Maasais are members of old patriarchal polygamous chauvinistic culture showing not only strong male prejudice against women but they also feel annoying superiority related all over other people outside of their own tribe what has roots in habits, patterns of behavior and beliefs of ancient cultures.
SUPERIORITY:
Maasais see themselves as the only people of their God (Engai) and they also believed that all the cows belong to Maasais what was giving them a moral right in the past to steal the cows from local tribes. 200 years ago, short after Maasais came to Southern Kenya and areas in North of Tanzania, they were raiding the foreign cattle. In same principle they felt today the "moral right" to steal from others without feeling any guilt. Maasais also believe they don't need to work (because work is only for lower categories of people) and therefore they don't need to learn any crafts. Have you ever seen the Maasai work manually? On construction as other men from Tanzania or somewhere in local workshop making furniture ? Most likely never. Maasais believed in their own supremacy for centuries and today they are still living in the own tiny bubble where their world stayed to be the same. This cultural background and almost no improvement or evolution inside of the tribe for long presents the roots of their daily behavior.
ACTING:
Maasais are playing the role of poor people who have nothing. But it's only the theatre for tourists who don't have any idea about Tanzania and about Maasai people. Maasais are rich enough in local conditions. They are paying to Swahili people for almost everything, especially for services. Instead of doing something by their own they are hiring Swahili people for money. They feel the satisfaction to observe how Swahili men, women or children are working for them while they themselves have really a big problem to work for others. Those who are used in tribe for work except of Swahili people are Maasai women and children. White woman in bush doesn't need to work at all but she needs to pay. For maize, for sugar, for soap, for meat, for soda, for clothes, for beads, for motorcycle, for phones, for wives, for children, for houses, for hospital, for cows, for goats, for weddings, for funerals, for solar panels, for credit, for travelling, for business in the bush or at Zanzibar, for passports, for flying ticket and of course for VISA. How absurd that European women can go so down. The woman who is paying all for a man in Europe is a rare case and mostly such woman is not too respected. For woman to pay for a man is really a bad position, not only in Europe but also in Africa. You can't see the African lady to pay for a man. It's really not normal but for some reason white women stopped to be women and they don't care to be used in financial way BY MEN. By those men who should pay for them. While a white woman is paying all for a Maasai man, he is paying all for his Maasai wife. But never for a white lady. Not really. Some manipulators have the tactics they will pay something little but they know very well that white woman will give them all back and much more. They know how to count and they are counting in each situation. Without a high possibility for profit, Maasai would not pay anything. Not for a white woman.
Maasai men are also acting in the way of love to white women. But love as we know it doesn't exist in Maasai tribe, especially not the love to a woman. What exists there is some kind of respect they feel to mother but otherwise they don't feel any love to a woman. White woman is only the tool for them / the way / how to improve the life of their Maasai family. If they feel something, they feel responsibility for their Maasai family. Also for their Maasais wives they feel responsibility but not any love and respect as we know it from our relationships. Their family is a stable part of their lives but white woman is a temporary solution for their financial problems. That's all. In each case white woman will be replaced one day by that one who will pay more. It's because of deep lack of feelings in general and completely no responsibility for the white woman. Maasais don't feel any sorry when they will hurt us, what more, they feel satisfied and happy. How sad. But the cruelty is their way how to say "thank you" after all.
HYPOCRISY:
Maasai men also can't deal with any criticism and they are using many different meters to measure the people around them. They like to judge others for the same actions which they do themselves. There are many proofs of hypocrisy among the Maasais. For example age difference. While they are laughing that older women are dating young Maasais and they point the finger on such women - they themselves in age 30, 40 or 50 marry Masais girls who are 16. No problem. In their case the huge age difference with their wives is nothing bad but others are judged and disrespected for it.
Next example of the hypocrisy among Maasai beachboys is how they see "poor people". Once the white woman will lose the money and she will be poor (or she was just not rich enough for them) they are laughing, again pointing finger on her. This lady is poor, don't even talk to her, she is nobody. But if they are poor themselves, it's again no problem. Their problems with money don't make worse people from them, even not from their Maasai families. It's ok to be poor, but only if you are a Maasai. Otherwise to be poor or to have just limited money is not acceptable.
