WINGED DEATH 207 



At the end of a seven-year period, all the boys who 

 have passed a certain age since the last rites are 

 required to go through a long and intricate circum- 

 cision ceremony. After the performance of the opera- 

 tion they must remain in seclusion for several weeks, 

 during which they may see no woman, not even their 

 mothers. On a certain morning they go down to a 

 stream and if the cattle come to drink while they are 

 there, it is a good sign ; but if certain birds appear in 

 the trees, it is a bad sign and they are required to 

 perform new^ rites to overcome the evil omen. After 

 a lapse of time they are garbed in women's clothes, 

 and over the head and shoulders of each is placed the 

 odd headdress, called kimaranguchet, without which 

 they are not allowed to appear in pubKc. During 

 the wearing of this they must always carry a bow 

 and arrows with which to shoot small birds, these 

 being suspended from strings strung across the top 

 of the headdress. The killing of these birds and the 

 hanging of them in the rigging of the headpiece is 

 an important part of the rites of circumcision. All 

 boys must go through this tiresome ceremony; other- 

 wise they can never become warriors, nor will their 

 spirits Mve after death. 



One day we undertook the task of paying the Nandi 

 warriors and of giving presents to everyone who had 

 assisted us. This required a lot of patience, for if 

 we were not careful one Httle word would start an 

 argument which required fifteen minutes to straighten 

 out. These people are still primitive, but it seems 

 that there are certain basic traits in human nature 

 reposing in each individual, no matter of what race 

 or color. Every person, regardless of where found, 



