SUDON ISTONGAS (18 December). The ritual of men’s purification with male goat blood sprinkled on their heads.
In the evening, after women’s purification, men’s purification takes place, with male goat blood sprinkled on their heads. All men from each village of the three valleys gather together at the wooden horse heads sanctuary, and offer a two-year-old male goat, a bira, for sacrifice. Two men will perform the ritual. Once the goat’s throat is cut off, one of the two men sprinkles some blood on the fire and some on the men’s heads, thus purifying them. What follows is the purification of the holy place with juniper smoke and crumbs of t'at'ori thrown on the fire and the wooden horse heads. Then continuous prayers by all men will complete the ritual of men’s purification.
The ritual of men’s purification is done with male
goat blood sprinkled on men’s heads. At the wooden
horse heads sanctuary men light a fire, make
offerings (crumbs of tasili) and say prayers
aloud.