ABSTRACT
The Maasai age system is comparatively straightforward, but it lends itself to a variety of approaches that have been considered in earlier chapters of this work. Different interpretations draw attention to the ambiguity of the firestick relationship between alternate age-sets, which tends to highlight tension between the firestick patrons and the moran in the north (Chapter 7), in contrast to an alliance between them in the south (Chapter 8).The balance between these two aspects of the relationship varies with context.The shifts in emphasis between them also typify different phases of the age-set cycle over about fifteen years: the southern ‘alliance’ model highlights the change-over between age-sets, and then the northern ‘gerontocratic’ model highlights the separateness of moran during the height of their manyata experience.This concluding chapter aims to go beyond the formal outline of the system, typified by the various figures and tables in this work, in order to explore some of the more indeterminate aspects. It is concerned with the problems of decision-making facing individuals, groups, and whole age-sets, leading towards a fuller appreciation of the system.
