subject: The Masaai Initiation [print this page] The Masaai Initiation The Masaai Initiation
This is a very important time for the Masaai community. It takes place every 15 years or so. During this time, all the boys between the age of 13 and 25 and were not circumcised in the last initiation period go through the process. Every boy looks forward to this time as it transforms them to important men in the society. The initiation ceremony is a painful experience for the boys. Their foreskins are cut using a sharp knife by the clan elders. No anesthesia is used. Makeshift bandages made from cow hide are used to prevent excessive bleeding.
The boys from an early age are taught how to endure pain and suffering. Ritual beatings to test for courage and endurance were performed every now and then. This made the boys learn how to cope with extreme pressures. This is very important as a Masaai man is the one who protects the community from cattle rustlers and wild animals. The Masaai were constantly being attacked by cattle thieves and animals such as the lion.
After the initiation ceremony, the boys now graduated to become junior morans. They were taken to a manyatta away from the main homestead where they stayed until they healed completely. The manyatta was built by their mothers. It had no secure wall as the normal homestead to emphasize there role as the morans. For the next eight months they were supposed to be clad in black clothes. In the next initiation ceremony, they graduate to become junior elders and they take part in deciding political and social matters affecting the community.
