Kenya ‘Sapana” Ceremony
February 5, 2016
The Pokot circumcise their boys at the age of 9 to 16 years. After the circumcision, they undergo another rite of passage known as the Sapana ceremony. This ceremony takes place when the boys are 18 years old. The Sepana ceremony is carried out every year in December. Our girls witnessed this ceremony during their December holidays.
After the boys have been circumcised, they have to go through this rite of passage before being allowed to marry. The passage involves the slaughter of a camel. The camel is slaughtered early in the morning. The old men, who have already gone through this rite, smear cow dung on the initiate’s heads, oil their bodies, and adorn them with camel skin. The oil signifies purity allowing one to now own property and animals like cows, camels and goats. One is also allowed to join the elders who have gone through this rite of passage and to eat with them. Their status in the society is elevated. The man wearing a cap on his head with many white feathers is the initiate’s father; the rest only wear one feather.
The relatives of the initiates bring gifts of milk and goats to congratulate the initiates. After the ceremony, the meat from the camel is shared by all in attendance. Those that have not gone through the rite do not share in the feast; they dance from a distance but cannot come near the ceremony site.
The mother of the initiate, her fellow women, the younger girls, and the boys who are yet to get initiated, watch from a distance.
Once the ceremony is over and the meat is shared, they dance in jubilation. The women are also given a portion of the meat to share amongst themselves; the uninitiated men cannot partake of the meat.
It’s a happy day for the mother of the initiate, and she is the envy of the other women whose sons are yet to go through the ceremony. Her son has earned the right to be associated with the elders which is not an easy thing because the elders can easily say ‘no’ if they feel the initiate is disrespectful towards his elders and parents or does not adhere to the traditions set for them. Her son has been found worthy. The boy suddenly has authority and now has a right to the property at home which is basically animals. He can now, also, start looking for a wife.
