The Life of a Maasai Moran - Research Paper Example

The Maasai are a humble group of people who practice nomadism and derive their livelihoods from the animals they keep and hunting and gathering. Among the Maasai, the birth of a male child is a symbol of power. A man is only considered a true man when he sires a male child. The more the males sired the more power and authority and respect one earns from the members of the community (Lekuton 37). There are men who have been made chief of the community because having the highest number of male children.

Such a man’s opinion in affairs of the community is taken very seriously and any one who disobeys his command is punished severely. The Maasai believe that it’s the God’s will to have male children and the more the male children the more God is happy with them and is blessing them (Barber 6). The male children are important because they protect the community and it’s wealth from all forms of threat ranging from other neighboring communities to wild animals. The birth of a male child in the community is received as great news and calls for ceremonies that have been performed for many years handed over from one generation to the next.

The ceremonies begin very early in the morning with the village elders meeting together and deciding on the name to be given to the child. The name is given based on the time of the year and events of axiological significance to the community happening as at that time of the year. The child could be born at a time when the community is preparing to go for war or during the rainy season, or dry season or many other significant periods. The name is settled on by the village elders on consensus and will be announced to the rest of the community at a time deemed appropriate by the village elders.

This is followed by songs of praise to the father of the child as the community assembles at the assembly point. On such a day, all activities of the community are stopped and ceremonies take center stage. The women will all be congratulating the woman who gave birth at this point as others give and seek advice. Those women who give birth to girls and have no boys are advised by the mother of child on how to get a boy and those who have had many boys give advice to the fellow mothers on how to get more and more boys.

It is to be noted that at this time the maiden girls are required to be present and will be responsible for all the singing and all the cooking and preparations for the ceremony. According to Saitoti and Galaty (87) a Maasai man is not allowed to perform any domestic chore. His duty is to take care of the community’s safety against all incoming threats. At exactly eight in the morning the Maasai Moran kill a bull chosen by the village elders and drain the blood. The father of the child pours some to the ground and takes a sip.

This is done under close supervision by the eldest member of the community. It is believed that the ancestor are still living together with the community and oversee the overall well being of the community by blessing them with rain and good cattle herds. The blood has to be poured first to the ground so that the ancestors can have the first sip. They come first in each and every activity of the community. Forgetting to pour a sip to the ground before taking the blood is a grave mistake and is accorded a whole repentance ceremony.

Once the father of the child has poured some to the ground and then taken a sip, the rest of the elders take each a sip of the blood