The Maasai religion encompasses the
traditional beliefs of the
Maasai people
The Maasai (;) are a Nilotic peoples, Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, near the African Great Lakes region. of
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
and
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
.
Traditional beliefs
In Maasai culture,
nature
Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
and its elements are important facets of their religion.
Enkai (also called ''Engai'') is the androgynous Supreme
Creator, possessing both masculine and feminine principles.
The Maasai refer to Ngai's primordial dwelling as "Ol Doinyo Lengai" which literally means "The Mountain of God", which they believe is in Northern Tanzania.
[ Asante, Molefi Kete; Mazama, Ama; ''Encyclopedia of African Religion, Volume 1'', SAGE (2009), p. 427, (retrieved March 18, 2020]
/ref>
Ngai or Enkai's name is synonymous to "rain
Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...
."
In Maasai religion, the ''Laibon'' (plural: ''Laiboni'') intercedes between the world of the living and the Creator. They are the Maasai's high priests and diviners. In addition to organizing and presiding over religious ceremonies—including sacrifice and libation, they also heal the living, physically and spiritually.[Asante, Molefi Kete; Mazama, Ama; ''Encyclopedia of African Religion, Volume 1'', SAGE (2009), p. 428, (retrieved March 18, 2020]
/ref>
See Also
* Laibon Lenana, namesake of Lenana School
* Mbatian, Maasai Laibon (died 1890)
References
Further reading
* Harold Scheub, ''A Dictionary of African Mythology, The Mythmaker as Storyteller'' Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, Oxford, 2000,
* Naomi Kipury, ''Oral Literature of the Maasai'' (1983: East African Educational Publishers Ltd., PO Box 45314 Nairobi, Kenya
* Spencer, Paul, (2003), "Providence and the cosmology of misfortune" and "Loonkidongi diviners and Prophets", in Spencer, P, ''Time, Space, and the Unknown: Maasai configurations of power and providence'', Routledge, London (pp. 67–123).
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