Videos: Maasai Eunoto Ceremony / Maasai - the Last Dance of the Warriors

These  videos are for the A2/B1 students of my Tuesday evening class to supplement the text "Masai Rite of Passage" found in thier textbooks on page 75 of Life Pre-Intermediate by National Geographic Learning/Heinle.

Note that there are several possible spellings used for the name of these tribes, In our book they are called the Masai, but you will find the spelling Maasai or Masaai.

Video 1

Vocabulary  for better understanding.


a Maran or a Moran or a Morran- (or a Maran Maasai) is the Maasai word for 'warrior' which is name given to an adolescent Masaai male before the Eunoto
in seclusion : a situation in which someone stays apart or is kept apart from other people

manyatta - (Massai word for settlement or camp)  a ceremonial place

brotherhood - the friendship and support that a group of people, especially men, get from one another (Note: a variation of this word is sisterhood which means a strong feeling of loyalty among women)

to greet - to behave in a polite or friendly way towards someone when you meet them

to rub - to press and move against an object or a surface

shoulder - one of the two parts of your body between your neck and the top ofyour arms

hunt - the activity of looking for and killing animals

chalk - a type of soft white stone

an ox (irregular plural form - oxen) - a large type of cow that is used on farms for pulling or carrying things

suffocation - the state of being prevented from breathing

osingira - ceremonial house built by the mothers of the young warriors

moranhood - the period in a young Maasai's life before going the Eunoto rite of passage...the Masaai version of adolescenthood

engagement - being involved with, here it is in the context of a sexual relationship

bald - no hair

an elder - an older and more experienced member of a group or organization who givesadvice and makes decisions, for the Masaai, this is the term for an adult


Other links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai_people

In the video you see the word "olpul." To find out what this is, go to: http://sandalmanandthemilkmaid.blogspot.fr/2010/08/olpul.html 

http://www.maasai-association.org/ceremonies.html

Video 2

Vocabulary for better understanding

Salei Masaai  - name given to the Massai living in the Salei Plain in Tanzania

to graduate - here, to make progress, or to reach a higher position

elderhood - the stage of life following moranhood (see vocabulary above)

to give something up - to abandon something

an agemate - a person who is about the same age as another

to be overcome by something - to make someone very emotional, weak, ill, or unconscious

a prized possession - something of great importance or value

a band of brothers - a company of people having a common purpose; group

Link

http://oxfordhumanities.com/products_details.php?name=products&id=20