Also the men can fuck freely around (especially morans) and they can have more wives but they don't like if their woman is fucking around. To have more husbands for a Maasai woman is of course not possible. With mzungu the situation is even more complicated because they know very well that other Maasais will try to steal her, if she is paying enough. That's why they don't like to see a white woman with other Maasai. They are very scared that other Maasai will steal their mzungu in way of manipulations and lies and that's why they will always tell you "don't trust anyone, trust only me". And Swahili men ? For a girlfriend of Maasai the friendship with a Swahili man is "no go zone". It's a real disaster. There is a big rivalry between them. Maasais don't like Swahili beachboys and Swahili beachboys don't like Maasais. They would kill each-other if they could.
HATRED AND JEALOUSY:
Maasais don't like others. Especially they don't like white women. First - they are jealous. They believe that all white people have a lot of money for free, without any real effort. They don't see the background of "having money". They don't think from where money are, they only see money and they believe it's our obligation to give it to them. And if you will not want to give them, to pay for them - they will be really angry, they will complain a lot and of course, they will not like you, pointing their finger on you with disrespect and laughing.
Next serious issue is the hatred. For Maasais men is not normal that women are stronger than men. It's something what is completely out of their minds and they feel very bad next to a strong woman (that's why they are often drinking a lot). For them is not normal that a woman takes care about them, even not financially. It's actually their job to take care about woman in financial way. But with white women it's not like that. More a white woman will pay or will do for them, more they will hate her for it inside of their chauvinistic poor souls. It's because their own ego won't let them get over it. Always when they see the white woman who was paying for them - they feel bad. They remember immediately how weak men they are. They feel week next to a white woman and therefore they will hate her each day and with each shilling more and more. They also like to use white woman and to get the money but feelings they have inside are simply bad. The white woman will always be a direct witness of their weaknesses. This is one of the reason why she needs to be replaced by time, for fresh one who will not know how weak these "men" are.
Maasais take very seriously the position in the tribe. It's about some kind of prestige. Bragging and exalting themselves above others is for them very important. Rivalry in wealth is today the purpose of their existence. And the source of money is never important. Nobody in tribe really cares. They can be really cruel when they envy to someone. They don't hesitate to use black magic for those Maasais who are more successful or more rich. They envy every single extra cow someone has. They also envy the relationships with every rich woman someone has and they don't hesitate to steal her from other Maasai. Many times there is a hidden hatred between clans or families and sometimes also among members in the own family. They hate each other because of jealousy. The jealousy is very common feeling in the Maasai bush. The success is something what others can hardly forgive. That's why many rich beachboys are dealing with the "black magic" which others Maasais were putting on them.
CHILD SE*UAL ABU*E:
The sexual activities with small children among Maasais is well known issue and it has roots also in the past. Today some of them finished universities, all of them have smart phones and access to internet. Despite it they pretend they are living in the ancient times without any knowledges. And what is really incredible and hard to understand - how white women who are educated enough and who are deploring each sign of child abuse in Europe can accept the same behavior in Maasai tribe. And what more - how they can call sexually depraved Maasais "beautiful culture". How is this possible ?
Not only that very young girls are sold to much older Maasais as brides, but also the cultural habits are perverted. If we will try to accept that 15 years old children are married already to old men, to accept that 10 - 14 years old girls are sexually abused is very hard.
What is happening in the Maasai bush after the dancing in evenings or during bigger ceremonies ? Only to watch the dancing there is heart-breaking. To see the young but adult men to dance with sexual vibes around the small children who are in the middle of the circle cannot be any good feeling for adult and mature white women. And after dancing they are going to sleep to the cottages with those small girls. The girls are growing up in that way, waiting with excitement for that situation. To have a sex with the Maasai man is for many of them the most important moment of their life, it's a reason why they as girls are here - to satisfy a man. Those children who should still play with the dolls can't wait for staying alone with a Maasai during the night. Poor little brainwashed girls. And what is happening after dancing? The small little girls are lying NAKED in one bed with warriors and warriors can touch them in sexual way everywhere and use them for their own sexual satisfaction. It's legal among Maasais and parents of those girls are giving proactively their children to this activity to warriors. Now imagine the horny young Maasai full of hormones, sexually excited next to a naked young Maasai girl how he can control himself. No way. The sexually motivated behavior directed at a minor person such as touching, masturbating next to a child, or pressing a child for touching an adult man sexually, it's already the sexual abuse. How the white women can call something like this "the beautiful culture" it's a real mystery.
