ABSTRACT
Four characteristic features of the southern Maasai highlight the extent of variation with the northern model.These are: the unity of the age-set spanning about fifteen years with no subdivision into successive right-hand and left-hand age-groups; the closer involvement of the Prophet in age-set development; the notion of moranhood as a preparation for elderhood rather than a troublesome episode; and this corresponds to firestick alliances that are supportive and associated with the tensions between adjacent age-sets. One of the aims of this chapter is to explore how far these variations between south and north may be traced to the transition of Maasai society from a dominant military power in the region to one that has been restricted by imposed government.An assessment of the Maasai age system and the role of the Loonkidongi Prophets at the time of the earliest records is a step towards unravelling the changes that have occurred since that time.
