19 Sep Celebration

During those few days, we participated in the preparations for the ceremony of matching the warriors of seven boys. About 300 people attended the ceremony. Together (I mean only men, because women can not take part in such work), we built a kitchen that was supposed to be ready for a meal for the guests.

For this purpose, we had to grub up the bushes and then to dig the T-shaped gutters with a width of 20 cm, where at the intersection of two lines, the Maasai fire a fire and put a huge pot in which polenta was boiled. In the second such position, meat from cows and goats, which were previously killed there, was prepared. With all these rites, of course, I was also and helped in the demolition of animals.

In the evening, after dark dances and fun began and lasted until dawn. On the second day just before sunrise there was a climax – circumcision of future warriors. At dawn a man who specializes in circumcision comes – he is not a doctor. Future warriors are circumcised without anesthetics. They must be brave enough because the grimace of pain on their faces is unacceptable. The warrior must be brave and it is not good to show him the pain (it is a dishonor). The other men can be observers of this event – I was not aware of it. Everything hurts from looking at it. After circumcision, the boys are locked in a hut and spend time there until the next day.

During this time, all guests start to feast in the morning. They feast in the shade of trees until late afternoon hours, and when night falls, the fun begins, accompanied by singing and dancing.

For the illumination of the playground, mainly telephones were used, when it comes to alcohol, it is rather a party for abstainers.

On the third day, when our darkness falls, our freshly warriors come out for the rounds. It is connected with several successive rites, which I will not describe.

They have painted faces in black and white, they are dressed in black coats, specially made leather shoes, they have attached ostrich feathers to their heads. In their hands there is a bow with three arrows. They go to the bush to participate in the next stages of cultivated tradition. They do so for the next two days.

Robert