Look at the case of Jeffrey Epstein. The same behavior like Maasais are doing daily in the bush is in developed countries the very serious crime which often means a life spent in the prison. And I am sure that nobody from white women is ok with case of Jeffrey Epstein but all of them are very ok with the same behavior in Maasai boma. What is a sexual child abuse in Europe or America is not any abuse of children in Africa. Weird, isn't it ? The children are children and deserve to be children EVERYWHERE. One thing is that in some culture this is happening, but other thing is that the women from developed world can look at it without any bad feelings and at same time they can sing the songs about beautiful Maasai culture. Jeffrey Epstein should move to the Maasai bush and there he would be free to do whatever what with small girls, he could be happy there forever and still alive.
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
Maasais used to be warriors in the past. They were also raiders. They were killing and fighting, with enemies or with wild animals. Today they are only hunting white women at Zanzibar, so they really miss the real fight and violence. They don't feel like real men without fighting. So often when they have a real opportunity, they look forward for fighting. Not long time ago was a big conflict in Kiberashi where Maasais were killing Swahili men and Swahili men were killing Maasai people in the bush. They were very excited from that situation, ready to fight. The information about that fight in Kiberashi vary, who started the conflict and why, so I can't provide the proven details. But what is for sure truth, Maasais are hungry for fighting. When they are drunk at Zanzibar they are loosing the fear from consequences and there you can see their soul of raiders when they are gladly coming to each serious conflict with a will to fight. The small conflict with local people is enough for them to join it automatically without any thinking. The violence and aggression is still stacked deeply in their blood.
NO EDUCATION
Most of Maasais, especially women are not educated at all. Or not well enough. The primary school can give them only the ability to read and write but nothing else. And secondary school ? As they mostly don't like to work, they also don't like to study. Too much effort and limited freedom, nothing for the Maasais. But this issue has also bad consequences for themselves. In the past the Maasais near to borders with Kenya signed some agreements about the land with British colonialists, which was not lucrative for them. Maasais are not assertive when they have to deal with those who have power. For example they have big respect of police at Zanzibar because they don't know their own rights and therefore they can't fight for themselves. They don't have any power to argue because they mostly don't have any arguments which they could use to win the dispute.
FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
Despite many efforts by foreigners and NGO organizations to completely abolish this cruel and inhumane custom among the Maasais, female circumcision still takes place in the Maasai culture and in Maasai bush. But Maasai women are more responsible for it than Maasai men. The mothers, grandmothers and older sisters are those who are convincing small girls that without this terrible inhuman surgery they can't be real women and nobody will marry them (what would be a real disaster for a Maasai girl). It's pushed deeply in their minds and Maasais will need more time to go out of it completely. The female circumcision is still an issue, especially among uneducated and simple families. And here once again - only this fact would stop every normal person with heart and with the brain to call Maasais culture and its people as "beautiful". We can respect foreign culture in some way but to call it beautiful despite all the inhuman things they are practicing there?
INJUSTICE:
The men can punish women for being wrong every time - also for little mistakes, but to punish a man for being wrong is not that easy. Not without serious meeting or Maasai court. And if the man will be punished - it's possible only in the case of serious mistake and only in the case that a victim of the crime of Maasai man is from the Maasai tribe. Group of elders can decide when and if to punish a Maasai man but not in case where the mzungu is involved. Maasais are free to hurt mzungus, for that they will be not punished by elders. Because Maasais FIRST.
