ABSTRACT
Among the pleasant surprises during Katuruka heritage research was the disclosure of deeper knowledge about Kaiija shrine, information that had not come to light during previous years of research. For the most part, the new insights arose from interviews with elderly females, usually the same women who so poignantly revealed the history of Njeru, the ritual guardian of the shrine and the burial estate of King Rugomora Mahe discussed in Chapter 13. Revelations about previously unknown rituals significantly enriches our understanding of collective ritual processes inclusive of the entire community, not just a select group of ritual experts overseeing New Moon ceremonies each month or those servicing Njeru’s special ritual performances.
