This is the journey of the history and origin of the Maasai tribe.
The Maasai name (which means those who speak the language “Maa”) is often misspelled, and they are referred to as “Masai”. This name comes from the incorrect spelling used by British settlers and is still used today and Maasai means people speaking Maa. In some theory, like the Falasha of western Ethiopia said, the Maasai are Jewish: a long-lost tribe of Israel. Maasai are traditionalists and have resisted the urging of the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments to adopt a more modern lifestyle for them.
The ancestors of modern Maasai, a Nilotic people, have a history rooted in a southward migration from the Nile Valley lived in the region of Africa that is now known as Sudan and Ethiopia. In pursuit of better agricultural and grazing lands which they are known for, began to migrate (along with other tribes of the region) southward in the 15th century and they eventually arrived central East Africa by 1750 CE. These tribes spent time in the Kenyan highlands and the Lake Turkana region before ultimately landing in southern Kenya. The origins of Maa (Maasai) have been traced to the east of present-day Juba in South Sudan.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, they were the dominant tribe in Kenya. Despite the fact that the British were able to defeat the Maasai, they were utterly impressed by their fighting spirit and courage. The Maasai were forced to leave Kenya’s most fertile lands and in turn were left with some of the destitute parts of the country to life off.
Currently now, the entire Maasai population is estimated to be approximately 900,000 inhabitants. They speak the Maa language, but also speak the official languages of Kenya – Swahili and English.
This is how the traditional Maasai homes were traditionally built in a very non-permanent and on the go manner because of the way they moving around with their heard. Their enclosure, consisting of a large circular thornbush fence around a ring of mud-dung houses, holds four to eight families and their herds. There’s possibility that they might leave to another place better feeding of their heard. Women of the tribe also built homes and did so in either a circle or loaf shape. The men of the village then built a large circular fence around the homes to defend their village.
The Maasai tribe keep spreading to north of Lake Turkana in the lower Nile Valley. Later on, they continued their journey to south and settled in the Great Rift Valley and the Dodoma and Mount Marsabit region. They were feared for raiding cattle as far east as the Tanga Coast in Tanzania. Therefore, the Maasai people are primarily found in these countries Kenya and Tanzania, especially northern Tanzania specifically in the areas bordering the Great Rift Valley.
This tribe is renowned for its remarkable trackers with generations of knowledge of their lands and its wildlife. With semi-nomadic lifestyle and predominantly pastoralists, they still live by herding cattle and goats. Where other Kenyan tribes have adjusted to modern-day living and sacrificed their lands and their livelihood, the Masai still stay true to their old traditions.
The Maasai people are among the 50 tribes of native people living in East Africa, in the regions of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are fully nomadic, wandering in bands throughout the year and surviving almost entirely on the meat, blood, and milk of their herds.
Maasai Food
Typical Maasai traditional foods consist of these: meat, blood-milk mixtures, fat, milk, honey, and tree bark. And Maasai warriors believed to have two meal a day. But Maasai prohibited food especially men must not eat meat that has been in contact with women or that has been handled by an uncircumcised boy after it has been cooked. This is a taboo in Maasai.
In addition to their diet, the Maasai people have supplemented their diet with farm produced such as maize meal, rice, cabbage among other food crops. Rather than depending only on their animals for food alone.
Clothing
Maasai clothing varies by sex, age and sometimes place. Young men wear black for several months after their circumcision. Although, red is a favored color among the Maasai. They wear red and blue color as it is known to be sacred and holy in the Maasai culture. Red – stands for bravery, unity, and blood, while blue represents energy and the sky. A Maasai bride usually wear red or orange coloured dress on her wedding day.
Though Black, Blue, checked and striped cloth are also worn, together with multi-coloured African garments. In the 1960s the Maasai began to replace sheepskin, calf hides and animal skin for more commercial material. The cloth used to wrap around the body is the called “Shuka” in the Maa language.
The Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewelry, which plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body. Ear piercing and the stretching of earlobes are also part of Maasai beauty, and both men and women wear metal hoops on their stretched earlobes. That’s why you will see most of them piercing their ear and nose.
What is the Maasai tribe known for?
