Maasai Religion

The traditional beliefs of the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania are centered on nature and its elements. Ngai (also called Engai or Enkai) is the androgynous Supreme Creator who possesses both masculine and feminine attributesand a dual nature.  Engai Narok (Black God) is benevolent, and Engai Na-nyokie (Red God) is vengeful. There are also two identically colored totems of Maasai society: Oodo Mongi, the Red Cow and Orok Kiteng, the Black Cow, The Maasai have a supreme totemic animal, the lion. A lion is sacrificed by the Maasai during the rite of passage ceremony. The Maasai have  Ngai's primordial dwelling Ol Doinyo Lengai, which translates as the Mountain of God. This mountain is located in Northern Tanzania. In Maasai religion, the Laibon (plural: Laiboni) intercedes between the world of the living and the Creator. They are the Maasai's high priests and diviners. In addition to delivering prophecies and organizing and presiding over religious ceremonies such as sacrifice and libation, the Laiboni also heal physical and spiritual illness. Like the Nuer people, Maasai life centers around their cattle, their primary source of food. The traditional Maasai diet consisted of raw meat, raw milk, honey, and raw blood drawn from their Zebu cattle.