Mbatian

Mbatian (died 1890) was a Maasai laibon known for prophecies that he made and consequent victories by Maasai warriors that were attributed to him.

Early life Mbatian was born to the Maasai laibon Supeet and he succeeded him as laibon.

Maasai - Laikipia war Berntsen (1979) notes that elders of the Purko-Kisongo Maasai relate that it was warriors of the Il Aimer age-set (c. 1870-1875) who blunted the attack of their northern neighbours the Ilaikipiak and then destroyed them as a social unit. The elders do not attribute the victory of the Maasai warriors to superior military strength but rather to the prophetic-ritual leadership of the famous laibon Mbatian who exploited his influence among several Purko-Kisongo sections to unite all the warriors of the Purko-Kisongo against the Ilaikipiak.

Succession A number of factors determined the selection of a laibon's successor and it would seem that one of the most influential of these factors was the age-set whose time it was at the time of the laibon's death. In that, the sons belonging to the age-set whose time it was usually stood a greater chance of succeeding their father as opposed to those whose time had passed or was yet to come.

Lenana, who had hidden himself in the calf-shed, overheard the conversation. He rose early the next morning and went to his father's hut whereupon he said "Father, I have come". Mbatian was very old by this time and had only one good eye. He therefore did not see which of his sons was before him and so he gave to Lenana the medicine man's insignia (the iron club and the medicine horn, the gourd, the stones and the bag) at the same time saying "Thou shalt be great amongst thy brothers and amongst all the people". Lenana took the insignia and went away.