An Invitiation of Honour

While in Kabaya, thanks to Doug’s friendship with Simon, we were invited to attend a Maasai Ceremony at a nearby boma.  Simon had arranged for a mini-bus to collect the 6 of us (including Susan and Jim, fellow VSO vols, and their adult daughter and BF who were visiting).  He told us ahead of time what to bring in the way of gifts (A kilo of sugar for the 4-5 mamas who would prepare the tea for us; candies for the children; and a winter-heavy Maasai blanket for the head man).  At the hour of departure, we were all very excited and all set to go when we asked what the ceremony was celebrating.  “Circumcision” was the answer.  We all gulped and smiled.  Then I asked, is this male or female?  With great confusion and strong feelings, we learned it was for a male and a female.  The next 20 minutes was fraught with tension while we tried to decide what to do...refuse to go and insult the tribe leading to less hope for affecting change in the future...or go along possibly giving the message we condone this practise (when we don’t).  In the end, Simon (an educated Maasai from another tribe) came to our rescue by discussing it openly with us.  He doesn’t agree with the practise but realizes change must come slowly and from having positive relationships with the tribe.  He allowed us to make our own decision, noting that the actual circumcision is typically done at 6 am or even weeks or months before, and this is a ‘coming of age’ ceremony for the two teens.  In the end, we all went on the hour long ride to the boma laden with our gifts and cameras (Maasai people in TZ typically love getting their picture taken).

As we arrived we learned that in Kismaasai,  ‘boma’ is the word for a corral for cattle, a hut shared by people and animals, and the grouping of 3-4 huts.  Off in the distance we could see other small groupings of huts belonging to other clans within the larger tribe.  All the young men of the ‘warrior’ age grouping attended the ceremony, and the younger girls associated with them (perhaps promised in marriage once they come of age) from all the neighbouring bomas.  A few older women in the host boma made us tea and later rice for our meal.  The older men, women with their babies, and a gaggle of children hung around waiting for the activities to begin.  The rest of the young women were beautifully dressed and beaded for the dancing, singing and ceremonial activities. 

I was somewhat concerned that we 6 ‘Mzungus’ would become the focus of the celebration...a friend said she was treated with more importance than the bride at a wedding she once attended.  Even though these people rarely see foreigners, and the children do not attend school, we were relieved to be treated in a very nonchelant way.  We were obviously welcome and seen as an addition to the festivities, but also allowed to fade into the background (except of course for the line of kids following us and the candy bag) as we were guided to various parts of the ceremony by Simon. 

 

Besides the dancing and singing we were treated to Chai (tea) and later to a meal.  These Maasai base their wealth on the number of cows/cattle they own.  They subsist on milk and meat with the odd herbal plants for healing.  An example of this is how they take the knobby growths from a specific tree, grind and burn the wood, then place the ash in a calabash.  The next day they ‘sweep’ out the calabash and put in the raw milk.  This process pasteurizes the milk and the sweet milky tea we were served had a very unique rich earthy flavour.  The leaves of this same tree are also used as medicine to treat dysentery

 

 

 Interspersed with the Chai and the later meal, we watched the women dance and sing (and participated as best we could as this is an honour), watched the warriors parade in, and then the young men grunted and danced for hours.  We were escorted to the tree where the elders gather and sit with a representative of the male who is coming of age.  We went to the girl’s hut where she is kept sequestered for the day and witnessed the placement of various symbols at her door (e.g. a tall thin tree, the calabash from which the milk came to bless the warriors as they arrived). 

The meal was a bull which had been slaughtered and roasted over a fire that morning.  Bits of the animal were hung in the nearby trees.  You might be able to identify the ‘bit’ in the picture below...and it’s not what you think.  On this day the meat was not to be seen by any of the women (Mzungu women are an exception).    We were taken out to a spot under a tree, a distance from the activities.  As we struggled with finding comfort on the ground, it didn’t take long before they realized we would need seats so they slowly scouted out some bigger logs or upturned plastic pails to sit upon.  The meat was brought on a stick, long thick strips of cooked beef.  I think Simon saw our faces as we tried to mask our surprise, and hence asked if we would like some Pilau (Tanzanian spiced rice) with the meat.  When we jumped at the suggestion, they brought 2 gigantic pots of rice.  We were given chunks of grizzly meat to chew and took handfuls of the rice to wash it down.  After my jaws adjusted, I got rather good at chewing the meat, and the stray dog sitting a short distance behind me surreptitiously helped with the bits I couldn’t manage.  Each time I finished chewing, another piece was quickly carved off with the knife.  After we were finished we could see other small groupings out across the landscape gathering to eat.  Each age group eats separately and the women ate meat which they had prepared for themselves.  One of the strict Maasai rules is that no-one eats alone (this guards against ‘have’s and have nots’, especially amongst the warrior group who traditionally did the hunting and slaughtering). 

 

 

Lastly,  we were taken to see one of the family bomas, and were offered to lie down and rest if we wished.  The boma is a square mud and stick hut with a small elbowed entranceway, a space for the goat or a cow, which then opens into a small circular room.  There was a small fire glowing in the middle.  After our eyes slowly adjusted to the very dim light, we were invited to sit on the two sleeping areas.  Large pieces of hide were stretched out and on top we could see a mess of blankets and some extra clothing.  Apparently the mother and girls sleep on one and the boys and dad on the other.  There are no toilet facilities and the water for Chai is hauled a long distance so used sparingly.

Many hours later, our day came to an end, leaving the men to dance and the festivities to continue well into the night.  Unfortunately my camera battery died and so it is not possible to show how their jumping had gotten higher and their singing became louder as the adrenalin of prolonged activity joined with the testosterone of their age.  The last thing we watched was an ‘enactment’ where the young men jump forward towards the girls, then the girls come forward and pick a man.  The girls, obviously very shy and hesitant, tended to follow one another.  Everyone laughed as only two of the men were picked out of the entire group. 

 

 

 

(Darn, the videos won't upload...check in again in the near future).