The Masaai age group

The life of a Masaai involves ceremonies from birth until one becomes a senior elder. The dead are not highly prized and are thrown away for scavengers to eat. Once a child is born, it is not fully accepted into society until 3 moons have passed. This is due to the high infant mortality rate. Once the 3 months pass, a ceremony is performed where the baby is shaved and then named and accepted into society. The girls grow up with their mothers and learn from an early age all the household chores such as cooking, cleaning, fetching water and milking. The woman is the one who does most of the hard work in the Masaai community. She even builds the shelters.

The child does not carry much from the time he can walk. They spend most of their time playing and caring for lambs and calves. Ritual punching is a must for children to develop stamina and courage. Once they reach the age of 12 to 25 depending on the last circumcision ceremony, they are circumcised and become young morans. This is a very painful process that is done without anesthesia. The elders who circumcise boys do so with a sharp knife and use cow skins as bandages. Boys take 3-4 months to heal.

After the circumcision, they adorn themselves in black clothing for the next eight months. They live in a manyatta built by their mothers. These shelters do not have an enclosing security wall like most Masaai farms. This is to emphasize their role as protectors of the community. Lesser morans become lesser elders and subsequently greater elders during the next circumcision cycle that takes place after 15 years.