During TOK class midst our discussion of indigenous knowledge beliefs i managed to mention that the Masai ritual of drinking blood mixed with milk and i was assigned to enter it as a blog post.
Firstly what is indigenous knowledge? the world bank defines it as: "the local knowledge – knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. IK contrasts with the international knowledge system generated by universities, research institutions and private firms. It is the basis for local-level decision making in agriculture, health care, food preparation, education, natural-resource management, and a host of other activities in rural communities." (http://www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/basic.htm)
The Masai as it is well known are a tribe in the East African nations of Kenya and Tanzania. They are suspected to have migrated from Ethiopia and settled in the three neighbouring countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. However a majority of the Masai tribe are in Kenya and they go under a different name in Uganda.
One of the rituals we might find odd in our society now is the fact that they drink cow blood with their milk or even sometimes without milk. The cow blood is obtained mostly with out killing the cow but by puncturing a small hole in the cows jugular vein which is later closed up.What do they use the cow blood for? The Masai mix the cows blood with milk and it is used in making a ritual drink for special occasions or giving it to some one who is sick. Also the Masai depend on cow blood for their nutritional needs sometimes but it is mostly used in special occasions. For example it is give to a woman who has given birth, some one who is sick or someone who got circumcised. It is also used to cure hangovers by the elderly.
No comments:
Post a Comment