Lion Guardians

Category: Meet the Lion Guardians | Date: Oct 23 2007 | By: admin

The Lion Guardian for Kalesirua zone, to the south west of the group ranch, is Olubi Lairumbe, also known as Meitiaki. Meitiaki was a name he acquired after he killed a lion (Well, that was before he became a lion guardian). Maasai warriors are traditionally given a new name after they have successfully killed a lion. Those who watched the Lion Guardian video are familiar with him. Here’s a link to that post (29^th September 2007.) http://lionguardians.wildlifedirect.org/2007/09/29/36/

Anyway, today Olubi had a day off from work. Today was a special day for him and his three-murran brothers. They were celebrating a special ceremony that will enable him to be having meals alone in the absence of other murrans. No, it’s not that they’ve been fasting since they became murrans! It’s just that to teach the value of sharing among the warriors (murrans) and increase bonding among them, tradition forbade them from eating or even drinking anything on their own. Now, as time advances, and the murrans approach elder hood they are relieved of some of these demands.

I attended the ceremony and took a few pictures.

Here is Olubi holding a lion-skin cloak, which is an important part of the ritual. The beads are sown on by the Mammas. he has red ochre on his skin to decorate himself. This lion was killed a long time ago, here on the ranch.