The Maasai tribe is known for its distinctive style of colorful clothing. Color is important in the dress of the Maasai people. Traditionally, the pigment ochre was used to dye the hides of animals. Although cotton is the preferred fiber today, the color red still carries significance as a symbol of the color of blood. And they are known for their semi-nomadic lifestyle and predominantly pastoralists, they still live by herding cattle and goats. Maasai are also known for their jumping dance.
Why are the Maasai unique?
The unique thing about Maasai people is their continued traditional way of life in modern times. During a time when European sovereignties were occupying and colonizing much of Africa, the Maasai resisted their domination and influence. They preserved many of their cultural traditions despite colonial rule. Other aspect that makes them unique are vibrant clothing, intricate hairstyles, elaborate jewelry and face painting. Their way of life, the cattle they keep, and their dancing ability also makes them popular around the world. You can give it to them in this aspect.
Maasai Traditions
The Maasai have a very patriarchal society. Masai men and elders make all of the important decisions for Masai tribes. They measure a man’s wealth in terms of the number of children a man has and heads of cattle. The more the better. The Maasai have a very colourful culture of music and dance. The women are known to recite lullabies, hum and sing songs of praise about their sons. There’s always one song leader, known as an “Olaranyani”, who leads the group in song.
Another thing about Maasai people, both women and men mostly shave their head to celebrate rites of passage such as circumcision and marriage. This represents the fresh start that will be made as one pass from one stage of life to another of life’s chapters. It’s only the Maasai warriors who are allowed to wear long hair, which they weave in thinly braided strands.
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The Maasai children are named upon reaching 3 “moons” after given birth and their heads are shaved clean apart from a tuft of hair, which resembles a cockade, from the nape of the neck to the forehead. Before circumcision, the young boys will be shaved two days before they are circumcised. The young warriors then allow their hair to grow, and spend a great deal of time styling the hair.
The Maasai traditionally hold “coming of age” ceremonies during which the horn of the “Greater Kudu” is used to summon all of those coming of age to assemble for the initiation ceremony. Such ceremonies last for ten (10) days or more and involve quite a bit of singing, dancing and flirting. During the ceremony young men will line up and chant towards a line of singing women standing across from them. A very unique and interesting sight to see. Some parts of Maasai tradition have changed in recent years. Until recently, the single-handed slaying of a lion with a spear was a requirement for all boys who wanted to become Masai warriors. To prevent the extinction of the lions.
Color
They wear red and blue color as it is known to be sacred and holy in the Maasai culture. These colors have their significant as stated: Red – stands for bravery, unity, and blood, while blue represents energy and the sky. A Maasai bride in her traditional bridal attire. The bride usually wears red or orange colored dress on her wedding day.
Religion
Before now, Maasai people are monotheistic, and their God is named Engai or Enkai, a God who is mostly benevolent and who manifests himself in the form of different colors, according to the feelings he is experiencing. Enkai is not represented by any human-like shape. Instead, he is represented by colors. And the said colors have their precise meanings such as: Black and dark blue mean God is well-disposed towards men while red, on the other hand, is identified with God’s irritation.
First, The Enkai has two manifestations: Enkai-Narok, the Black God, good and beloved, brings grass and prosperity for them. He is found in thunder and rain.
Secondly, Enkai-na-Nyokie, the Red God, he is vengeful, brings famine and hunger. He is found in lightning and is identified with the dry season.
The Maasai religion, which is called “Laibon” (Laiboni) intercedes between the world of the living and the Creator. These are the Maasai’s high priests and diviners. In addition to organizing and presiding over religious ceremonies in Maasai—including sacrifice and libation, they also heal the living, physically and spiritually. That’s before then, now those things are beginning to fade away among the Maasai.
The importance of cattle to the Maasai can be traced back to their religion and to Enkai. Today, most of the Maasai people are Christians and celebrate Christian holidays with very few of them Muslims but some still practice the traditionist.
Festival
Though Maasai people don’t have a fixed date for a festival in their calendar. They have several festivals to celebrate, dance and feast, like marriage, circumcision, etc. As the awareness keep coming, they have begun to celebrate a Global Festival which was first held from 7th – 9th November, 2013. This is not the fixed dates though. You can see they also celebrated the festival in August, 2024. The Maasai Cultural Festival is a celebration of the Maasai culture, a vibrant East African heritage primarily in Kenya and Tanzania. It’s a time for Maasai communities and visitors to immerse themselves in traditional Maasai life, including dances, music, storytelling, crafts, and food. The festival aims to showcase the unique traditions, customs, and lifestyle of the Maasai people.
