of the Maasai are also able to speak Swahili and English which are the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania. Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visits to their village to experience their culture, traditions and lifestyle.

Culture

Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group, and normally payment in cattle will settle matters. Traditional Maasai lifestyle centres around their cattle which constitute their primary source of food. The measure of a man’s wealth is in terms of cattle and children. A herd of 50 cattle is respectable, and the more children the better. A man who has plenty of one but not the other is considered to be poor.

Shelter

As a historically nomadic and then semi-nomadic people, the Maasai have traditionally relied on local, readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their housing. The traditional Maasai house was in the first instance designed for people on the move and was thus very impermanent in nature. The enkaj ( houses ) are either star-shaped or circular, and are constructed by able-bodied women. The structural framework is formed of timber poles fixed directly into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches, which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung, human urine and ash. The cow dung ensures that the roof is water-proof. The enkaj is small, measuring about 3x5m and standing only 1.5m high. Within this space, the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes and store food, fuel and other household possessions. Small livestock are also often accommodated within the enkaj. Villages are enclosed in a circular fence( an enkang ) built by the men, usually of thorned acacia, a native tree. At night all cows, goats and sheep are placed in an enclosure in the centre, safe from wild animals.

Body Modification

The removal of tooth, piercing and stretching of earlobes is common among the Maasai. Various materials have been used to both pierce and stretch the lobes, including thorns for piercing, twigs, bundles of twigs, stones, the cross section of elephant tusks and empty film canisters. Fewer and fewer Maasai, particularly boys follow this custom. Women wear various forms of beaded ornaments in both the ear lobe, and smaller piercings at the top of the ear.

Music and Dance

Maasai music traditionally consists of rhythms provided by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies while a song leader, or olaranyani, sings the melody. The olaranyani is usually the singer who can best sing that song, although several individuals may lead a song. The olaranyani begins by singing a line or title ( namba ) of a song. The group will respond with one unanimous call in acknowledgement, and the olaranyani will sing a verse over the group’s rhythmic throat singing. Each song has its specific namba structure based on call-and-response. Neck movements accompany singing. When breathing out the head is leaned forward. The head is tilted back for an inward breath. One exception to the vocal nature of Maasai music is the use of the horn of the Greater Kudu to summon morans for the Eunoto ceremony.