oathing administrator was a type of specialist based on his role, authority, and
knowledge.
The other important role was the guard or the escort guard. This
“guarding” role was important and new in Mau Mau oathing activities because of
the secrecy and danger from the colonial police and African loyalists. If an
oather refused to oath at any point during the oath process, this individual would
be killed by one of the guards, who served as protection for all involved in the
oathing ceremony which colonial laws proscribed as illegal.35 The guard was
also responsible for finding food and nourishment for all participants. The
acknowledgement and understanding of the different roles and participants is
important in understanding the dynamics of the oathing process.
The Oath Symbol
In order to analyze and describe the essence of the Mau Mau oath, this
section focuses on symbolism used in the ceremony. Symbols are a crucial
component in the experience because they express the objectives and values of
the ceremony.36 Mau Mau oathing symbols are represented in the model as 2.3
Oathing Symbol and 2.3.a Oathing Symbol Type. The model structure is
designed to show that for each oathing event there could be zero to many
different symbols represented.37 The two objects together capture the multiple
35 This criminalization aspect of the Mau Mau oath is the subject of the following chapter exploring
Colonial criminalization and the oath.
36 Jonathan A. Draper, “Ritual Process and Ritual Symbol in “Didache” 7-10,” Vigiliae Christianea 54, no.
2 (200): 125.
37 However, in all of the oathing rituals analyzed during this research, ritual symbols were present in the
ceremony.
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