Marriage
Marriage involves a substantial bride-price in livestock. The traditional Maasai practice polygamy, although this is slowly changing due to the influence of modern values. Maasai used to practice woman circumcision then and girls are circumcised between the ages of 11 and 13 old. But now, there are campaign to stop women circumcision due to the grave danger it created to womanhood.
There are many theories about marriages in Maasai, among them is Naomy in her book which is below.
Some challenges of choosing marriage and education, Maasai forced marriage is most practiced in Sab-Saharan Africa; it is also common in the Maasai community. The Maasai, despite their lack of exposure, have proudly maintained their traditional lifestyle and cultural identity without giving to the pressures of the modern world. The community is under a patriarchal leadership which denies young girls an opportunity to go to school. Education is withheld from girls because it is believed that educating a girl child is not a wise investment because the girl will marry into another family. Therefore, the father of the girl will opt to educate a boy. Many are taking the campaign to them for equal recognition in the aspect of education for both male and female.
Naomy Kipury in her book: Engagement and Marriage among the Maasai in page 38-42 read.
It is different with women. There are cases where a father decides to retain one of his daughters at home if he has no sons so she her choice to be his heirs. This is because a woman is not entitled to inherit her father’s property.
There are rules, regulations and also taboos governing marriage. These determine the clan and the age of the couple who marry or may not marry. Close relatives are not to marry in Maasai culture; the clans are exogamous, that is, one may not marry a person of his/her clan. To do so a man has to give away a heifer to the father of the bride.
This is intended to wipe away the “blood” relation that might have existed between the two. However, this fine is only possible if the two are members of the same clan. But clans are subdivided and members of the same sub-clan can under no circumstance marry.
Betrothal Procedure
The method of betrothal is more or less the same for all the sections. The usual practice is that a given family decides to obtain a bride (from a particular family). Having spotted the girl, the mother of the man who wants to marry and another woman of her clan set off to the girl’s home. They carry with them either one of three items-a chain, some butter or cow dung. These women may be dressed either casually or ceremonially.
On reaching the home, they seek out the girl and pretend to fix her ornaments for her and in the case of bringing a chain they slip it on her neck. Otherwise, they smear some butter or cow dung on her abdomen. This act is referred to as Esirata and it signifies the picking out of the girl from among many. The marking is usually accompanied by the sentence. “Talepo inoo. ……. .”May you milk those of ……… ” whatever clan the speaker belongs to. If the “marked” girl is old enough to realise the meaning of the act she will throw the chain away and wipe off the dung or butter. and some do cry very bitterly. It is then up to the visitors to recover the Esiret (marriage token) and take it to the girl’s mother to keep. In most cases the girl is too young to realise the significance of the whole exercise and may excitedly go around showing off the beautiful ornament given her by the visitor, in the case of the chain.
In cases where there are no daughters who are not “booked”, the marking would be done on the stomach of a pregnant woman in hope that she’d bear a daughter. If she had a son, a close friendship would be established between the new-born and the would-have-been husband. The two would in most cases exchange cows and call each other “Pakiteng.” This is the normal accepted betrothal procedure but there is a very small percentage of people who do not abide by societal rules. I will briefly mention the lot of this minority. A man may fall in love with a girl and decide to put her in the family way. It is taboo for an uncircumcised girl to get pregnant, hence many people shun marrying such a girl.
With families who take the “crime” most seriously the girl is disowned as an outcast. She is taken to the bush at dusk and tied onto a tree with a bull and left to be eaten by wild animals. Whoever may want to claim the girl may take her as an adopted person and her name would never again be associated with her original family. The minority of these men who decide to obtain brides in such fashion are the ones who stand very narrow chances of obtaining brides of their choice through the normal procedures.
But even so, it is not always a guarantee that they will marry the girl. Some families who are more lenient in their view toward pregnancy before circumcision may decide to stop the man from marrying the girl, and instead look for another suitor for the girl. Others may decide to fine the man a number of cows before they allow him to marry their daughter. In general, Entaapai4 is despised and she remains an object of scorn throughout her life.
