Maasai Village

On the way to the Serengeti, we drove through lands inhabited by the Maasai tribe. Many Maasai still follow a traditional way of life, living in small villages in the countryside, making their living primarily through raising cattle. Some villages are more entrepreneurial, inviting the muzungu (white) tourists to visit and learn more about their way of life, for a fee, of course.

We were compelled enough by their culture and by seeing their people in the towns and by the roadsides that we decided to stop at one of these villages to see what it was all about. Although it is not an entirely authentic experience and does feel like a bit of a production put on for tourists, one of the positive aspects is that the money goes directly to the inhabitants of the village, helping them to preserve their culture and traditions.

We were greeted by the men performing their typical dance, which involves amazing straight-legged leaps high into the air, while the women sing along. Ben gave it a go in friendly competition with a Maasai warrior to see who could jump higher. From the picture it looks like a tie (meaning the Maasai kindly jumped off using only one toe)!

One of the warriors showed us a typical hut, which is traditionally constructed by the women and made of various materials including cardboard and sticks with a covering of cow dung on top. Each hut will have a bed or two made from stretched animal skins and a small fire for cooking.

The women typically stay in the village making/maintaining the huts, foraging and cooking, while the men go out with the precious herds, often over long distances, having to stay alert to the threat from lions and other predators. The male Maasai are usually allowed to have three to four wives and they spend each night in a different hut looking in on their extended families with the children sleeping in another hut when the father is staying over. Very interesting! Our Maasai guide also informed us that they observe the practice of male and female circumcision (!!). Hmmm. Along with the tradition of the father being the one to choose his son’s bride, it didn’t seem like the ideal lifestyle for the women to say the least. Certainly it is very different from what we are used to.

The women were overall a very quiet and shy bunch, wearing brightly dyed cloths and elaborate jewellery made out of coloured beads. Their earlobes are stretched to accommodate large square earrings that are joined with a beaded loop that passes under the chin. They keep their heads shaved and wear a beaded flat topped hat.

The men also wear brightly coloured cloths, three or four pieces wound around the torso and legs to create a tunic-like outfit. A common striking view on the drive through their lands is that of a Maasai warrior wearing a bright red tunic while strolling through the African bush. They will often have a spear or a knife in order to protect themselves and their herds from animals and other tribes as well. The knife is also used for the ancient art of fire-making which we were privileged to witness. Ben even got a chance to try it out. Much more difficult to do than it looks! Some gestures and smiles from the Maasai warriors made it clear that Ben’s forearms were in less than ideal condition for surviving in the African bush. Thank goodness for modern lighters.

We had the opportunity to visit the kindergarten, where children aged three to six years attend school. Each village has a kindergarten, and once the children turn seven, they have to make the daily trek to the nearest school to continue their education. Some of the Maasai, always male, will continue their education into university. The kids were very cute and energetic, singing us a song which we caught on video, and showing an endearing, shy curiosity with us.

A short distance from the village we ran into a group of adolescent male Maasai who were dressed all in black, with their faces painted in intricate black and white patterns. This costume is worn for three months after circumcision, which is usually performed around the age of eighteen (although this group looked nowhere near that age). During this time the boys have to live away from the village and show they are able to sustain themselves in the wild. Afterwards they can return to the village, where they are accepted as warriors. In practice, today they seem to stand by the roadsides in search of donations of either money or chocolate bars – another form of survival we suppose.

It was a nice opportunity to learn about a completely different way of life and the people made it very welcoming with their friendly nature. We left with smiles, after an exchange of emails with some of the Maasai who were contemplating a future visit to Canada. Before leaving, Sandra even received a marriage proposal from one of the warriors – another victim of Cupid’s bow! We reminded him that he needed his father’s permission, which made him blush, and amongst good natured laughs we departed for Serengeti National Park.