Sir Richard Branson bestowed as An Elder by Masai Tribe in Kenya

Over the weekend, Sir Richard Branson, the President of Virgin Atlantic, was made a tribal Elder in a ceremony held in the Masai Mara in Kenya. He was in the region celebrating Virgin Atlantic’s new daily services to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. The traditional ceremony, known in the Masai language as ‘Ipayiani’, was conducted by the Masai Elders in the presence of around 30 members of the local tribal community. The Masai tribe awarded Sir Richard the honour in return for bringing prosperity to the land.

The ceremony means that Sir Richard has now officially become a Masai Elder and has joined the College of Elders in the Masai community. As part of the ceremony, he walked at the head of procession as the other Elders chanted and then formed a semi-circle around him. He was ten dressed in the community’s Elder attire, including a ceremonial cloak and decorated with beads, which were wrapped around his neck, arms and ears. He was given instruments of Elder-hood, including a wooden stick, and then blessed by the oldest of the Elders as the ceremony came to a close.

Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, said, “It is a true honour to have been made an Elder. The Masai tribe are known and respected all over the world for their traditional culture and way of life and I am delighted to have played such a tiny part of it. The ceremony was beautiful and the whole experience is something that I will always cherish.”

Throughout Masai life almost every rite of passage, from birth up to (though not including) death are greeted with celebrations and ceremony. All the ceremonies are traditional and elaborate although each one is unique in its own way. Many ceremonies involve the ritual slaughter of cattle or goats, with meat being distributed among the community according to social rank. The most revered of all Elders were the ‘laibons’ who were prophets, healers and seers and the role of the laibon was of paramount importance in traditional Masai society.

It is rare for anyone who is not a Masai to be bestowed the honour of becoming an Elder. So far this year, only one Kenyan presidential contender has been made a Masai Elder in a ceremony attended by the Masai Elders and Masai politicians.

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