The Kenya Masai Cultural Beliefs

The Masai today are Christians and a few have converted to Islam. Rarely will you find anyone who follows their traditionally religious beliefs strictly. Traditionally, the Masai are monotheistic. They believe in 'Engai' a god who it's supposed lives on Ol Donyo Lengai, a mountain in Serengeti Tanzania. The mountain is also known as the 'mountain of God'. A Laibon who was the religious leader for the people connected them with 'Engai'. He was the people's prophet and seer.

In Masai cultural beliefs, a child once born is not full accepted in to the society until he is at least three months [moons] old. This is because of the high child mortality rate. After three months, ceremony is performed where the child is shaven and given a name thus fully welcoming it to the society. Once it reaches the age of thirteen, if it is a boy, an initiation involving circumcision is performed. The boy now becomes a junior Moran.

The Masai believe that all the cattle in the world belong to them. They say that the first Masai man and his wife were given by god the cattle on Mount Kenya and told to take care of them. They therefore do not find anything wrong when they steal them from other communities for they say that they are the rightful owners. The Masai do not believe in burying the dead. They throw the dead bodies away to be eaten by scavengers such as hyenas. They believe that the dead bodies once buried can pollute the soil. Burial is a right reserved for dignitaries such as chiefs.


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