The Maasai Jump

by Anthony Mwangi

Original - Not For Sale

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Not Specified

Dimensions

30.000 x 20.000 inches

Title

The Maasai Jump

Artist

Anthony Mwangi

Medium

Painting - Impasto

Description

Jump while the ladies are watching. Two men enter the centre and begin to jump, heels never touching the ground, straight into the air as high as they can go. Once a warrior achieves his maximum height and begins to tire, which is usually after a couple of jumps, he exits and two other men take the centre. The more graceful and higher the jump, the more appealing the warrior is to the eligible women watching. This is one story about the Maasai jump dance.

Another story I heard. Jump and become a chief! In the olden days, to become a chief in the Maasai community you had to do a thing most of us would never become a chief if they had to; kill a male breathing lion! Imagine that.

In came the conservationists and killing a lion would land you in jail instead of a chief’s status.

So then, how do you become a chief in the Maasai community today? Jump up up up high! Whoever jumps the highest becomes a chief. This means you can quickly jump over obstacles during cattle raids, wars and other functions!

All in all, this jump dance is also done for fun during ceremonies. Tourists are known to dress like the Maasai people and make the best of their jumping. This is when you realize the jump is not as easy as the Maasai people make it look.

Uploaded

July 19th, 2017

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