There are some cases where a circumcised girl would elope with a man she loves. She may either be brought back and married to someone else or she may be allowed to stay on while the marriage formalities are conducted in the usual way. When a woman refuses to marry the person chosen for her. she is often beaten by her brothers and clan members in an attempt to force her into marriage.
Some women comply after the beating but others remain obstinate. There was a case of a woman who would only marry an ugly man chosen for her if her eyes were plucked out to prevent her from seeing his ugly face. Her father prevented her from being whipped and instead allowed her to marry a “handsome” man of her choice. Individual cases exist and they are treated differently, other than by following a set of rules and regulations. It is also important to note that it is a great dishonour to the father for his daughter to refuse to marry a man he chose for her. The girl is considered disrespectful to her father if she turns down his proposal of a suitor.
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Once the betrothal “mark” has been made it is followed soon after by the arrival of the groom’s parents to declare their intention formally. The boy’s mother and her lady escort set off to the bride’s home dressed in ceremonial cloaks. With them they carry honey and milk. This honey is referred to as Esiret enkoshoke (the mark of the stomach) on account of its close association with the act of “marking” the girl’s stomach just a little earlier. The women also hold bamboo staffs IIartati and apply a lot of fat on their bodies. The mouth of the calabash containing the honey is sewn with sisal and Enkoti (a small gourd) used as a lid, instead of a sewn leather strap with a flat piece of gourd on top. I n cases where honey is not available in large amounts, sugar is put in the calabash and a little honey added.
The honey is eaten by all the women of that village and it is a way of alerting them that one of their daughters is being sought for marriage. If the marriage does not go through successfully, this honey is the one item that is never refunded to the groom’s family. When this is completed the Enkiroret is brought in the same ceremonial style by the same women. The marriage proposal will be brought up for discussion and the man (usually his father and clan members) is informed whether his request is favourable or not.
The latest honey is brewed to be drunk during the discussion. The girl is initiated around the ages of between 13-18 years. If the talks are promising the spouse takes some tobacco for the women, some sheets for the close relatives of the bride, and a blanket for his father-in-law. Some may also carry some more sugar for brewing beer. The tobacco is spread on a hide the next day for all the women to take and chew. A day is then set for the bride to be married off.
In normal circumstances the groom is expected to bring five items as presents once he is promised the bride. A heifer (enkiteng) goes to his father-in-law to enable them to call each other Pakiteng. An ewe (enker) that goes to his mother-in-law necessitates the name Paker, since in-laws are not permitted to call each other by name. He also brings a bullock and a cow with a calf.
The last three are not designated to any particular person but I would think they are symbolic of a state of procreation. Since to the Maasai procreation is the idea behind marriage, a man and a woman are expected to come together in order to bring forth children. A bull, and cow with a calf could be a polite way of announcing societal expectations to the new couple. The animals that are given should all be of the same colour.
The heifer and the ewe are brought before marriage takes place but the rest can be brought later on. When all the wedding deliberations have been completed it remains for the bride to be “led away” in ceremony.
The wedding ceremony
There are two ways in which the wedding is conducted. There is a casual kind of wedding, Errotianarrot which is simple with little emphasis on the ceremonial procedures. Then there is a formal wedding Erikoroto too nkishu where all the rules and regulations pertaining to marriage are strictly adhered to. A woman may be married casually but unless she goes through the procedure of formalising her marriage she is not entitled to perform any ritual, like circumcision, on her children. I will relate the procedure followed in the formal wedding since it is the more important of the two.
Three days before the scheduled day for the wedding the bridegroom arrives with three other people; a woman, a little girl and his best-man. He also brings with him two fat rams and honey for brewing beer to be drunk while the final deliberations are going on. Besides their daily attire the two men wear black beads on their necks. They must also put on ceremonial cloaks and carry staffs The woman is also dressed ceremonially, but the little girl is only smartly dressed since she is not entitled to a ceremonial cloak or staff. However, they all apply a lot of fat on their bodies.
On arrival at the bride’s home, the animals are put into an enclosure inside the village and after a while they are driven out into the fields for grazing. Then they are brought back with the rest of the cows to the village. The next morning one of the two rams is slaughtered; it is referred to as Olbarnet because it is on that evening that the bride’s hair is shaven off. That same evening the wedding ram Orikoret is slaughtered. The meat of both rams has to be eaten and finished the same day.
