VIII 



THE MASAI. THE SHEPHERD-WARRIORS OF MASAILAND. 



THE Masai inhabit the inland districts of British and 

 German East Africa from the equator to 6 S.L. In 

 spite of much research nothing is known of the origin 

 of this race of men : they not only differ widely in 

 lanfniao-e, customs, and organisation from the surround- 



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ing tribes, but they are themselves divided into two 

 sections : of these one is pastoral and nomadic, and the 

 other (L-Oikop) agricultural. Both sections avoid the 

 sea-coast and though lakes, like Naivasha and Nakuru, 

 are found in the districts in which they live, they never 

 use a boat or catch a fish. 



The males of the tribe are divided into boys, warriors, 

 and elders. The stage of boyhood continues till the 

 age of thirteen or seventeen ; then the boys, with much 

 ceremony and mystery, are submitted in batches to 

 circumcision. This operation among the Masai is a 

 complicated procedure and occurs once in five years. 

 Previous to circumcision a boy helps to herd the cattle 

 but after this event he becomes a warrior or Elmuran 

 (often erroneously spelt El Moran) ; he then plaits his 

 hair, adorns himself with certain ear ornaments, and 

 goes naked with the exception of a small skin which he 

 wears over the shoulders for warmth, not for decency. 

 His outfit as a warrior consists of a spear, shield, bow 

 and arrows, a club and a sword. The shields are made 

 of hide, but they are not all of one pattern : each age 

 and sub-district has its own design. This is also true 

 of the spears and arrows. The Masai rely for their 



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