ABSTRACT
The notion of a foetus as a thing of God is also associated with a coercive form of foetal betrothal. A man may approach a pregnant woman and beg for her unborn 'daughter' with the gift of the. anointment, by smearing butter across her womb. The birth itself is in the hands of women who stay with the mother constantly for some days after the event. There are two interpretations of the healthy appearance of Maasai. The popular view is to note the excellence of their diet and way of life by normal African standards. The more sombre view is to accept that only the most robust children have a chance of survival and natural selection is a major factor in the level of health. Infant mortality is high, and a child that survives is a gift of life that touches on the communitas of all mankind.
