PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



the warrior-class each man marries and settles down 

 as an "old man." A man marries as many wives as 

 he can afford to purchase. When the marriage takes 

 place it frequently happens that one or two of the 

 bridegroom's old companions in arms claim priority 

 of intercourse with the bride. When this claim is 

 made the bridegroom must concede it under penalty 

 of dishonour ; and in case he refuse he will have no 

 right to complain if during the next few days some of 

 his cattle are stolen. Divorce is a very rare occurrence ; 

 it is accompanied with some formality. If a divorced 

 wife marry again her parents must repay her former 

 husband the full bride-price which he paid. But he 

 may decline to receive it ; and in this event all her 

 future children will belong to him. Nor if she run 

 away from her husband and he decline to divorce her 

 can she legally marry again, and any children she may 

 have by another man will belong to her husband. As 

 a rule however he takes the boys only. Adultery is 

 not a ground for divorcing a wife : it is, in fact, an 

 idea unknown to Masai ethics. Sexual intercourse is 

 forbidden between persons belonging to different 

 " ages." When it takes place, for example, between 

 a man and a woman of his father's " age," he is cursed. 

 But the curse may be removed by payment to the 

 elders of two oxen (or one and a quantity of honey- 

 wine) for a feast. On the other hand, a man having 

 intercourse with his daughter or with a girl of her 

 "age" is a more serious offender. The men of his 

 "age" beat him, pull down his kraal and slaughter 

 whichever of his cattle they want. But it is not an 

 offence for a man to have intercourse with a woman 

 of his own "age," If a husband beat his wife she 



