CULTURAL STUDIES

KHUSHI JAIN
UGADFD 2019-23
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. THE MAASAI: KINGS OF THE AFRICAN

SAVANNAH.
2. HISTORY
3. DIET
4. CLOTHING
5. MUSIC AND DANCE
6. CULTURE AND RELIGION
7. MEAT EATING FESTIVAL
8. VILLAGES AND HOUSING
9. FOLK ART
10. THE TRADITIONAL MEANING BEHIND THE
BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT BEADED JEWELRY
11. BEADWORK BRAINSTORM
12. BEADWORK MOTIF DERIVATION
13. MOTIFS DERIVED
14. PATTERNS DEVELOPED
15. FINAL PRODUCT
 THE MAASAI: KINGS OF THE AFRICAN SAVANNAH.

One of the famous tribes of Africa, the nomadic and pastoralist Maasai people are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting selected but large parts of northern,
central and southern Kenya and across the border in northern Tanzania as well. The Maasai are in part the better known ethnic people in East Africa due
to their traditional origins from areas surrounding Masai Mara Game Reserve and Amboseli near the Tanzania border. The Maasai speak a language
known as Maa and their shared Nilotic origins link them in various ways to the Kalenjin tribe of Kenya which is famous for producing some of the best
long distance runners in the world. The Maasai have plenty of unique characteristics about their culture and some of these have been listed below,
including their dress, diet and way of life.
 HISTORY

Kenya recognizes over fifty tribes of native people. The Maasai were the dominating tribe at beginning of 20th century. They
are one of the very few tribes who have retained most of their traditions, lifestyle and lore. In common with the wildlife with
which they co-exist, the Maasai need a lot of land. Unlike many other tribes in Kenya, the Maasai are semi-nomadic and
pastoral: they live by herding cattle and goats.

The Maasai have not fared well in modern Africa. Until the European settlers arrived, fierce Maasai tribes occupied the most
fertile lands. The Maasai struggled to preserve their territory, but their spears were no match for armed British troops, and
their lawyers never had a fair chance in British courtrooms. In 1904, the Maasai signed a first agreement, losing the best of
their land to the European settlers.

Seven years later, in 1911, a very controversial agreement was signed by a small group of Maasai, where their best Northern
land (Laikipia) was given up to white settlers. Surely they did not fully understand what the consequences of such a treaty
were, and anyway the signatories did not represent the entire tribe. With these two treaties, the Maasai lost about two-
thirds of their lands and were relocated to less fertile parts of Kenya and Tanzania.

Other tribes of Kenya have adapted more readily to the “progress” of modern times. In contrast, the Maasai have persisted
in their traditional ways, so as Kenya takes more land for growing tribes and agriculture, they suffer.
 MAASAI DIET

The traditional Maasai diet consists of six basic foods: meat, blood, milk, fat, honey, and tree bark. They drink both fresh and curdled milk. The fresh milk
is drunk from calabash and sometimes it's mixed with fresh cattle blood. The blood is obtained by nicking the jugular vein. Mixed blood and milk is
mostly used as a ritual drink and as nourishment for the sick. Bulls, oxen and lambs are slaughtered for meat on special occasions and for ceremonies.
The by-products of the animals – skin and hides are used as bedding while cow dung is used for building (it is smeared on the walls). The Maasai’s entire
way of life truly revolves around their cattle. More recently, the Maasai people have supplemeted their diet with farm crops such as maize meal, rice,
cabbage among other food crops.
 MAASAI CLOTHING

The Maasai, a semi-nomadic people who breed predominantly cattle, roam the Serengeti grasslands. As a result of moving from place to place in search of better
grazing, the Maasai travel light—but fashionably. They adorn themselves daily with elaborate beadwork, with a more-is-more approach: necklaces stacked high and
wide, earrings that drip like waterfalls, bracelets inching up arms. The design and size of each indicates age, identity, and status within the community.

