The Maasai are a semi-nomadic indigenous tribe in Africa, whose territory stretches across southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Maasai people have an extremely rich and fascinating culture with many strange and unique customs.
For generations, the Massai have lived in the grasslands surrounding the Great Rift valley. This valley was formed by a rift that appeared 20 million years ago in the earth’s crust. The land here is really fertile, the climate is very mild, so the plants grow, the animals also come here, that’s why in this valley there are many Massai people.
The Massai people live a life with wild animals, including lions, and they take them very seriously. Those who dare to take on the task of slaying these ferocious animals, using their skin and fur as costumes, will be considered a hero and will receive praise from the members of the tribe. Lion hunting used to be a traditional ritual here but has now been abandoned.
The Maasai people are known for their perfect physical beauty, especially in men. Not only healthy physique, but also the costumes of the Maasai people are equally unique. Their most iconic garment is the shuka – a thick, hand-woven, red quilt with a striped or plaid pattern, wrapped around the body.
The Massai people make a living by raising cattle. The beef and sheep they raise are the staple food of the locals. The Massai people have a custom of drinking fresh blood when killing livestock because they believe that fresh animal blood is the most nutritious thing. The fresh blood of cattle represents strength and courage, that’s why they believe that drinking more and more fresh blood of these animals will make them braver and immortal. Massai men often carry spears and short knives with them. Such weapons could not only help them defend themselves, but could also be used to protect livestock from predators.
The Massai believe in animism. They believe that cattle are gifts that God has bestowed on them, they symbolize wealth and power. They cherish and worship the creatures that live next to them. If a village has a lot of cattle, it means that the village has many lucky things, the gods are always beside them to protect them. Men who owned a lot of livestock were also considered wealthy, respected by many, and made it easier for them to get married.
The Massai tribe has a rather scary custom, which is to remove front teeth and pierce ears. Upon reaching adulthood, boys will have to undergo the ritual of plucking a doorbell and piercing their ears. Only then will they be recognized as adults, entitled to decide everything related to their life.
Massai women start getting their ears pierced around the age of 9. When they grow up, they will have to shave their heads. Massai women beautify by wearing jewelry. Depending on the family hierarchy and age, women will wear different jewelry. Looking at the jewelry on the body, it is possible to guess their rank as well as their age.
The strange customs in the life of the Massai cannot include marriage. To this day, the Massai still maintain the custom of polygamy. A man can have as many wives as he wants. The maximum number of wives they can take is 10.
A Massai man can have as many wives according to the amount of wealth he has, of which livestock is the most important. Men have to bring their livestock as gifts to the bride’s family in order to get married.
The girls here do not have the right to decide their marriage. Their father will be the one who arranges the marriage and chooses the groom. Women must live and accept all the arrangements of the family as well as the traditional customs of their locality. When they return to their husband’s house, they will continue to work like people in the house and have the responsibility to have children. They do not distinguish who is the first wife or concubine, but all are treated fairly. The Massai also do not allow divorce.
However, the Massai people have a very strange custom, which is to allow married women to have a boyfriend outside, as long as they can’t get pregnant with that person. If the woman accidentally becomes pregnant with another man, the woman may suffer punishment from her husband.
Massai weddings are celebrated as a festival. All villagers are invited by the bride and groom to attend the wedding ceremony without any discrimination. Girls around 14 years old started getting married. Before going to the husband’s house, the elders will place a fresh plant in front of the bride’s chest, symbolizing the green meadow and a happy marriage. In addition, the bride’s father spit on his daughter’s head as a form of blessing.
In order to shake off all the bad luck before going to the husband’s house, the family members will gather at the beginning of the village to try to scold, insult and insult the bride who has just arrived. According to the custom here, the bride can enjoy her happiness to the fullest.
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