Film Summary: Circumcision In The Maasai Tribe In Kenya

Hia Mustafa

Dr. Hoffman

ANT 153

11/4/14

Perspective on Maasai Male Initiation The Maasai, a nomadic tribe that resides in Kenya are sensitive to their culture and rituals that have been around for hundreds of years and still continue to this day. There are some rituals that nations outside of the Maasai tradition disagree on. But some customs vary from country to country, or even religion to religion. One of these customs happens to be circumcision which is performed widely in the Maasai tribe and throughout the world. Circumcision in the Maasai tribe are done to both boys and girls. It is done as a part of the Maasai stages of life; to express the transition from adolescent boy or girl to young adult. For example, for a Maasai boy to

Many people will attend such a celebration being that it is such a big deal in Maasai tradition. The boy’s fellow age mates surround him chanting insults and dancing giving him the courage to endure this stage in his life (film). The circumciser in the film blows his whistle to let those around know that the knife that will cut the boy is near. Once the boy is ready, as described in the film, the boy must have his head shaved as well as his pubic hair by someone from his mother friends. Then the boy is to walk over the knife that will be used on him as a swear to show that he has not had any sexual relations with a circumcised women.(film) It is rumored that if they have slept with a circumcised women in the past that the knife that will be used will slip and cause a complete accident (lecture). The type of circumcision that Maasai males endure is the partial removal of the foreskin and the protrusion of the glans through and incision. The way the procedure works is that the young male who feels he is ready to enter the state of manhood must sit motionless, making no noises or no movements whatsoever, while a razor sharp knife is slid through the foreskin of the penis. In the article, the Maasai who had endured in this transition already said that the slightest movement on your part will mean you are a coward, incompetent and unworthy to be a Maasai man. He also mentions that if he were to fail at this initiation process he will bring shame to his family; for example,

“My sister Loiyan in particular was more troubled by the whole affair than anyone in the whole family. She had to assume my mother’s role during the circumcision. Were I to fail my initiation, she would have to face the consequences. She would be spat upon and even beaten for representing the mother of an unworthy son. The same fate would befall my father, but he seemed unconcerned.”