A Maasai clothing style and its colors vary depending on age and social position; young men, for example, wear black during the months leading to their circumcision
rite of passage, while old women prefer red, that is obtained by dying the fabric with natural pigments such as ochre.
The Maasai also have a long tradition of designing and making the ornaments and jewelry they wear daily; before coming into contact with Europeans, the materials
used were derived from local raw materials, like white beads created with clay or shells, ivory or bone, blue and black beads were made of iron, coal, seeds or horn and
red decorations were a product of seeds, woods, pumpkins, copper or brass.
After the arrival of the colonizers all of these natural materials were replaced with glass beads, brought there from Europe, more colorful and with a smoother and
brighter appearance; these new materials made it possible for more elaborated decorations to be created. In the past, warriors used to wear ivory bands on their
upper arms; for the elephants’ sake, they now use simple wooden bracelets. Jewelry plays an important role in the courting rituals and both men and women spend a
lot of time on taking care of their looks.
Up until not too long ago the Maasai used to wear sandals made from bovine hide, but today these materials have left room for old pneumatic tires and plastic strips.
Color is key. White beads symbolize milk; red, blood; black, skin; and orange, generosity. Blue symbolizes God, because it shares the color of the sky, and green beads
are said to represent vegetation after rainfall, a symbol of peace for the Maasai.
The Maasai are famous and easily recognizable thanks to their traditional robe, the Shuka; it is a bright-colored cloth, predominantly red, wrapped around their lean
and slender frames; red symbolizes Maasai culture and it is the color believed by these people to be able to scare off lions even from a great distance.
 MAASAI MUSIC AND DANCE
Traditionally, the Maasai music comprises of
rhythms rendered by a chorus of vocalists
singing harmonies, all the while the
olaranyani (song leader) sings the melody.
The olaranyani is usually the person who can
best sing that song. The olaranyani starts
singing the namba of a song and the group
responds with one unanimous call in
acknowledgment. Women recite lullabies,
hum songs and sing music that praises their
sons.
One elision to the vocal creation of Maasai
music is the function of the horn of the
Greater Kudu to summon morans (initiates)
for the Eunoto ceremony (a coming of age
ceremony). The ceremony usually lasts ten or
more days. [And the singing and dancing
around the manyattas involve flirting. Young
men will line and chant and the women stand
in front of them and sing in counterpoint to
them. Contemporary Hip Hop musicians from
northern Tanzania are now incorporating
traditional Maasai rhythms, chants and beats
into their music.
 MAASAI CULTURE AND RELIGION
CULTURE
Maasai society is firmly patriarchal in nature, with elder Maasai men sometimes joined by retired elders, determining most major matters for the Maasai tribes. The Maasai
people are monotheistic, and their God is named Engai or Enkai. For Maasai people living a traditional way of life, the end of life is virtually without a formal funeral ceremony,
and the dead are left out in the fields for scavengers. Burial has in the past been reserved for great chiefs only, since it is believed by the Maasai that burial is harmful to the soil.
Traditional Maasai people's lifestyle concentrates on their cattle which make up the primary source of food. Amongst the Maasai and several other African ethnic groups, the
measure of a man's wealth is in terms of children and cattle. So the more the better. A man who has plenty cattle but not many children is considered to be poor and vice versa. A
Maasai myth says that God afforded them all the cattle on earth, resulting in the belief that rustling from other tribes is a matter of claiming what is rightfully theirs, a practice
that has now become much less common.
RELIGION
The Maasai people are monotheistic, and their God is named Engai or Enkai, a God who is mostly benevolent and who manifests himself in the form of different colors, according
to the feelings he is experiencing. Said colors have precise meanings: black and dark blue mean that the God is well-disposed towards men; red, on the other hand, is identified
with God’s irritation.Enkai has two manifestations:
Enkai-Narok, the Black God, good and beloved, brings grass and prosperity. He is found in thunder and rain.
Enkai-na-Nyokie, the Red God, vengeful, brings famine and hunger. He is found in lightning and is identified with the dry season.
The importance of cattle to the Maasai can be traced back to their religion and to Enkai. Today most of the Maasai people are christians and very few are muslims.
 MAASAI MEAT EATING FESTIVAL

