Circumcision observances among the Bukusu of western Kenya

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Periodical article

Title:	Circumcision observances among the Bukusu of western Kenya
Author:	Roers, Marty D.
Year:	1999
Periodical:	Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere: Schriftenreihe des Kölner Instituts für Afrikanistik
Issue:	59
Pages:	85-107
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Kenya
Subjects:	Bukusu circumcision
Abstract:	The Bukusu, the largest of at least eighteen subtribal groups within the Luyia tribe of western Kenya, have earned a reputation for their elaborate circumcision rituals, which are conducted every other year during the month of August. Bukusu circumcision practices have often been labelled simply as 'rites of passage'. The present author argues that these rituals not only involve the transition from childhood to adulthood, but have a much wider cultural meaning. This is shown by an analysis, based on field research in 1998 in Kimilili area, Bungoma District, of the (mythological) origins of Bukusu circumcision, present-day preparatory observances associated with male circumcision, and the controversy surrounding the question of whether female circumcision has existed among the Bukusu. The author shows in particular how Bukusu circumcision rituals are linked to fertility, relations with the ancestor spirits, the naming of children, the presence of evil and witchcraft, and extended family relationships. App., bibliogr., notes, ref.