Unfortunately the hypocrisy and weird superiority is not only in minds of Maasais, but it's also in the heads of many white women who are calling bush in Tanzania "Maasai land". Maasai land - which Maasais don't own, which Maaais didn't buy. You will not read from these women anything like "Land of people of Tanzania". No ! It's a Maasai land :) As everyone knows, Maasais are originally not from Tanzania, they came there just 200 years ago. Maasais are known as people of Nilotic ethnic group who came from the area of South Sudan, following the Nile river to the South, speaking Nilotic languages (Maa is one of those languages) and they settled down there in wide bush full of grass in Kenya and Tanzania and it was very common practice to plunder the herds of original inhabitants. For better understanding most of the people in Tanzania are Bantu people, who are speaking Bantu languages (Swahili is from Bantu group of languages) and they came to Tanzania from the West Africa more than 4000 years ago. That's why there are so many differences between Bantu people and Nilotic people. Languages are from two completely different groups so people can't understand each other and they also look differently. It's very possible to recognize Maasais in group of Tanzanians also if they would not wear their traditional clothes (shukas).
Despite all - Maasais should have the same rights as everyone else because today they are official and full-fledged citizens of Tanzania. But they should have not only the rights but also the responsibilities. Are the Maasais paying the fees to TZ government ? Did Maasais buy the plots where they made the cottages? They are out of official system so they don't pay but they use whole the infrastructure in the country including schools, roads and hospitals. And why ? Because they are members of culture ? There are MANY different tribes in Tanzania, not only Maasais, so why Maasais should be privileged, using advantages without any responsibilities for the country they are living in?
FREE WILL, FREEDOM AND THE VALUE OF INDIVIDUAL:
Maasais are members of the culture which has a lot of signs of a sect. They have exact rules for almost everything and no personal freedom in important decisions for their life. And also the hierarchy in the tribe is precisely defined. Everyone there knows where his/her place is, what to do, how, why and when.
Maasais as people don't have almost any free will and in case of Maasai women the situation is even more terrible. Elders are able to judge others also in very private issues. Maasais at home are always observed by many eyes and judged - pressed to behave in exact way. They can't leave that culture easily without consequences and without drama. Maasais people are Maasais first of all, there is no big space to be individuals.
Community is present in many things, also in private life of others with the power to decide instead of those who are directly involved in the story. Many things for Maasais are not easy to do, because group of different elders (men from different age-sets called "Laji") has the power to decide. Maasai needs to be married (and will be) in two cases: if he is rich enough or he is old enough. If a warrior has no money and his family is poor - he can be un-married, it's possible. But once Maasai is "young elder" - the pressure on him to marry is really strong. Also when there is a problem with the money - Maasai who is not warrior anymore really needs to be married as soon as possible. But today - also most of warriors are married already because most of warriors are rich (thanks to white women who don't have any idea that they are sending money to their lovers who will marry a young Maasai girl for that money). Before "Zanzibar times", warriors mostly didn't have enough property to get married therefore they could not marry in young age but today is situation very different. Many young Maasais are more rich than elders, just becaue of white naive and uninformed women.
The marriage is for Maasais very important step in life and they can't wait for it and only thing which is holding them from being married are problems with money. The divorce is possible but really not easy and it's happening in rare cases only.
The Maasais have to obey the exact rules existing in the tribe. Always and forever and who wants what is not important. The community will decide how to behave, what to do and when.
INBALANCE:
For sure they are not crying when they are pressed to be married. The marriage has many advantages for them. In wife they will find the servant who will take care about them and also about their parents forever. Because woman needs to move to the boma of her husband. And wife is expensive only in day of marriage but then wife is very cheap. She needs just ugali and milk - to be alive. Women are working hard and can't complain for it. Nobody has more cheaper servants than Maasais have in their own wives and children. And what the men are doing? While women including small girls are working whole days, men - those younger (warriors or younger elders) are chasing women at Zanzibar and those older are gossiping in the forest, sitting around the fire, eating meat with other men, drinking beers and waiting for money from their sons who are paid for telling lies, for manipulation and of course for having sex with women at touristic places. To be a man in Maasai bush - it's a paradise on the Earth. And being a Maasai woman there? Nobody would want that in possibility of choice.
