Ben Wilhelmi

Tanzania, Maasai warriors

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maasai warriors, Tanzania

 

I had just landed and my friends were waiting for me. They had had their ceremony a few weeks before and were intent of having as many memories as possible of their new status, that is the prestigious warrior status.

Jewels, clothes,weapons…each item is important and part of their new outfit.

 

Sometimes they have their sense of fun and composition. Boys seem to be the same all over the world…

 

 

 

 

Masai warriors, Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sense of humor seems to be the same worldwide…Masai moon.

Masai warriors throwing spears

 

Trust me, those long spears are heavy! Nothing to do with the aluminum things I used to throw at school.

I did once fly a wounded warrior with such a spear across the torso. Of course that 2 m spear wouldn’t fit in a small plane like the one on this picture, nor in the Land Rover that brought the man to the bush hospital. No problem since the wounded man’s friends had taken care of that: 2 held one arm each while a third one put his foot on the belly and pulled the spear out!! Obviously these guys have zero knowledge in open wound management! The guy survived by the way, proud with 2 neat scars to show off.

This one managed to throw a spear and a club within a second. By luck I caught both weapons on this shot. That brown speck on the horizon is the club!