The Massai believe that the Heavens and Earth were one. God (Enkai/Ngai/Engai) then created three groups in that world that were each given something in order to survive:
- Torrobo (or Dorobo) - hunters/gathers that were given honey and wild animals
- Kikuyu - farmers that were given seed and grain
- Maasai - were given cattle that came down from the Heavens through a rope
It's believed that the Torrobo were left to endure bee stings, the Kikuyu endured famine and flood while the Maasai prospered with the cattle. A Torrobo got jealous of the Maasai's gift and cut the rope that connected the Heavens and Earth which split the two leaving the cattle on Earth for the Maasai. For this reason the Maasai claim cattle as their own.
Advameg Incorporated
2015 Countries and their cultures: Maasai - Religion and Expressive Culture. Electronic Document, http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle- East/Maasai-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html, accessed March 25, 2015.
2015 Countries and their cultures: Maasai - Religion and Expressive Culture. Electronic Document, http://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle- East/Maasai-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html, accessed March 25, 2015.
While reading how the Maasai deal with their people after they die made me reflect on how my family goes about death. For every person that has died, we hold a viewing so we can pay our respects, and then we proceed to bury them. My father is the one who purchased the spots where they were buried so it’s his responsibility to pay monthly so they make sure it looks presentable. In my opinion I feel like it’s a waste of money. I haven’t visited my grandparents, aunt, or uncle since my grandma passed away 4 years ago because they were buried in Venezuela. Spending so much money to maintain the area around their resting spots is a little bit extra. We spend so much money maintaining where they reside that when I read about the Massai's way, it feels more logical to not worry about the body. But in the Western world, it would be looked down upon to throw a loved one's body to be eaten by animals. It's a complicated issue. On one hand I think it’s a waste of money to bury someone, but on the other hand, I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing animals tear my family into shreds and eaten, regardless of the fact that they’re dead.
ReplyDeleteEmbalming is the art and science of preserving human remains by treating them – in America it’s with chemicals - to prevent decomposition. Some of the steps include stuffing cotton in varies parts of the body, sewing their eyes shut, and if necessary they cut muscles and tendons in order to have a more natural look. Many people don’t know the process of embalming and are oblivious that it happens. At first I thought “I don’t want to be cut up and stuffed once I’m dead”. I discussed this with my mother and she made a valid point. She allowed her mother to go through the process of embalming because it allowed her to see my grandma one more time before she was buried. After thinking about what she said, I learned she was right. When someone dies, you do anything to have one last moment with them. With that being said, when I die, or anyone else in my family dies, I encourage the embalming process because it allows loved ones to have closure. With indigenous cultures such as the Massai, they don’t view dead bodies as something valuable, they view it as something harmful to the Earth. This explains why they don’t have any type of viewing or funeral like in the United States.