What are the Maasai known for?
The Maasai are known for their physical beauty—not just their lithe, graceful physiques but for their unique garb and body ornamentation.
What is unique about Maasai?
They are fearless: The Maasai have always been calm and courageous. They were formerly hunters, with their young men trained to hunt for food and to protect their families. In fact, until recently, a Maasai boy would only be crowned a warrior if they killed a lion single-handedly using a spear.
Are the Maasai poor?
The Maasai are one of the most impoverished tribes in East Africa. A noble and dignified people, they have proudly mantained their traditional lifestyle and cultural identity despite pressures of the modern world.
What is the difference between Masai and Maasai?
Maasai (not Masai) is the correct spelling of this noble tribe: it means people speaking maa. Masai was the incorrect spelling of the British settlers and has remained in current use. The Maasai have always been special. Their bright red robes set them apart visually.
Where do the Masai live?
The Maasai people live in the African countries of Kenya and Tanzania. Their traditional way of life is centered on cattle. For more than 400 years, the Maasai have lived a lifestyle based around their cattle herds.
Do the Maasai still exist?
The most recent records say that there are 841,622 of them in Kenya and 430,000 in Tanzania. Even though the Maasai live a simple life, they still thrive in spite of our quickly developing world. In fact, their population has probably been increasing. In 1989 their numbers were recorded at 377,089!
Are Maasai Muslims?
Many Maasai have also adopted Christianity and Islam. The Maasai are known for their intricate jewelry and for decades, have sold these items to tourists as a business.
Why are Maasai people bald?
There are 2 ritualised head shaves that Masai men must receive, which symbolise their initiation into various stages of manhood. These transitions are perfectly represented by the shaving off of one’s hair, as the men are facing new stages of life and cutting away from previous statuses, as youngsters or single men.
Are Maasai people healthy?
The surprising results of the field study show that the Maasai are in a good health status in spite of a limited diet. Blood tests showed that there is a high content of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in their erythrocyte membranes, the cell walls of the red blood cells, even though these acids are not ingested.