his initiation into warriorhood.
Samburu holy mountain.
which will be forced up the eight-thousand-foot
mountain for ritual sacrifice.
gather at the foot of the mountain carrying long staves
that they will later fashion into arrows.
“Tell them we have killed the white bull on Mount Nyiro,
The white bull that has suckled milk from its mother, And
has milk in its stomach,
Nyiro is blessed where we have killed the bull …”
young initiates voices soar to the heavens.
initiates often fall into a trance state called Ndokuna,
their bodies rigid as if in an epileptic state.
leaves, and special grasses from the forest at the peak of
Mount Nyiro, which he will knot into his cowl. At right: As
another form of blessing, the boy’s face has been
smeared with white chalk paint by the elders.
carries a grass blessing tied into the knot of his hide toga.
preparing for the rituals atop the holy Mount Nyiro.
water pipe.
takes place at the top of Mount Nyiro, where the elders
say they are closest to God. At right: After the slaughter
of the sacrificial white bull, each initiate is given a morsel
of the meat to consume, uniting the generation.
gather in circles to celebrate the completion of the first
stage of their initiation and prepare for the next.
their age group and prepare them for the next stage of
their initiation: circumcision
energy in advance of circumcision which is the final ritual
before they become warriors.
wing cases from strands of blue beads that hang down
their backs or are sometimes worn in their hair.
healing huts where their sons will be circumcised. At
right: a mother shaves her son’s head in preparation for
his ordeal.
and placed on a bed of hides. The jugular vein of a cow is
pierced with an arrow, and blood is collected for the
newly circumcised boy to drink, restoring his strength.
elders to shoot birds with a bow and arrow – a practice
preceeding the killing of larger dangerous animals.
headbands to display their skill as hunters.