Arhythmic guttural chant from a group of Maasai warriors can be heard as one approaches Olchoro Oibor, a remote village on the slopes of Maparasha Hills in Kajiado
County. From a distance, the morans, in a circle, can be seen singing and dancing outside manyattas. They take turns to jump in the middle of the circle. Jumping is a key
part of Maasai culture.
Each man jumps as high as they possibly can, as the rest sing. The pitch varies depending on how high one jumps. The morans are dressed in their traditional regalia of
red shukas, their heads shaven clean and glistening with red ochre applied on them.
The excitement can be perceived from a distance as the youth perform song and dance during the colourful event locally known as Orngesher (a meat eating ceremony),
celebrated after every 10 years.
A special black bull, which is only eaten by the newly-elevated Maasai elders, will be slaughtered at the culmination of the event. Elderly men feed the meat to them as
they speak blessings. The key message is for them to be responsible men.
The event starts with construction of manyattas where those being initiated stay with their families for the duration of the ceremony.
“The number of manyattas must be an odd number, which signifies blessings. Nine is normally preferred,” an organiser, Nathaniel Kumpas, said.
The mayattas are made of wooden poles and tree branches and plastered with a mix of mud, cow dung and ash.
 MAASAI VILLAGES AND HOUSING
The Maasai refuse modern progress and live
according to their ancient customs; they still live in
villages whose structure and traditional organization
have remained unchanged.
The villages have a well-defined structure: each
village is surrounded by an enclosure made of thorny
bush shrugs, that protects the villagers from the
attacks of predators.
When you enter the village, right at the centre, there
is a second smaller thorny enclosure surrounding the
area where the cattle are led to stay for the night,
there they are protected from the attacks of hyenas
and lions, who could pass the external enclosure.The
fact that only the cattle are protected by a double
barrier is a tangible evidence of how important
animals are to the Maasai; they are more important
than their own lives and they are willing to protect
them by all means. All around the central enclosure,
arranged in a circle, are the Maasai huts; they are
made of a mixture of straw, mud and excrement, the
roof is made of straw; the huts usually have a circular
shape, except in the area of the Ruaha Lake, where
they have a rectangular one.
To enter a hut it is necessary to pass through a low opening
leading to a short passage, curved as a “boma”, letting the
visitor into a real hut; the interior is very dark since there are
no windows, so the eyes of the people who enter need a few
seconds to adjust to the scarceness of light.
The hut is divided into rooms or zones: men sleep separately
from women, who in turn share their space with children; at
the centre of the hut a fire is lit, and this makes the air very
thick because of the presence of smoke, that is nevertheless
very useful to keep bugs and parasites out of the hut.
The size of a village and the number of huts it contains,
varies and it depends on the number of wives the head of the
family can afford to support; each wife has, as a matter of
fact, her own hut.Moreover men are influenced by how many
children and head of cattle they possess.
On average a moran lives in this kind of village for about 10
years; during this period they have the chance to fraternize
with one another; what’s more important, they practice to
become real warriors, they develop the art of oratory and
study to delve into their knowledge of animal farming.
At the end the moran return to their fathers’ villages, where
they live until they find a wife; at that point they create a
new village for their wives and their cattle.
 MAASAI FOLK ART
Maasai are best known for their beautiful
beadwork which plays an essential element in
the ornamentation of the body. Beading
patterns are determined by each age-set and
identify grades. Young men, who often cover
their bodies in ocher to enhance their
appearance, may spend hours and days working
on ornate hairstyles, which are ritually shaved
as they pass into the next age-grade.
 THE TRADITIONAL MEANING BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT MAASAI BEADED JEWELRY

The vibrant and awe-inspiring Maasai are known globally for their traditional, intricate beaded jewelry. The Maasai tribe is mainly situated in Kenya
however, members of the Maasai tribe can also be found in Tanzania, the tribe has been in existence for more than 3,000 years. The Maasai people often
practice nomadic, simple living however, some also work in the tourist industry, showcasing their traditional values and culture to interested tourists.