STUCKING IN THE PAST:
Maasais are the people who don't want and who don't like to change anything in their life style and habits. Especially they will not change any habits which they really like. Polygamous life for men is not only great advantage (diversity in their sexual life is something what they really want), but also it's necessary for normal life. In the past and also today Maasais men are not settled at home. In reality they are not real nomads who would move each time for big distances - changing places to live. More likely they are moving only for small distances from home depends on season. In dry season better grass is elsewhere than in rainy season. It means they don't really move - they only take the cattle for a couple of weeks or months little bit more far from their stable bomas. It means they don't help women with almost anything at home and there is a lot of tasks each day which need to be done. Too much for one wife. More wives are at boma, more work they can do and they are also company for each other when men are away - what is very common scenario. And men are today not only away with cows (for that young boys who are not still warriors are used), but most of them (many of them) are at Zanzibar, often for whole months and they are only chasing women there, looking for easy money, the best for passive income which they can get thanks to white women. White women are spoiling whole the Maasai culture with showering them by money and they are not able to see all the consequences for that.
NO CRAFT IN HANDS:
In the past Maasai warriors had the responsibility to protect whole the boma. There were many dangers around, wild dangerous animals and also foreign tribes which could attack them.
But they don't need to protect boma anymore and they don't do it anymore. Not in the areas from where beachboys at Zanzibar are. To kill the lion with a spear - they can only dream about such a situation. And also if some desperate lion would appear near the boma - warriors would not do anything, because they would be hunting women at Zanzibar in that time.
With money which is needed today in the bush as everywhere else - the warriors and young elders got new responsibility. To find the money. The word "find" in that sentence is well used because "earn" money they can't due the lack of education and lack of knowledge in making crafts.
THE SAME MINDSETS:
If they love something they love their culture and if they respect someone they respect their parents. That's why they follow everything what the tribe expects from them without any complaining or rebellion. There is no space for individuality in Maasai tribe. They live there like "one man", rules are the same for everyone. That's why all the Maasais are the same. Of course they have different personalities, different education and they are coming from different families or areas but their mindset, habits, lifestyle and also moral values are always the same. They all at Zanzibar have today a mindset of a beachboy - pulling money out from the naive white people. To be a beachboy having many white women at one time is a proven way how to be rich, which is well known and well supported in the Maasai community. Very rich - very soon and without any work or effort - it's something what they really like. It's enough to manipulate white woman with lies, most of lies are about "love" or about fake intention with her and with her money. Easy, isn't it ? Educated or not, rich or poor, jobless or with good job, young or older. The same story - the same personal tragedy for a white woman at the end. The loss, disappointment and tears, always the same abuse by the same Maasai man which is only one at Zanzibar. A Maasai with a mind of beachboy, prostitute, liar and cheater. Many Maasais dating white women are drinking a lot and why ? Because they simply don't want to fuck them but they have to. Have to fuck someone you don't like and you don't respect is not any comfortable situation for anyone. That's why they are drinking.
Their innocent faces are making us confused but there is nothing innocent inside of Maasais. They follow money because money today is everything for these good people of God. With this you can always count once you will be next to them. Children, women, men, or elders. There is no difference in their intention to a white person. Take as much money or opportunities as possible and improve their Maasai life in the bush by using the trust and love of white people. It's today their main goal and they are always proud of it. Proud of to be liars and scammers. More terrible beachboy someone is - more rich he is - and more respected he is by his Maasai family.
Also better education and good job will not help Maasais to grow up into responsible, conscious and adult people. Also those high educated Maasais who had finished universities have still the same mindset: MAASAIS FIRST and NOTHING IS A SIN ONCE IT WILL IMPROVE THE LIFE OF MAASAI. Also those high educated are covering their brothers in crimes without any moral problems. If they are not at beach to make prostitution and scams, they are fully supporting their brothers in doing that.
