Becoming a Warrior: The Maasai Culture

Young Maasai warriors ready to begin their next phase in their life. (Photo Courtesy from explore.org)

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Guides who help them through out the journey accompany them. chosen from 14- 16 years travel across their village to announce their next step.

The Enkinpatta is the pre circumcision ceremony. Which do fathers of the new age set organize? It can only be done when the warriors are settled. Boys that are

Massai Warriors Passage that is divided in 10 parts.

Enkipatta

and are going to become Massai Warriors. One of the most important rituals is of age rituals, especially the boy’s rituals that are going to stop being Massai kids located in Kenya and Tanzania. The Massai people take really seriously the coming

different rites and rituals that represent the coming of age; like baptism, first communion or the Bar mitzvah. In Africa there are many cultures and religions with many different rituals. These cultures in Africa have many years of been alive. Like the Massai culture that is

In this world we have many people, with many ideas and personalities. People from different cultures and places, people whom hundreds of years ago created

The Emuratare is the most important part in the ceremony. Both men and women of the Maasai society go through a circumcision (FGM and MGM).It is important that once the boys become warriors they have the responsibility to protect their territory. Circumcision is the initiation that takes a person from childhood to adulthood. For the boy to do the ceremony he must show signs of a grown man by carrying a heavy spear, which is like a javelin. This is an eight-day process; the circumcision will be done on the eight day. Before the operation the boys need to

Emuratare

Large sets of kraals are shown here, this is where the warriors stay

Time and place of the circumcision

It takes place before sunrise. Their prophet that has many years of experience of circumcision performs it. They boys would receive gifts from his family and friends (animals like cows pigs etc). The healing of the circumcision will take 3-4 months the boy must wear black clothes for a period of 4-8 months and after they are healed they have to become a new person and receive the status of a new warrior.

Emanayatta

The Emanayatta is the warriors’ camp that contains 20-40 houses randomly selected by the new warriors. This part of the ceremony is sometimes a challenge for the warriors.

A pole is planted in the middle of the camp that is used as a flagpole. The white and blue cloth, the Maasai’s flag is tied to the pole before planting and remains there as long as the warriors remain in the camp. Two warrior chiefs are chosen to lead, guide and represent their camp, the puropose of the camp is to keep men of the same age together to fulfill their role as a military force. It is where the warriors learn about the brotherhood, their skills of speaking and animal husbandry. They will spend up to ten years In the Emanyatta before the Eunoto ceremony. Eunoto

The Eunoto is a ceremony performed by members of the age set ten years after warrior hood. This ceremony marks a warrior transitioning to a senior warrior; it also permits a warrior to marry, which prepares them to become future fathers. The ceremony is done in a special camp that has a total of 49 houses. The 49th house is known as osinkra large mud hut made for the Oloibni until the event is over. Every graduating warrior must shave his long ochre stained hair, which is done by the mother. But they will shave their hair the same day as their respected Olopolosi During the festival warriors are not allowed to carry weapons such as sticks, spears, knifes and many others. Also during the event an animal horn is set on fire and warriors are forced to take out a piece before it is burned, nobody wants to take piece out because whoever takes out the horn will suffer misfortunate throughout his entire life, however if he refuses to take it out the entire age set will be cursed, it is better for one person to be unfortunate than many.

A few months after the Eunoto the warriors form a small camp for Enkang e Kule , the milk ceremony. Before the Eunoto ceremony warriors are prohibited to eat alone without the company of others, excuses are not accepted even the sick people must obey the requirement. To drink outside the camp is allowed but only if women aren’t present.

Eunoto

The Eunoto is a ceremony performed by members of the age set ten years after warrior hood. This ceremony marks a warrior transitioning to a senior warrior; it also permits a warrior to marry, which prepares them to become future fathers. The ceremony is done in a special camp that has a total of 49 houses. The 49th house is known as osinkra large mud hut made for the Oloibni until the event is over. Every graduating warrior must shave his long ochre stained hair, which is done by the mother. But they will shave their hair the same day as their respected Olopolosi During the festival warriors are not allowed to carry weapons such as sticks, spears, knifes and many others. Also during the event an animal horn is set on fire and warriors are forced to take out a piece before it is burned, nobody wants to take piece out because whoever takes out the horn will suffer misfortunate throughout his entire life, however if he refuses to take it out the entire age set will be cursed, it is better for one person to be unfortunate than many.

A few months after the Eunoto the warriors form a small camp for Enkang e Kule , the milk ceremony. Before the Eunoto ceremony warriors are prohibited to eat alone without the company of others, excuses are not accepted even the sick people must obey the requirement. To drink outside the camp is allowed but only if women aren’t present.

The Maasai jumping as part of their pre circumcision ceremony. (Photo courtesy WendyLin2o Flickr)

A young Maasai getting his circumcision surrounded by other warriors and their prophet

Bibliography(Maasai Assosiation)

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http://www.on-the-matrix.com/africa/masai_people.asp Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_y4c9C6mU

M http://www.maasai-association.org/ceremonies.html

Bibliographyyoutube. 2 4 2008. 17 9 2013 <• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F_y4c9C6mU >.African crafts market. african crafts market. 14 9 2013. 14 9 2013 <http://www.africancraftsmarket.com/Maasai_people.htm>.Maasai Assosiation. goafrica.about. 3 5 2008. 16 9 2013 <http://goafrica.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.maasai%2Dassociation.org/ceremonies.html>.Maasai assosiation. massai assosiation. 16 9 2013. 16 9 2013 <http://www.maasai-association.org/ceremonies.html>.Stumpf, Bruce G. on the max. 2002. 15 9 2013 <http://www.on-the-matrix.com/africa/masai_people.asp>.