Enkai and the Gift of Cattle
In the beginning, Enkai, the supreme god of the Maasai, lived on earth with the first people. One day, Enkai decided to give the Maasai a gift more precious than any other — cattle. He lowered them from the sky on a leather thong, and they landed on the green plains below. Enkai instructed the Maasai that they were to be the sole guardians of all cattle in the world, and that these animals would provide them with milk, blood, and meat for eternity. This sacred bond between the Maasai and their cattle remains the cornerstone of Maasai identity to this day.