Maasai History

The Masai people are well known all over the world predominantly for there well kept cultural practices and rituals. The Masai history is a source of tourist attraction in Kenya and Tanzania. Word has it that the Maasai originated from the lower Nile valley north of Lake Turkana (North-West Kenya) and began migrating south around the fifteenth century, arriving in a long trunk of land stretching from northern Kenya to central Tanzania between the seventeenth and late eighteenth century. They are nomadic pastoralists. They are found in Kenya and Tanzania. They are Nilotic speakers.
The Maasai woman is left to do most of the work while the men are left to protect and deal with legal issues in the community. The shelters known as enkaji are built and maintained by the women. These are small rooms where all the house hold tasks take place. You will find that in one place the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes and stores food, fuel and other household possessions. Girls help the mothers with cooking and milking the cows. Boys on the other hand look after calves and lambs. They are also beaten in a ritual to test for courage and endurance.
The age-set is the central unit of Maasai society. Every fifteen years or so, boys between the age of 12 and 25 go through a ritual to make them junior warriors. This is a very painful ritual marked with a lot of courage and endurance by the boys. Anyone who shows signs of fear brings dishonor to the family. The ritual involves circumcision using a sharp knife and no anesthesia. The Masai diet includes meat, milk, and blood from cattle.