Enkipaata, Eunoto and Olng'esherr, three male rites of passage of the Maasai community

Overview

Enkipaata, Eunoto and Olng’esherr are three interrelated male rites of passage of the Maasai community: Enkipaata is the induction of boys leading to initiation; Eunoto is the shaving of the morans paving the way to adulthood; and Olng’esherr is the meat-eating ceremony that marks the end of moranism and the beginning of eldership. The rites of passage are mainly practised by young men of the Maasai community aged between fifteen and thirty, but women also undertake certain tasks. By educating young people about their future role in Maasai society, the rites serve to induct them first to moranhood, then as young elders, and finally as senior elders. Respect and responsibility, safeguarding of the lineage, transfer of powers from one age set to the next and the transmission of indigenous knowledge, such as in relation to livestock rearing, conflict management, legends, traditions and...

This record is imported from the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage public dataset as discovery metadata. ARED has not independently verified community authority, access protocols or local naming beyond the source record.

Community and Authority

Communities: Kenya
Languages: Not specified in UNESCO dataset
Cultural territories: Kenya
Countries: Kenya

How the System Works

Music, Performance and Oral Literature Language, Story and Memory Ceremony, Spirituality and Cosmology Ways of Knowing and Knowledge Transmission

Sources and Evidence

Imported from UNESCO DataHub dataset ich001. Field-level provenance is retained in the record metadata.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ListsDataset

Open original source record

Field-Level Provenance

title: UNESCO DataHub field title_en
preferredTitle: UNESCO DataHub field title_fr
summary: UNESCO DataHub field description_en
type: UNESCO DataHub fields type_of_element_en and type_acronym
countries: UNESCO DataHub field countries, ISO codes resolved with ISO-3166 regional metadata
categories: ARED category inference from UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names and title
relationships: UNESCO concepts_primary_names, concepts_secondary_names, type fields and World Heritage links
sourceUrl: UNESCO DataHub field http_url_en
rights: UNESCO DataHub dataset metadata license and license_url

Original Source Metadata

uuid0656fd84-23b7-4673-9821-565a38b53843

ich_public_ref1390

inscription_year2018

title_enEnkipaata, Eunoto and Olng'esherr, three male rites of passage of the Maasai community

title_frL’Enkipaata, l’Eunoto et l’Olng’esherr, trois rites de passage masculins de la communauté masaï

type_of_element_enUrgent Safeguarding List

type_acronymUSL

countriesKE

http_url_enhttps://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/01390

concepts_primary_namesInitiation rites, Spiritual knowledge, Spiritual retreat

concepts_secondary_namesBody painting, Circumcision, Clans, Conflict resolution, Dance, Legends, Moral values, Offering, Religious practice, Responsibility, Technical skills, Vocal music

main_image_urlhttps://ich.unesco.org/img/photo/thumb/11660-LRG.jpg

main_image_caption_enNot supplied

main_image_copyrightDanson Siminyu, Kenya, 2017

main_image_authorNot supplied

videoshttps://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/ZOnB24xI7cM

images[object Object], [object Object], [object Object]

Why This Record Is Credible

This public record is connected to 1 source and has been labelled Source Supported. ARED separates evidence sources from cultural authority so users can see both provenance and review limits.

Cultural Access

Use this as public discovery metadata only. It does not replace community authority or local access protocols.

Relationships

Initiation rites Spiritual knowledge Spiritual retreat Body painting Circumcision Clans Conflict resolution Dance Legends Moral values Offering UNESCO urgent safeguarding list

Review and Corrections

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