Masai
East African pastoral people
The Masai are a semi-nomadic people of Kenya and Tanzania, known for their distinctive dress, cattle-herding traditions, and warrior culture.
Also spelled Maasai, which more closely reflects the people's own pronunciation.
The word also describes their language and customs: Masai beadwork, Masai villages.
Pole with sharp point
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- lion huntingPursuing apex felines
- courageFortitude facing danger
- braveryBoldness before danger
rite of passage · ochre · valor · defense · combat · age-set · initiation · endurance
Domesticated bovines kept commercially
- herdingManaging animal groups
- livestockDomesticated farm animals
- zebuHumped Asian cattle
- grazingFeeding on pasture
migration · pasture · milk · blood · nomadic · seasonal · movement · calving
East African country, capital Nairobi
- TanzaniaDodoma-capital nation
- Great Rift ValleyTectonic depression spanning continents
- SerengetiTanzanian ecosystem of grasslands
- KilimanjaroAfrica's highest mountain
savannah · acacia · grasslands · East Africa · steppe · wildlife · safari · national park
Ornaments encircling the throat
- braceletsWrist-worn jewelry loops
- colorfulFull of varied hues
- patternsRecurring arrangements or designs
- adornmentDecorative addition or accessory
ornaments · handmade · artisanal · earrings · headbands · ceremonial · symbolism · red
African language family
- SwahiliBantu language of East Africa
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- ethnolinguisticOf language-tied peoples
- tribeSocial group sharing ancestry
Senior community members
- age-setGenerational social grouping
- rites of passageCeremonies marking major transitions
- circumcisionForeskin surgical removal
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
storytelling · ceremonies · heritage · identity · ancestry · community
spear
Pole with sharp point
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- lion huntingPursuing apex felines
- courageFortitude facing danger
bravery · rite of passage · ochre · valor · defense · combat · age-set · initiation · endurance · fearlessness
cattle
Domesticated bovines kept commercially
grazing · migration · pasture · milk · blood · nomadic · seasonal · movement · calving · milking
Kenya
East African country, capital Nairobi
- TanzaniaDodoma-capital nation
- Great Rift ValleyTectonic depression spanning continents
- SerengetiTanzanian ecosystem of grasslands
Kilimanjaro · savannah · acacia · grasslands · East Africa · steppe · wildlife · safari · national park
necklaces
Ornaments encircling the throat
- braceletsWrist-worn jewelry loops
- colorfulFull of varied hues
- patternsRecurring arrangements or designs
adornment · ornaments · handmade · artisanal · earrings · headbands · ceremonial · symbolism · red · blue
Bantu
African language family
- SwahiliBantu language of East Africa
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- ethnolinguisticOf language-tied peoples
elders
Senior community members
- age-setGenerational social grouping
- rites of passageCeremonies marking major transitions
- circumcisionForeskin surgical removal
oral tradition · storytelling · ceremonies · heritage · identity · ancestry · community
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
- African Safarielephant, elephants, lions, zebras, zebra
- TribesApache, Cherokee, Navajo, Sioux, Comanche
- Indigenous LanguagesNavajo, Cherokee, Dakota, Lakota, Ojibwe
- Nomadic PeoplesMongols, Scythians, Huns, Tatars, Bedouins
- ClansScottish clans, Irish clans, Highland clans, ancient clans
Masaiagriculturalists
Cultivation practitioners
plantation workers · rice farmers · hunter-gatherers · sharecroppers · homesteaders
- masa harinaNixtamalized maize flour
- Masai MaraKenyan game reserve