Traditional way of life of African residents

Marriage and family

Maasai women

The Masai people who live on animal husbandry are completely nomadic people. They eat grass in droves all year round, and almost all of them feed on the meat, blood and milk of the herd. Their village is surrounded by a large circular fence with thorny shrubs, surrounded by a circle of mud houses, which can accommodate 4 ~ 8 families and their livestock. Polygamy is very common among the elderly men in Marseille. Men of the same age can borrow their wives and use livestock as dowry when they get married.

Grades and systems

Masai people have many patriarchal clan groups that form two classes or tribes. The basic system of social integration is the age group system. According to this system, the same age group is circumcised at the same time and enters adult life; The resulting age group is a permanent group that runs through the life of its members. They were promoted through the hierarchy, and each level lasted about 15 years, including junior soldiers, senior soldiers and junior elders, until they became senior elders authorized to make decisions for the tribe. Marseille society is extremely equal, and there has never been slavery. Young men are about 14 ~ 30 years old, which is traditionally called "Moran". At this stage of their lives, they live alone in the jungle, learn the customs of the tribe, and exercise their physical strength, courage and endurance-these characteristics are why the warriors of the Masai nationality are famous all over the world. Etiquette activities are presided over by the ritual expert (oloiboni), who is the religious leader of his people, although he has no political power. At present, the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments are encouraging Masai people to settle down and farm, give up their hard lifestyle, receive formal education and assimilate to a greater extent.

Nomadic people and tribes

Masai people are brave and good at hunting. According to logic, Masai people live in grasslands and jungles, associate with wild animals and are good at hunting. But in fact, everyone in Marseille not only doesn't hunt, but even eats meat at celebrations, and never eats wild animals including fish. The worship of nature keeps them away from hunting. The daily needs of Masai people are met by livestock.

Masayiren

Provide milk and blood. When you are thirsty, you pull out the sharp knife at your waist, stick it around the neck of a cow, and suck it with a straw, just like we drink water. Masai people think that cows are a gift from God. They despise farming life and think that farming makes the land dirty. Masai people regard cows as life. At night, the cows are kept in the village and even live in a small room with their owners. During the day, the children look after the calves, while the older children drive the cows to distant pastures. It is precisely because of the custom of Masai people not hunting or eating game that this land has become a paradise for wild animals. Today, most Maasai people have settled down, but their unique folk customs have been preserved. However, around the Marseille reservation, farmers United to sell them their "modern ideas", prompting them to change their way of life and sell or rent their land. This has threatened the primitive way of life between Masai people and nature. Perhaps in the near future, when we mention them again, the Masai people have already walked out of the primitive tribe and integrated into the modern society.

Decoration and clothing

Masai costumes stand out. The man's "bundle of cards" is actually two pieces of cloth with black stripes on a red background, one to hide his shame and the other to lean on one shoulder. Marseille women wear "kanga", with a large shawl around their necks and a circle of white beads on their heads. Their ears are big, and some ears have big earlobes and shoulders. Marseille girls are born with ear holes, and then gradually increase the weight of accessories, ears are getting longer and longer, and holes are getting bigger and bigger. Most Masai people lack two front teeth and lower teeth, which were pulled out at an early age to facilitate drug filling. Of course, those avant-garde young people have begun to reject many customs. Please don't be surprised if you see a Marseille girl with a ponytail. In addition, Masai people carry a log or spear with them for self-defense and driving cattle. Because I have formed a habit for a long time, I don't leave my body even if I go shopping in the city. It is said that this is licensed by the government and no one else can do it.

Villages and housing

Maasai villages are made of mud, arranged in a circle, surrounded by a large circular fence, surrounded by thorny shrubs. Each village can accommodate 4-8 families and their livestock. Masai's traditional house is like an inverted cylinder, with a small door that people can only bend over to enter, so that the owner can easily assassinate people who try to enter the house at home. Now, there are fewer and fewer such houses. Thatched huts are the choice of many African nationalities, including Masai, but on the savanna, such houses can't resist the sun, rain and termites. So that African tribesmen keep building houses, moving houses, repairing walls, changing columns and adding grass. However, quite a few of them still hold on to this terrible house. On the one hand, the level of economic production is low, on the other hand, it is worried about being cursed by yourself or people around you. In the eyes of many Masai people, traditional housing is already very comfortable, and there is really no need to improve it. The facts changed their minds. Under the impact of modern ideas, some more enlightened tribal youths learn from city dwellers to build bricks and walls, and then buckle an iron roof. Some people who have a little savings simply buy cement to build walls. These unremarkable "foreign houses" ignited the spark of the housing revolution in Marseille.

Climate change threatens lifestyle.

Kenyan Masai people live in Cagado near the Tanzanian border and live by grazing. Due to rising temperatures and increasingly unpredictable rainfall, it is increasingly difficult for Masai people to maintain their traditional way of life. Climate change makes it more difficult for them to find pasture than before. Many people start to grow crops when they can't graze, and some even completely change from herders to farmers. In order to ensure the continuation of the traditional way of life, they cooperate with local farmers to enjoy the available resources, while avoiding competition and affecting each other's survival. Nowadays, sending children to school has become the most concerned thing for more and more Maasai people. They hope that children can master all kinds of skills and better face this ever-changing world.