The Maasai: Walk to Manhood

One of the most fascinating and photogenic tribes of East Africa are the Maasai. Until the coming of the white man, the Maasai held sway over vast areas of Kenya and Tanzania.

The Maasai are in a race against time to preserve their heritage for future generations. Their traditional cultural knowledge is at risk of disappearing.

The Eunoto ceremony is recognised on UNESCO’s Urgent Safeguarding List of Intangible Heritage.

Rarely witnessed by outsiders, one of the most important age group ceremonies of the nomadic Maasai tribe are the spectacular Eunoto rites that mark the initiation of the Moran to junior elder status. This is the most highly celebrated ceremony amongst the Maasai, distinguished with its colourful and unique customs. This rite of passage is greatly honoured in the life of a Maasai. 

The Eunoto, traditionally held on a clan basis once every seven years, marks the end of the carefree and uninhibited years of the warrior Moran.  It permits the men to marry and allows them to engage in the decision-making processes in the community to prepare them to become future elders.

The ceremony proceeds when the Moran, with their naked bodies intricately patterned with white clay and their heads shaved clean of the ochre and fat, snake down from the surrounding hills in almost regimental formation.

Wearing nothing other than their ostrich-feathered headdresses and short capes that billow behind them, the earth shakes as they chant and leap in their final exhilarating Moran dances.

The laibon (medicine-man) and the clan elders await them for the last ceremonies. These include the tying of the olderreti cowhide thongs around the middle fingers of the right hands - a symbol of their new status within the tribe.

Additionally, this signals that they would now be allowed to eat roasted meat with their age mates. However, the prohibition on eating meat before womenfolk of the tribe remained. As Morans, they had supplemented their diet of curdled milk and cow blood with occasional barbecues held in remote encampments far from the tribal manyattas.

Outside the boma, beaded and ochred circles of Jabi-land teenage maidens swayed and chanted ready to partner in traditional dances. The young elders are now free to marry.

Following this ceremony, there was no lack of uncircumcised youths who came forward seeking to join the reduced ranks of the Moran and to prepare for initiation as elders in their turn. 

Every seven years a new Manyatta will be built, and once again thousands of Maasai will gather to witness the ceremony of Eunoto and to feast and dance. But someday, unfortunately soon, the tying of the last cowhide thong will mark the end of an age-long tradition.