There are three interrelated male rites of passage in the Maasai community: Enkipaata marks the induction of boys leading to initiation; Eunoto marks the shave of the morans to prepare them for adulthood, and Olng'esherr marks the meal to mark the end of moranism and the beginning of eldership.
These rituals serve to induct young people first into adulthood, then into a life of eldership, and then into the life of a senior elder. It is mostly carried out by young men ranging in age from fifteen to thirty, but women also take part in certain tasks.
Many of the core values ingrained in the rites of passage include respect and responsibility, safeguarding of the lineage, the transfer of power from one generation to the next, as well as the transmission of indigenous knowledge, including the rearing of livestock, conflict management, legends, traditions, and life skills.
These rites entail singing, storytelling, proverbs, riddles, and a wide variety of events, providing a sense of continuity and cultural identity to the Maasai community. Additionally, these events demonstrate how the Maasai culture retains its ties with ritualistic traditions, despite the eminent force of modernization.
Maasai men in Kenya are losing three interrelated rites of passage as the pastoral lifestyle of the community changes. Although the rites still draw a relatively large crowd, the practice appears to be declining rapidly as agriculture emerges as a major source of income, the land tenure system is being reformed, and climate change impacts cattle survival.
Although the Maasai nation has made significant progress with culture preservation, the government has shown little effort. Neither Maa land nor Narok town has a robust cultural museum, and the little structure that existed a short time ago is desolate and lacking in artefacts. It’s a huge gap in the future that has to be filled.
Oliveseed partners with Mara Discovery Centre plan to identify and preserve historical cultural sites, educate young people around the world about Maasai culture, and establish a Maasai oral tradition and literature center in Masai Mara, Kenya.
Hopefully, in the future, the Maasai community and the government may work together to show more effort to improve the ecosystem functions, conserve our cultural heritage, and conserve the country’s rich biodiversity.
The three male rites are the stages in the transition of boys to adulthood, or moranism, which transmits indigenous knowledge, including Maasai traditions, legends, and life skills.
Maasai men in Kenya are losing three interrelated rites of passage as the pastoral lifestyle of the community changes.
Enkipaata, Eunoto, and Olng'esherr, the three rites of passage associated with the Maasai culture include: Enkipaata provides the induction of boys; Eunoto is the shaving of the morans to prepare for adulthood, and Olng'esherr commemorates the end of monism and the beginning of eldership by eating meat. Maasai men aged between fifteen and thirty participate most often in rites of passage, but women also take on some tasks. These rituals serve to induct young people first into adulthood, then into a life of eldership, and then into the life of a senior elder. Many of the core values ingrained in the rites of passage include respect and responsibility, safeguarding of the lineage, the transfer of power from one generation to the next, as well as the transmission of indigenous knowledge, including the rearing of livestock, conflict management, legends, traditions, and life skills. These rites entail singing, storytelling, proverbs, riddles, and a wide variety of events, providing a sense of continuity and cultural identity to the Maasai community. Additionally, these events demonstrate how the Maasai culture retains its ties with ritualistic traditions, despite the eminent force of modernization.
Even so, the rites still draw a relatively large crowd, the practice appears to be declining rapidly as agriculture emerges as a major source of income, the land tenure system is being reformed, and climate change impacts cattle survival. Although the Maasai nation has made significant progress with culture preservation, the government has shown little effort. Neither Maa land nor Narok town has a robust cultural museum, and the little structure that existed a short time ago is desolate and lacking in artifacts. It is a huge gap in the future that has to be filled and Oliveseed partners with Mara Discovery Centre to identify and preserve historical cultural sites, educate young people around the world about Maasai culture, and establish a Maasai oral tradition and literature center in Masai Mara, Kenya. Hopefully, in the future, the Maasai community and the government may work together to show more effort to improve the ecosystem functions, conserve our cultural heritage, and conserve the country’s rich biodiversity.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/enkipaata-eunoto-and-olng-esherr-three-male-rites-of-passage-of-the-maasai-community-01390) (https://www.oliveseed.org/post/emanyata-oolorikan) (https://africa.cgtn.com/2018/11/28/masai-rites-among-several-african-elements-inscribed-on-unesco-cultural-heritage-list/) |Subject=Belief, Ritual |Country=Kenya |SDG=(04) Quality Education, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}