42 THE ‘MUGUMO’ TBEE IN CONNECTION WITH 
tree being a cutting from the original one. Should it be that 
the tree has fallen into disuse (as in the case of the 4 Muhingo ’ 
when no boys are circumcised for nine seasons), or should happen 
to be a new tree not used before for this purpose, a sacrifice 
must first be made at the foot to ensure success in its use. 
The tree is also trimmed, the smaller branches being cut away 
so as to leave a space in the middle, which gives it when viewed 
from the front the appearance of a large catapult-stick. 
These preliminaries over, and a great crowd of spectators 
having gathered, the boys to be circumcised come running to 
the open space which has been cleared round the tree. There 
is a certain honour in being the first to arrive at the tree, 
the weaklings who may have been left behind being the subjects 
of real concern to their relations. As they approach the 
clearing the boys pass a fire at which bananas have been roasted 
for them, and each has handed to him a banana, which he 
bites and throws down, and also two or more ‘ ndorothi ’-sticks, 
on receiving which he passes on into the clearing. The 
‘ ndorothi ’ are light rods ornamented with hair of the colobus 
monkey ; there are two kinds used in Mathira — a short one 
about four feet long, and another about six feet ; the ones 
handed at first to the boys are of the short kind. Arriving 
in the clearing each boy throws one rod over the opening 
in the tree in spear-fashion. A dance of a special character 
is then performed by the boys and girls to be circumcised, 
the girls having also come to the clearing, but not running. 
After this dance each boy throws a second rod over the tree 
and then proceeds to strike the tree rapidly with a club or 
bludgeon ; the club is then taken from him by a young man 
who gives him one of the long ‘ ndorothi ’-sticks. 
The girls are now conducted to the tree by the women 
and each girl takes off the hoop — consisting of a certain kind 
of stick bent round and tied — which has been placed round her 
neck, unties it, breaks it, and, placing the pieces against the 
stem of the tree, lets them fall to the ground at its foot. She 
then pokes the tree four times with the end of a light wand 
which she has in her hand. 
Finally both the boys and the girls go to the foot of the 
tree and certain men ascend it and pluck twigs from it which 