But to be fair - let's mention also some aspects which are creditable among Maasai people:
THE PHYSICAL EXOTIC BEAUTY:
Maasais people are many times very handsome, not only men but also women. But because women have to shave their heads their real beauty is not so visible. Maasai men in general are mostly tall, with thin legs and arms, healthy and strong teeth, healthy hair, having correct posture and they have very good and fast metabolism. They are eating a lot and you can't see it. They have fine facial lines, small noses, not too big lips and significant cheekbones. Their skin is often brownish, soft and smelling nicely. For local people is possible to recognize a Maasai only by the face. They are very similar to people from the ancient Egypt, because they came from that area, from the North of Africa.
HIGH LEVEL OF HYGIENE:
Their skin is smelling differently, the Maasai men have good level of hygiene, in majority the young men don't stink. They are very clean also at home in the bush, what is not possible to say about the women from tribe. Men take good care about themselves, using perfumed oils for skin and also for hair, going regularly to hair saloon, cleaning the teeth daily, showering each evening with the water which women prepared for them. It's not enough water in the bush, but only not enough for women. Not every woman in bush stinks badly, but in general the hygiene of men is on higher level. Especially when we are talking about warriors and young elders. Also the hygiene among young girls is better than among adult women who are stacked in the bush for long time.
RARE DIVORCE: (valid only for Maasai people)
In Maasai community it's not easy to divorce and many people are involved in the issue of problems in relationship. Despite the fact that Maasais are facing many problems in relationship, they don't leave their wives easily. It's always a difficult and long process where many people have some word. In serious issues - the divorce is possible but then woman can't take her children with her. In Western world the first small problem and the people will decide for divorce without any effort to save the relationship - then the families are fragile and unstable. In Maasais bush it's not like that and they usually don't leave their wives in the way of divorce and relationships in Maasai bush last for long, families hold together. The divorce rate in developed countries is alarming today. In Europe the new lifestyle says to us that each single one problem in family is possible to solve with divorce. What is not normal and what is not right way where to go. In the reality the divorce will not solve too much and then as the results are broken families, unhappy children and lost adults.
"POLITICAL SYSTEM:
The Maasais don't have any president therefore also any dictator and one sick man can't hurt and destroy whole the community. The Maasais work out like the system, the individual person doesn't exist there. The group of elders from different age-sets has the biggest power in decisions and they need to make an agreement in the issue, always together. Despite the fact they have some functions in the tribe like OLOIBONI or OLOIGWANANI, group of elders has the biggest power in leading whole the community. They as a group are also responsible for justice inside of the tribe.
RESPECT FOR ELDERS: (valid only for Maasai people)
Also it's very beautiful that in Maasais culture are old people more respected than younger. It's a habit from the past, which in Europe almost doesn't exist anymore. They count with the fact that with the higher age will come also a wisdom. Nobody is judging people in the tribe for being old. More old a Maasai is - more respect he has. But of course in case of mzungus is situation different and they are laughing from older white women without any respect to the higher age. The age is only problem in way of marriage. The Maasai will never marry older Maasai woman, even not that one who is in his age. In 99 % of cases, Maasai men always marry younger wives, sometimes about 2 or 3 generation younger.
SUPPORTING THOSE WHO ARE WEAK: (valid only for Maasai people)
Next beautiful thing in the Maasai culture (but valid only for Maasai people) is the support of weaker people. They are always trying to support each other (especially among one family). Also the people who are sick or who are disabled deserve the same conditions for life like others. They take care about disabled, old and sick people inside of tribe (again especially in the closest family) and they are trying to support those who are not the best, giving also them some kind of self-confidence by supporting them mentally. What is very nice.
HOLDING TOGETHER: (valid only for Maasai people)
Despite the fact that in the boma mostly only members from direct (closest) families are holding together and in relationships to other Maasais or other clans they are jealous, at Zanzibar or different foreign country - Maasais always hold together, protecting and helping each-other. That's why they are still winning the battle with white women because white women don't have that feeling - to hold together in foreign environment.
COLLECTING MONEY
Maasais have the organization called "Ereto". Ereto means "the help" in Maa and its sense is to collect money and in the case of need - use them. The Maasais are paying the money each month to this organization, it's working like some kind of "insurance". For example if a Maasai will die at Zanzibar - they can use this money to escort his body back home for funeral. Also when a Maasai is in the jail for making crime - for this money Maasais will buy him out. That's why they don't have any fear from being jailed. Because they know soon they will be outside whatever they did.
