Ameru rituals BIRTH When the mother gave birth she immediately offered the born child to god by facing either Mount Kenya or Mount Njombeni .The child was split as a sign of good wish and blessings . INTIATION It was a rite of passage was both physically and mentally ,both boys and girls attain adulthood and all the respect and responsibility that go along with it .According to traditions ,circumcision was only adopted after the arrival of the meru in their present location ,which in practical terms means only over the last few hundred years or so. THE AGE-SET SYSTEM Unit across the various Meru clans and sub-group was achieved through a sophisticated system of age –sets runs along the same lines as the other central highlands societies .After circumcision every adult both male and female became a member of the particular age –set . MARRIAGE Marriage took place as soon as the young women got circumcised .During the ceremony the bridegroom delievered four gourds of beer and some snuff to the clan of the bride so that the parents might bless their daughter before she left .In the case where a boy fell in love with a girl who was not the choice of the parents ,the boy would arrange to steal the girl and marry her immediately.The parents of the girl had no option but to take the Dowry . Economic activity of the Meru The Ameru being a Bantu community practiced mixed farming ,they planted crops like Maize ,beans ,cowpeas ,millet ,sorghum,yams among others.Reared animal like cattle,sheep and goats for milk ,skin, meat and manure . Traditionally they practiced hunting of wild animals and gathering wild fruits and honey .They raided animals to pay bride wealth.Bee keeping,pot making,weaving of baskets and iron smelting were also some of their economic activities. Currently they are known for cultivating Mirra in large scale for commercial purposes.
