The Nandi; Their Language and Folk-Lore


Show Summary

Each boy has now to appear before the old men and ask for permission to be circumcised. This ordeal is called "Going to Kimasop," Kimasop being the name for the old man wrapped in furs. On his entrance the boy is shown a torch and told that if he does not speak the truth the fire will enter his nose. He has then to make a confession of his past life. Should the old men believe that he is not speaking the truth or is hiding something from them, a little eleusine grain is surreptitiously dropped on the fire, and when it explodes he is warned to be careful, as he is displeasing the spirits of the dead. Should he still be reticent about his former misdeeds or refuse to disclose any of his past doings, he is made to sit on a stool covered with stinging nettles.2

2Hollis, A. C.n/an/an/an/a, , 54 (Clarendon Press. By permission).

Related Resources

None available for this document.

Download Options


Title: The Nandi; Their Language and Folk-Lore

Select an option:

*Note: A download may not start for up to 60 seconds.

Email Options


Title: The Nandi; Their Language and Folk-Lore

Select an option:

Email addres:

*Note: It may take up to 60 seconds for for the email to be generated.

Chicago: The Nandi; Their Language and Folk-Lore in Primitive Behavior: An Introduction to the Social Sciences, ed. Thomas, William I. (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1937), Original Sources, accessed April 27, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=HX9T497TST2A7MT.

MLA: . The Nandi; Their Language and Folk-Lore, in Primitive Behavior: An Introduction to the Social Sciences, edited by Thomas, William I., New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1937, Original Sources. 27 Apr. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=HX9T497TST2A7MT.

Harvard: , The Nandi; Their Language and Folk-Lore. cited in 1937, Primitive Behavior: An Introduction to the Social Sciences, ed. , McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York. Original Sources, retrieved 27 April 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=HX9T497TST2A7MT.