10 things you may not know about the Maasai people

The Maasai people are semi-nomadic people who are found mainly in parts of Kenya and Tanzania. These native Africans have recently grown a lot in numbers, going from 400,00 in 2000 to now having a population of over 800,000. 

Maasai people

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Mahlatini take you through 10 things that you may not know about these fascinating people.

1. The Maasai people occupy a territory that encompasses nearly 100 square miles that stretches out across both Kenya and Tanzania. It is land they need to house a population nearing 100,000. A census in 2009 put their numbers at 840,000.
2. The Maasai live in settlements known as manyattas. Traditionally women are given the charge of building the family home. The men, meanwhile, construct a fence made of acacia thorns that encircles the manyatta and keep predators such as lions at bay.
3. Maasai women seem to get a tough time of things; after making the house, from cow urine and manure, sticks, mud and grass, they then have 101 other duties to attend to. This can be anything that involves keeping the family unit going, from milking cattle to fetching water and gathering firewood.
4. In Maasai culture there is only one God who they call Engai. They believe him to have a dual nature; a Red God called Engai Nanyokie, who is wrathful and a Black God called Engai Narok, who is compassionate.
5. Cattle are an aspect of huge importance in the life of the Maasai people. They see the animals as a symbol of wealth and believe the entirety of the world’s cattle was gifted to them by God. They also use cattle as a means of making money through trade and establishing bonds with other tribes within the Massai community, and also to settle disputes.
6. The Maasai traditionally enjoy a diet of milk and meat. Although, of late, the Maasai have become increasingly dependent on food garnered from elsewhere, such as potatoes, rice and maize. Some Maasai have begun to cultivate the land and grow crops, something Maasai tradition condemns as, once farmed, the land can no longer be used for the grazing of cattle.
7. Maasai people believe burying people is harmful to the soil and so will only bury chieftains, anyone else becomes fair game for the savannah animals.
8. Maasai people have the interesting habit of drinking blood, luckily for those around them it is not in the fashion as Dracula. The Massai drink the blood of their livestock as it is rich in protein and good for the immune system and, according to Maasai elders, it’s also good for hangovers!
9. In each Maasai tribe it is the elders that keep the peace and deal with any business concerning the outside world. They are also charged with consorting with other tribes and laying down the law when necessary.
10. The life of a Maasai Warrior isn’t all plain sailing you know? They have to go through many trials before they can call themselves a warrior and even after that it is a hard life protecting cattle, the village and their lands from predators and outsiders.