SHOMPOLE MANYATTA

On August 28. 2018, the Irmemiri from Shompole Group Ranch held their first meeting to discuss the way to have Orngesche, the iniation of junior elders to senior elders. All who were involved in this ceremony looked forward to the iniation and rite of passage. As part of this ceremony, a Manyatta or temporary camp, was built, 99 houses in all. The iniation ritual began on September 3, 2018.

Rituals for this initiaton include a day for breaking the fig tree and planting it at the iddle of the manyatta near the flag. Also, a bull is slaughteredand there is also olalamal for going out to bring oseyiai to used to put the meat of the bull.

In addition, a special pole, planted in the middle of the camp, is used as a flagpole. The white and blue colored cloth, the Maasai nation's flag, is tied to the pole before planting, and remains there until the manyatta ended. The chief house should be at either on south or north of the boma. Shompole manyatta selected 19 gates for the manyatta. Every morning and evening cows must pass through all the gates. After all this happens, then all the houses are ready to make Maasai beer through the tradtional method. Beer making takes 15 days. Then the ceremony begins.

It takes three weeks for the women build the Maasai houses. The houses are located in one large kraal chosen by the chiefs and the assistant chiefs together with the elders. This is where all men across the Manyatta will be united and initiated. When all 99 houses are finished and the community gathers for the first boma, it was decided that the ceremony would take place at the main boma.

Before the ceremony, the Olopolosi Olkiteng,chief of the manyatta, must be chosen. Olopolosi Olkiteng is a position not desired by anyone because it is considered unfortunate. The selection of this manyatta is sometimes a bit of a challenge. Not every elder would like his wife to be in an emanyatta, because it is a free visit zone for everyone. Jealous husbands are more likely to refuse to participate in the manyatta. They think that their wives' former lovers will take advantage of her. Also, not all men chosen because some have not had good behavior. It is thought that they may behave badly at the manyatta.

Thes festivities lasted from May 10, 2019 to May 13, 2019. Every man was honored with an elder's chair in this ceremony. In the early morning of the day of the event, he will sit on the chair or in the skin of his cow and be shaved by his wife. If a man has more than one wife, it is the older wife's responsibility to shave the husband. This chair becomes a man's friend until it is broken. If a man dies before the chair breaks, his oldest son will adopt the chair.

With regards to wives, a wife must prove to her husband that she has not engaged in an illegal sexual affair with a man of the younger age set. Whether this has occurred or not will be revealed by participating in the bull's skin ritual. Men wrestle with themselves to get near the bull's skin to see if their wives have been unfaithful to the age-set. It is right for a wife to have affairs with men of the same age set, but not outside the age set. If a woman is found guilty of violating such a commitment, she will be disrespected by her husband and by her entire age set.

For a woman to regain respect from her husband, she must go back to her father or relative's home to obtain a female cow. No man would refuse such an apology. The man may not keep the cow, however. He may then give the cow to his friend as a gift.

After this ceremony, a man would become an elder and would assume full responsibility of his own family. He is now allowed to move away from his father's homestead and form his own homestead. Even though the man is now an independent man, however, he would still have to rely on his father's advice. A man would assume total responsibility of his family at the age of about 35 years.

4. Everyone should have a chair ,the small one made of the wood of the tree the big stick of smaple of the old man maasai name orthatula, enkononkoi meaning the blue neckles, and finaly the orkidok - meaning small wood has hole in both side and has a lid for keeping chewing tabuku.