Rendille Age Grade Rituals
Rendille Age Grade Rituals
God´s Herding Sticks
Rendille Age Grade Rituals
Inhabiting an arid inhospitable terrain, the Rendille live a semi nomadic life, herding their camels great distances in search of pasture and water. Isolated from the outside world, and unused to visitors, the Rendille have been able to maintain their traditional ceremonies and rites of passage largely intact.
The Soriiyo is a family blessing that occurs twice a year. Each family selects a goat without blemish for sacrifice and, with its blood, marks their homes, camels and firstborn sons. This ritual serves as a moment to remember ancestors, pray for rain and to ask God, Waqh, to bless the household, herds and children.
The family Soriiyo is followed by the major generational Herr Heroon, or Bull Ceremony, which unites all nine Rendille clans from across the desert. During this time, hundreds of warriors accompanied by thousands of camels assemble at the Gob, a ceremonial encampment, for several days of blessings. The warriors wear striking multicolored textiles and beaded jewelry, enhanced by stylish, long red-and-withe soccer socks identifying them as the latest age set of warriors. The young men carry long wooden staffs indicating their warrior status, which they use during the dances to propel them higher as they leap into the air. The Herr Heroon is one of many intermediary blessing ceremonies that the warriors perform over the fourteen-year period of initiation into elder hood. Each day they are blessed by elders, from the ceremonial drinking of camel milk, to passion, determined to impress the young girls from the visiting clans. Many marriages take place during this season as the Rendille must marry outside of their clan.
Only warriors may attend the climax of the Herr Heroon, held at a sacred place on a nearby volcanic mountain. Here they sacrifice a painted bull and burn its remains, a column of smoke reaching up to heaven. Upon their jubilant return, they perform the final ritual, thrusting their staffs into the narrow entrance of a hut to be slathered with butter fat as blessing by young women.Under Construction
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