Kalenjin cultural body tattooing techniques

Kalenjin cultural body tattooing techniques:

1. lootetab kelek - Two lower teeth were removed, gap was used to give liquid incase of lockjaw
2. Kaapolobi - face marks cut on forehead and cheeks where grain of sand was placed of wound to raise it.
3. Peleetab soremik - dry sap of tree was mixed with munyeiweek and heated on skin of hand and thighs. (Myths- whoever does not burn soremik when he is married the hyenas will eat him with his wife.)
4. Ndipchoot - Piercing of the upper ears to instill courage for facing pain and to prepare ear for wearing ornaments i.e kipsosoiyat.
 5. Parpareetab iitik - was done by using loinet i.e small arrow for bleeding animals and a sharp knife and kipalbaliat was placed to enlarge the ear

Various Kalenjin marriages

Various Kalenjin marriages:

1. kitunji toloch - occurs when married woman become barren hence she will marry another woman known as, "kapsirwonin" to give birth on her behalf,
2. Kabwatereret - occurs when very young boy and  girl under 10 yrs parents agreed for their marriage i.e booking in advance
3. Museet - occurs when mother arranges wife for  her son who is battle field so that incase of eventuality somebody mainly his brother can assist
4.Katunisitab tororyet - Important ceremony performed late in life to show respect for couple who
had been married for many years
5.Kandiet- invoves inheritance and taking of responsibility by brother to his brother widow
6.Keeturum saandet - ceremony performed as aresult of infidelity of wife where her parent pays a bull as fine.

Kalenjin clan clusters

The kalenjins Clans

There are 165 clans{oratinwek} and 45 sub-clans {ortanyisiek}. 

The 165 clans are grouped into four Bororiosek namely:-

1. Ngetunyo,
2.  kebeni,
3.  kipgaigei and
4.  kasanek.

Each clan has totem inform of animal which may be shared by several clans.when a typical Kalenjin is asking 4 your clan he normally asks;-

1.  ii antanya? 
2. Antanya is the clan of father,
3. inue ano?-Referring to clan where mother was born from.
4. Ibo boriet ainon? -Bororiet ano?
5. Ibo ibin?- which age set?

Names given as per time of birth:

Names given as per time of birth:

1. kipkorir/chepkorir/jepkorir- born between 5 am to 6 am,
2. kipyegon/chepyegon-Jepyegon- 6-7am,
3. kipkoech/chepkoech/Jepkoech -6.30-7.00am,
4. kimutai/chemutai/ jemutai- 7.00-9.00am,
5. kipngeno/chepngeno/jepngeno- 9.00-10:00am,
6. kipngetich/chepngetich/Jemwetich-11:00-12:00am,
7. Kibet/chebet/ Jebet- 12:00-2:00pm,
8. Kiprono/cherono/ Jerono- 2:00-4:00pm,
9. Kiprotich/Cherotich/ Jerotich- 4:00-6:00pm,
10. kiplangat/Chelan'gat/Jelagat{5:00-11:00pm,
11. kipkemoi/chepkemoi/cheruiyot/kipkirui/chepkirui- {11:00-5:00am

Kalenjin past Religion

The Kalenjin past Religion.Were Monotheist God was Called ASIS.

God had several attributes or praises:

1. Asiis - also asiista was used meaning sun and it was used to indicated God and it was understood that both asiis and asiista gave the idea of the spirit or personality behind the object called 'the sun'.
2. Cheptalel - also Cheptalil gives the thought of the supreme being who also had a personal nature, not just power without a personality.
3. Chepopkooiyo - God of Protection.
4. Chepomirchiio - God of wars, one who oversees the army.
5. Chepkeelyen Sogol - The one with nine legs and it was believed that nine is the divine number and associated with infinite.
6. Chemalus - The one with unconquerable wisdom.
7. Chepokimabai - Deity of the harvest.
8. Weeriit Neoo - This is the attribute which linked asiis to mankind.
9. Cheboo - The great on. 
10. Chepwooboit - The great worker.
11. Chepkochor - the rising one, the rising sun is symbolic of the glory and beauty of Asiis
12. Tororot - The most high.
13. Lilat - One annoited for holy purpose.

KEETIKAB KALENJIN ak boisietab age tugul:

the following are trees and some of its uses

1. Emityoot- used for erecting mabwaita
2. Kurbanyaat- used in the performance os some 'mumeek' ceremonies
3. Lelechuet- used in the sprinkling of cattle 'Iseet-ab-tuga'i.e blessing herds and driving diseases e.g anthrax and rinderpest away
4. Macheget- used to warn people of danger, especially where a cow which died of anhrax had been burried
5. Marongeet- used in cursing ceremonies
6. Noogirwet- a tree with many muloonok. Used mostly during gooito
7. Cheebitet- a very hard tree. Used in construction of houses and fences. A house was not to be built where cheebitoik grew since termites heavily inhabited such areas.
8. Tebeng'wet- its leaves were used to drive away anthrax
9. Baregeiwot- the wood was used for making seegetyet, the small wooden spoon for cutting kimyeet
10. Arorwet-
11. Minjeiwet
12. Kosisiityet

KALENJIN CALENDAR

The kalenjin Belgut/Bureti calendar.

The calender months are geographically localised because first and foremost, season-names and seasons do not arrive at the same time.
1. Ng'otyooto - a seasonal soft, juicy-stalked green plant with bright red flowers
2. Kiptaamo - the old first month of the year, also the month of sowing
3. Iwootkuut - month marks the beginning of the green, wet iwoot season, hence 'the mouth of iwoot'
4. Bureet - month marks the onset of cold season and is named after fog/mist, kibureet or bureet
5. Kipsuunde netaai - first month of offering suunetik (fat) with first fruits
6. Kipsuunde nebo oeng' - marks the second offering of fat and harvest, Kalenjiin equivalent of thanksgiving