Giriama Naming Ceremony

Traditionally, a child born into the Giriama community was given a temporary name while awaiting the naming ceremony. During this period, the child was kept indoors. The name chosen conveyed the day, time or circumstances surrounding the child’s birth. Pili, for instance, was a name given to a child born on the second day of the week (Sunday) while a child born when the father was on a journey was called Charo. These names were short-lived since the naming ceremony would take place three to four days later.

The naming ceremony, known as Vyalusa, was a grand occasion attended by all the clan members. Before Vyalusa, the child’s name was already known because of the Giriama naming system. The first son and daughter were named after the paternal grandparents and the second set after the maternal side. During this ceremony, the grandparent after whom the child was to be named would perform the naming ritual.

Vyalusa was highly theatrical and employed many features of performance arts. Traditionally, this ceremony took place at the crack of dawn. As the new day was ushered in, the newborn was welcomed into the clan. The child was brought outside for the first time and lain on a mat. The grandparent would pour some water on the infant’s forehead before holding its ear and uttering incantations that affirmed the child’s name. Holding the child’s ear was a cue for the newborn to listen carefully to the name it is being given.

Next, gifts would be presented to the infant. For a boy it would be bows and arrows, that he may grow up to be a protector, and for a girl it was firewood, so that she could become a great home maker and care giver. From this point, the child was assigned their role in the community.

With the gifts dispensed, the opposite gender grandparent would take the stage to roll in the next part of Vyalusa: cautioning the infant against vices. For a girl child, the grandfather would speak to her as though rebuking his wife for failing in her duties. The same would be done by the grandmother for a baby boy. While the infant was still too young to understand, custom dictated that this was to be done to ensure that the child would stay away from such detrimental behavior. Vyalusa would then wrap up with song and dance, with the namesake grandparent taking up the performance once more. At this point, the grandparent would thank the grandchild for elevating their status within the clan and pray for them to live a long life.

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