d, whereas the other girls in the group ranged from ages eight to eleven (Walker & Parmar, 1993, p. 43).
Regardless of the age at which circumcision is carried out, initiation rites of this type are usually a group event, where boys or girls of the same age range undergo the ceremonies together. This creates a very strong bond between those who are initiated together. Such a bond is also beneficial for the culture as whole. In many African ethnic groups, such as the Masai and the Kikuyu, every person belongs to an age-set, and the members of these groups will undergo initiation rites together. For example, "each Kikuyu is born into a particular age-set within which strong bonds are developed, particularly at the stage of circumcision" (Peoples, 1978, p. 118). Among the Masai people, circumcision of boys, which occurs at approximately the age of sixteen, marks their passage into an age-set called moran, in which they remain for seven to fourteen years. At the end of this time "all the existing moran are simultaneously promoted to the status of elders," and from that time on "they move up, as a set, through the various grades of elderhood" (p. 133).
The circumcision of a group of boys or girls is usually a community event in which the entire tribal group is involved to some extent. Mbiti has noted that the whole community will take part: "All the necessary preparations are carried out, the boys and girls due for the initiation are told in good time, everyone talks about it and waits for it with joy" (Mbiti, 1975, p. 97). Among the Masai people, for example, "circumcision rites last for several days and are a cause for great celebration" (Lamb, 1982, p. 30). The actual cutting of the initiates' flesh will be done by a specialist who has proper knowledge and training. Boys are circumcised by men, and girls by women (Mbiti, 1975, p. 97). Most often, this job is passed on according to heredity, from mother to daughter or ...