Some fat from the second ram is stored in a container (olkulet) for the bride to carry to her new home. All the fathers of the girl who include clan members, uncles and men of her father’s age-set get together with the bride and groom. They advise them on the possible penalties for their conduct and to honour their marriage. This takes place while the beer is being drunk. They are then both blessed and left to retire for the night.
Early in the morning on the wedding day, the bride is dressed up by the women in readiness to leave her home. Among the ornaments she wears are four leather rings, Ilkerreti, two made from the two rams that were brought by the groom and the other two from rams slaughtered for her before circumcision. These rings are put on her fingers. On her back she carries one calabash of fresh milk and another of fresh milk mixed with blood, a mixture known as Inkipot. Among her ornaments are four wooden dolls, three representing girls and one representing a boy.
These are hung suspended on a string on her neck. The girl dolls have their legs covered with wire up to the knees· and also on their necks, while the boy doll has the wire only on one leg. This wire was brought by the groom. The dolls are carved out of very hard wood of a tree called Oltimigomi and it is renowned
for its durability—-obviously to wish the bride a long, healthy life with children. She also wears a string of black (dark blue) beads (Enkononkoi) which her younger sister slips on her neck as she comes out of the house. Isurutia (wire-coils) are another kind of ornament the bride has to have. On her waist she ties two belts of thin leather and her leather shoes are put on her feet so that the left shoe goes to the right foot and vice versa.
The bride weeps bitterly mainly because she is obviously sad to leave her home and relatives, but also particularly because she is expected to weep-otherwise she would be laughed at and teased that she loves to get married. When the bride and the procession are ready to leave, the bride is taken to the main gate of the home (kishomi) for the final blessing. Two elders, one holding a calabash of milk and the other of honey beer, confer the blessing. Each of these gourds is covered with green grass, signifying fertility. The grass is dipped into the liquids and sprinkled on the bride’s face, feet and body.
This act is performed simultaneously with utterances of blessings such as:- Taa paming’ori May you be popular Tanapa olgilata May you take care of your linyi clan. Tanapa minyi May you look after your ng’utunyi mother and father.
Green grass is stuck on her waist and on her shoes. The bride then leaves for her new home with four “strangers.” She receives no escort from her people and her mother is not even supposed to see her leave. She should be in doors. Once she starts off on her wedding journey the bride is not supposed to look back. The rest of the procession goes before the bride who customarily has to walk very slowly in case she appears anxious to take and be taken by the new husband. The duty of the best-man is to “sweep the way” for the bride who is not to jump over the smallest plant along the path. The best-man has to carry her across a river or a gulley and over any big obstacle on the way. Being good friends and probably clan-members, the best-man usually gives the groom a cow and brews honey beer for him after the wedding and invites him to his home to drink it. They remain life-long friends.
On the way, whoever sees the wedding procession goes to tease the bride, sometimes very bitterly. She is told that she is the ugliest woman on earth; that she stole everything she is carrying on her back; that she must be a glutton, etc. This teasing is meant to show the bride that marriage has a lot to reckon with. From getting angry it is hoped that she develops a determination to endure the problems of married life.
On arrival at her new home she is given cold fresh milk and a small girl comes to sit on her lap. The bride does not comply with any request, like “come in”, “sit down”, etc. Without obtaining a present from the family members. Everyone comes to welcome the new wife and to promise her presents, usually of cows, sheep and goats.
She stays for two days. On the third day she cleans her body traditionally by rubbing on ochre and gives out some of the ornaments and items she had carried, e.g. the dolls. She is given cows by her husband and shown the ones she was promised by all the other family members. It is on this day that she is given a new name (usually the name of her husband’s age-set). It is also on the third day that she is permitted to sleep with her husband for the first time. She becomes a full member of her new home with all the rights and responsibilities. No divorce is permissible after such formalized weddings.
Hope Maasai story is captivating to you reading this? Try and visit the Maasai in Kenya or Tanzania and see for yourself. If possible, marry from there or recommend for someone. If they can allow that. This post is trying to avoid tribal sentiment and bring us all together as one human being irrespective of our location or race or complexity.