Samburu Circumcision Ritual
A meeting of elders ilpayiani a few nights before the circumcision ritual begins Elders are deemed to be at the top of the community s social structure and govern matters concerning the tribe They meet to arrange ceremonies to solve disputes amongst members of the village and to discuss any problematic characters that may be causing problems in the community Circumcision is an important ritual for all young men in Samburu culture It is a ritual that marks the end of childlike things and ultimately sets the young man on the path to warrior status The circumcision ritual happens once every 8 to 10 years and the boys aged as young as 8 and sometimes as old as 20 are circumcised en masse in a 2 month long ceremony as the circumcisor travels from village to village to complete his task The event is an emotionally charged event and boys wait for what must be an eternity during the last week for the circumcision to take place It is performed by a specially anointed man whose skills are passed down from generation to generation For each boy the ceremony is performed without anaesthetic only cold water to lull what must be overwhelming pain Yet each boy faces the ritual with the utmost dignity for even to flinch when the knife is brought to bear is to bring great shame on himself and his family
Size: 3584px × 2389px
Location: Archer's Point, Northern Kenya.
Photo credit: © George Philipas / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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