Visiting a Masai Village

Visiting a Masai village was quite an experience. Some of the young men of the village greeted us with a dance they use for killing lions. Mainly it’s just jumping up and down and chanting. They are wonderful jumpers. Some can jump about 2 ½ feet off the ground by just jumping up. No crouching down to get momentum, just jump. It’s amazing. The Masai people build their homes in a circle inside a brush fence. At night they herd the cattle into the middle of the homes for security. They make their homes of sticks woven together and plastered inside and out with manure from the cattle. ( I was surprised it didn’t stink very much) The homes have one door and two small (about 6”x6” square) windows to let the smoke out. We went into one of the homes and couldn’t see very well. I just about stepped in the fire because I couldn’t see it. As time went by and someone moved out of the doorway, we were able to see better. They have two beds—one for the parents and very small children, and one for the children up to age 7. After age 7 the children sleep in a different hut, or outside. The Masai practice polygamy, so the husband has several huts, one for each of his wives and their children and one for the parents. The people spend most of their time outside, sitting in the dung/dirt, herding cattle, making bead necklaces, cooking, whatever. They had two ceremonial posts in the middle of the courtyard, one for circumcising the males, and one for the females. They are considered brave if they don’t flinch, or cry out, or show any emotion during the ceremony. I’m so grateful I wasn’t sent to a Masai home. The people were quite friendly and before we left, a reception type line was made for us to shake hands with each of the men of the tribe. Part of the tradition of the Masai, is for the males about 12 years of age, to make holes in their ear lobes—like piercing their ears, only the holes range from dime size to dollar size. They wear a lot of red cloth. The boys who go to school don’t pierce their ears. When they are sick, the medicine man takes a burning stick and burns them to get rid of the disease. For example: if they had a head ache, they would get burned on the face somewhere. Our guide showed us where he had been burned to get better. He believes it really works. Our guide had lived in Nairobi for a time while going to school, but has since returned to his village to live and help out. When a man has a son that is married, he is considered an elder—so they paint his head red and he just sits around and doesn’t do anything that he doesn’t want to. I think the women just continue to work until they die. The people seem happy and contented. They don’t know anything else—they live the traditions passed down for many generations. All in all it was an amazing experience.