VIII 
THE MASAI. THE SHEPHERH-WAEHIORS 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 
lano^ua^^e, customs, and organisation from the surround- 
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 
92 
