Kenya traditional marriage: The "Maasai ceremony"

References

Kenya traditional marriage: "The Maasai ceremony"

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: http://www.afrykaconnect.pl/index.php/arts-and-culture/39-african-wedding-cultural-traditions-by-country

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: http://africanweddingtraditions.com/kenyan-wedding.html

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: http://www.afrykaconnect.pl/index.php/arts-and-culture/39-african-wedding-cultural-traditions-by-country

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: http://www.maasai-association.org/ceremonies.html

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/maasai-tribe.html

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: http://www.kindnessmission.org/Female-Genital-Circumcision+

Images

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: https://saskiainkenya.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/dscn1156.jpg

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Location_Kenya_AU_Africa.svg/800px-Location_Kenya_AU_Africa.svg.png

Retrieved on october 19, 2015 from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Flag_of_Kenya.svg/800px-Flag_of_Kenya.svg.png

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Retrieved on october 22, 2015 from: https://zabierzmniedo.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/dsc01528.jpeg

Previous preparations or knowledges:

Groom

Bride

-Be a warrior

-Raid cattle

-Hunt

-Make beadwork

-Know how to cook

-Build and clean houses

Essential participants

Outfits and music

-The father of the bride: he gives his blessing to the bride.

-The women of the groom's family: they wish good luck to the bride by insulting her.

-The bride's mom: she keeps the bull.

The bride is required to dress with a bold and colorful necklace with beads and shells.

The music of the wedding is vocal and is sung in a call and response pattern when the women sing and the men responds.

Kenya

Is a country in Africa.

Its capital and largest city is Nairobi.

Change

The "female circumcision" has been outlawed by the modern legislation. The circumsicion consisted of the mutilation of the female's genitals as a rite before they get married. Now massai people aren't allowed to inclue this rite before the wedding.

The maasai people

The "aadung inkishu"

The maasai ceremony

The Maasai people live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands.

The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately one half million people.

A week before the wedding a meeting is held and consist on an arrangement in which both families agree on the number of cows the family of the groom will exchange for the bride.

Is an expression of Maasai culture and promotes the value of self-determination due to all the rites that are held before the wedding ceremony.

Symbols

Sequence of events of the traditional wedding.

The maasai people dances with "wooden sticks" during the ceremony that symbolize the future growth of the marriage with lasting roots and a natural life as the trees.

The "kupamba"

The necklace represents special relationships and occasions,in this case, a young couple becoming engaged to be married. The cowrie shells on the necklace symbolise destiny and prosperity.

Is a party which happens at the night of the wedding and is just for the bride. In the party, the bride is able to take off her large veil and show her elaborate hairstyle, jewels and dress.

1.- The father of the bride spits on the bride's head and breast as a blessing.

2.- The bride leaves her house.

3.- She walks to her new home and never looks back fearing that she will turn to stone.

4.- They sing and dance with the wooden sticks while she's on her way to the new home.

5.- In order to ward off bad luck the women of the groom's family insult the bride.

6.- The groom walks down the street to meet his bride.

7.- The marriage is concluded when a bull enters a hut guarded by the bride's mother and is killed.