Modern-day Maasai mostly occupies the Kajiado and Narok districts as most of their original territory has been taken over by Kenya’s game reserves.

The Maasai tribe is globally recognized for its colorful and stylish traditional wear. However, they are also known for their rich, handmade, beaded jewelry.
The traditional beauty of the beadwork has been preserved over the years and they continue to craft stunning beaded jewelry using the same traditional
methods. The captivating beaded jewels include necklaces, pendants, and bracelets which are traditionally worn during weddings, naming ceremonies,
and other community events or celebrations.

Traditionally all Maasai women learn how to craft Maasai jewelry for both males and females. The traditional materials used were bones, copper, clay,
seeds, and wood. However, over the years, European influence introduced glass and other synthetic materials. The method of constructing the jewelry has
been preserved over the years, however.

One might think that the beads are designed and handcrafted for fashion or style purposes however, there is some cultural significance behind the types
of beads that are worn. They actually highlight the social status and age of the person that is wearing the beads. Upper/middle-class tribe members wear
more colorful, complex beads. Also, the type of beads you wear can also highlight your marital status.

Traditionally, unmarried Maasai ladies wear a large, flat beaded disk. Married women demonstrate their marital status by wearing Nborro, a long, blue
beaded necklace.
 MAASAI -BEADWORK BRAINSTORM

geometric
expensive
continuous

bold

shiny

fancy

MAASAI BEADWORK splendid

directional

loud
profound

colourful
cluster

I brainstormed their beading to design themes to gain a better grasp of their beadwork folk art.
COLOUR PALETTE MAASAI -BEADWORK
MOTIF DERIVATION

Their beaded jewellery was

usually made up of triangles. The
motifs were inspired by the
jewellery that they wear.
MOTIFS DERIVED
PATTERNS DEVELOPED
 FINAL PRODUCT

The shuka, a simple piece of fabric that

may be worn in a variety of ways
depending on the wearer's unique style,
is the Maasai's main garment. Originally,
it was made of animal skins, primarily
cowhide but never elephant skin, but
currently cotton is the primary material.
The fabric is dyed or coloured to make it
crimson, serving as a kind of camouflage
against the red earth of that part of
Africa. I extracted themes from their folk
art of beaded jewellery and turned them
into prints, which I then applied to their
traditional attire.
 REFERENCING

https://www.gadventures.com/blog/story-behind-maasais-shuka-
cloth/#:~:text=The%20Maasai%20identity%20is%20often,to%20wrap%20around%20their%20bodies.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/style-culture-fashion-around-world
https://www.masaimara.travel/maasai-tribe-facts.php
https://www.siyabona.com/maasai-tribe-east-africa.html
https://www.masaimara.com/maasai-people.php
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Maasai
https://www.exploring-africa.com/en/kenya/maasai-people/masai-religion
https://intriguework.medium.com/the-traditional-meaning-behind-the-beautiful-vibrant-maasai-beaded-jewelry-44e1a9a3c0ca
https://www.we.org/en-us/we-stories/global-development/artisans-turn-maasai-tradition-into-sustainable-income/
 REFLECTION NOTE

The Maasai tribe of Kenya provided inspiration for the project. I learnt a lot about the tribe and, fortunately, I was able to learn and gain patience.
Previously, I was working on another tribe, but the tribe did not pique my interest, and I became disinterested. After doing some research on several
tribes, I came across this one that practised beading as a folk art. Furthermore, communication was an enormously important component. It was critical to
communicate and discuss with the faculty and course mates on a frequent basis, as the faculty's information was the most beneficial advise in the main
project process. Overall, I could have done a better job deciding which tribe to select at the same time.
THANK YOU