Culture and Beliefs of the Maasai - Ngorongoro

The Maasai (Masai; Masaai) believe in a single but dualistic god. The Maasai god has two opposing identities, the generous Black God (Engai Narok) and the vindictive Red God (Engai Nanyoki). It is the kind Narok that has declared the Maasai the rightful owners of all the world's cattle, much to the unease of their neighbours.

Maasai culture centres obsessively around cattle. They measure a man's wealth by the amount of cattle and children he has, and a Maasai who has plenty of one but few of the other is considered to be poor. The culture is polygamous in nature and the prestige attached to childbirth means that even if a Maasai's wife falls pregnant by another man, the child will be brought up as his own.

Maasai men are draped in red blankets, and are always accompanied with long wooden poles in hand, while their hair is often tinted with a red dye. Maasai women dress similarly to other Tanzanian women but with more use of beaded jewellery.

Traditionally, Maasai do not hunt, eat fish or vegetables but feed almost exclusively off their cattle. A Maasai's main diet consists mainly of meat, milk and blood from cattle. Cows are more valuable to the Maasai alive, and so are only slaughtered on very special occasions. Meat and milk are never eaten on the same day as the Maasai believe feeding off the living and the dead at the same time insults their cattle.

Sheep and goats also play an important role in Maasai culture.

A Note on Interacting with the Maasai

When encountering Maasai people it's important that you ask them before taking photographs. Clicking away with your camera - whether you're driving past them as they walk down the road, or in their home village - is considered disrespectful.

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