SIMPLE WAY OF LIFE:
Way of life in the Maasai bush is beautiful. Healthy, harmless and nutritious food and beautiful nature miles and miles around. Houses for living almost for free. What more a human needs for happiness.
NO LONELINESS:
Maasais are never alone. They are always part of bigger community/family/clan. The boys are growing up together with their age-mates. Women are holding together, they are not jealous and they are helping each-other. In time of giving birth - all other women are helping with everything to fresh mother and she is just resting. The man mostly can't be a widower in easy way because his wives are always much more younger so the chance that he will die sooner than his wife/wives is high.
EFFECTIVE COURTS: (valid only for Maasai people)
Maasais have very effective system of justice in way of crimes inside of community. It's working well. But those who mostly are using it are men. Women have limited possibilities or rights to use the court for their issues. It's possible in serious cases only but men are using it often. The Maasai court has a real power to solve the situation and to press delinquent to pay for the crime.
POLYGAMY (valid only for Maasai people
People are simply not monogamous creatures. That's why to take a polygamy like a sin is not any right thing. Polygamy (polygyny where the man has more wives or polyandry where the woman has more men) is connected with an environment. Monogamy is a result of the way of life in some areas / cultures.
Specially in the Maasai bush the polygamy (polygyny) has many advantages not only for men but also for women. Women are not so lonely and the work can be equally divided. A big family is giving to people the strenght and the security, which is needed for happiness.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR PARENTS, YOUNGER SIBLINGS, WIDOWS AND FOR CHILDREN
One of the most beautiful things on Maasai culture is the real responsibility for parents, widows, weak or sick people and for children. Also when the child is not biological and it's not any secret, the husband of the mother of the child has to take care about that child in same way as he takes care about his own children. This behavior has roots in the habit of "women sharing" which Maasai were practicing. Also today is not rare case to have a sex with wife of brother. Maasai men are responsible for their parents for rest of the life. Maasai women are leaving original boma and they are moving to boma of their husbands, where they will take care about his parents.
Next very strange thing but maybe in some way beautiful is that if there is a widow in family - other man from the family needs to take her as his own. So also the Maasais who don't have any wives or children can have many wives and many children from evening to next morning - in day of death of their brother.
NO FAST FOOD
The food in Maasai bush is healthy, from the local sources. They eat too much only occasionally. They do not overeat often and thus maintain good health. The Maasai do not starve. Good food means also very good and strong teeth.
NO TRASH
There are no supermarkets in Maasai bush, that's why Maasais don't make too much trash. They don't buy anything what can make a mess around. They don't buy water in bottles (they use the local sources of water for drinking) and for collecting water they are using big yellow artificial canisters. Also they don't buy too many things. Soap they use for washing clothes and also for people has no box. Sugar also has no box and they are taking it back home in tiny bags from very strange material which will breaks down very quickly. Maize - they are buying in very big packages and using maybe the same bags. Vegetables they are sometimes buying has no box also and the same the fruits. There is nothing they can use for making the mess around. From the animals they mostly are using everything so no trash from it. Maybe the only trash is from the sweets and candies for children which white women are buying in the villages for Maasai children. Also Chai is in small bags, from it can be some mess. For brushing teeth they use the branches from special trees and they don't use any teeth paste. Maasai bomas are in general very clean, what is the effort of Maasai women and young Maasai girls. But where are the products of the digestion process (poo), nobody knows exactly. I didn't meet any in the bush around the bomas but of course it has to be somewhere. Maasais also don't use toilet paper as we know it.
All this text is written in general about Maasai people. You can find some Maasais who are not fitting this description or who are fitting all this text only partly. But those are only exceptions. The majority of Maasai people have the same habits, same beliefs and same approach to the others.
Gloss and also misery of Maasais is possible to meet in the Maasai bush, it's enough to open your eyes out there. Don't romanticize the Maasais, you are hurting not only yourself, but them as well. It's not leading to any happy-end of anyone.
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