Kĩkũyũ
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- There is also a town in Kiambu district called Kikuyu, and a species of Pennisetum grass native to the Kenyan highlands named kikuyu.
The Kikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) tribe is Kenya's most populous ethnic group. 'Kikuyu' is the anglicised form of the proper name and pronunciation of Gĩkũyũ. They total 7.4 million, equal to about 22% of Kenya's total population[1]. They cultivate the fertile central highlands and are also the most economically active ethnic group in Kenya.
Contents |
[edit] Origins
Although uncertain, ethnologists believe the Gĩkũyũ came to Kenya from West Africa (present day Cameroon) together with the other Bantu tribes. On reaching what is now Tanzania, they moved east past Mt. Kilimanjaro and into Kenya, finally settling around Mt. Kenya, while the rest of the group continued migrating to Southern Africa (to become present-day Zulus, Shonas, etc.) They were originally hunter-gatherers but unlike the Nilotic tribes who were pastoralists, they began farming the very fertile volcanic land around Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare Range.
[edit] History
The Gĩkũyũ were generally on good terms with the Maasai – their neighbors, with whom they traded extensively. Colonialism, however, disturbed this order. Beginning in the 1880s, the British settled first on the coast and then in Nairobi, when building the railroad from the coast to Lake Victoria. They confiscated land from the Gĩkũyũ, who were confined to a small reserve, unable to cultivate their land.
[edit] Anti-colonialism
Arguably suffering the most under the British Imperial Rule, the Gĩkũyũ was the most active ethnic group during the fight for Kenyan Independence. Already in the 1920s organised resistance against the colonial power was set up through the Kikuyu Central Association, which counted among its members future President Jomo Kenyatta. After World War 2, the Gĩkũyũ were the largest group participating in the Mau Mau uprising, led among others by Dedan Kimathi.
[edit] Post-independence
Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, was a Gĩkũyũ. Kenya's third president is also a Gĩkũyũ named Mwai Kǐbakǐ who won the 2002 elections in a landslide against Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the first president, despite outgoing president Daniel Arap Moi's support for Kenyatta. Wangarĩ Maathai, Africa's first female Nobel Peace Prize winner, is a Gĩkũyũ, as is the famous Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, who now writes exclusively in Gĩkũyũ and Swahili. John Githongo, the former anti-graft advisor to the president, now since 2005 self-exiled in Britain, is a Kikuyu. Wakiihuri, a Nagoya Marathon Champion, is also a Kikuyu.
The Gĩkũyũ have continued to play vital roles in independent Kenya's political and economic development. However, it is not uncommon to hear negative commentaries in the local media of the involvement of Gĩkũyũs in government affairs.
In the Gikuyu land there are very diverse history of how people lived. One is the form of entertainment in those days. the kikuyu young women and men could travel to isolated areas for dance and feasting. Most of the songs they used to dance to are in generation revival in modern bars and clubs. The discipline however was observed and no man was supposed to touch a lady sexualy. The young men only enjoyed the dance and they had the chance to mingle with the beautiful young ladies who would eventually become their suitors.
The common dances were Nguchu, Nduumo,mugoiyo and ndachi ya irua(circumcisional dance). The grandmothers had a critical role of checking if any man unwound the inner garment of the young ladies. this garment was called muthuru. The grandmothers or cucus, tied it safely to protect any promiscuity in young women. any women who engaged in sex before marriage affairs, and got pregnant could only be married as a second wife and they were commonly referred to as Gichokio. Therefore the Agikuyu customs protected the interests of young people against abuse. It also ensured some form of entertainment was prepared and young people carried forward the practices from generation to generation.
The most memorable men in the early kikuyu history were Wangombe Wa Ihuura who killed a man eating leopard with his bare hands. The other man was Wamugumo. This man could sink to the bare earth a 3/4 height of traditional kikuyu hunting spear. His eating habits were hilarious. In other words he was a giant sized man compared with ordinary and legendary kikuyu people.
[edit] Language
Gĩkũyũ speak Gĩkũyũ, a Bantu language, as their native tongue. Additionally, many speak Swahili and English as well, the official languages of Kenya.
[edit] Religion
(NOTE: This section describes religious practices of the Gĩkũyũ in the pre-colonial period. Modern Gĩkũyũs are predominantly Christian)
The Gĩkũyũ religion is monotheistic. According to legend, Ngai (The Provider or The One Who Distributes, the creator worshipped also by the Maasai and Kamba), resides atop Kĩrĩnyaga, known as Mount Kenya.[2] According to tradition, Ngai created the land and gave it to the people, creating an inseparable bond between man and land. Other important aspects of Gĩkũyũ tradition include the value of ancestry and the forest. In present day, 73% are identified as Christian [3], causing a decline in traditional beliefs.
The name Kĩrĩnyaga is composed of two Gĩkũyũ words - kĩrĩ, meaning 'the one with', and nyaga, meaning ostrich (referring to the mountain's semblance to an ostrich, with its white snowcap and black volcanic rock body); thus, the full name Kĩrĩma (mountain) Kĩrĩnyaga means the mountain with the ostrich. British colonialists were not able to pronounce the name Kĩrĩnyaga, which they corrupted as Kenya, for the mountain (and the country), to give its present name, Kenya.
The first British "explorer" who "discovered", (read 'saw for, first time', - many people knew it existed all along, anyway), the mountain, was escorted by a porter from the Kamba tribe, neighbours to the Gĩkũyũ. When the man marveled at the mountain, pointing at it, the Kamba porter responded "Kiima Kii- nyaa". Now, Kambas do not kave the "r" and "g" in their alphabet, hence this porter could not pronounce correctly "Kĩrĩ-nyaga". The good British explorer heard "Kee-Nyaa", and since part of his mission was to discover and give names, he thought he heard "Kenya". It is a misnomer, but finally, the whole country was named after the main landmark of the Agĩkũyũ. Then why do people raise eyebrows about Kikuyus, when they accept to be called Kenyans, which in all essence means Kĩrĩnyagans? (even the British Kenyans are Kĩrĩnyagans!
Ngai is sometimes called Mwene-Nyaga, or owner of the ostrich.
[edit] Social structure
Many Gĩkũyũ have moved from their traditional homeland to other parts of the world through intermarriages, business opportunities, fields of study, seeking better prospects in life, etc. Those living in rural areas tend to continue to practice farming. Many Gĩkũyũ have, however, moved to the cities to find jobs.
There was also religious gikuyu prophet called Mugo wa Kibiru who prophesied the coming of the whites many years before they arrived in the coast lines. The guy said that there will come people of a different native, having the color of Kiuura kya marigu-ini. This depicts something close to the native white color. He also said that they will fly like butterflies in the sky. This depicts the presence of aeroplanes. The gikuyu tribe had a men women revolution during the reign of wangu wa makeeri. This lady addressed all barazas seated on a mans back. The revolution came when Gikuyu men organized to have all the women dance naked in a kibaaata dance. The women refused and the Gikuyu men took the rule to themselves. The gikuyu man referred as muthuuri(meaning someone who can choose or discern evil from good) and wife called mutumia(meaning someone who retains family secrets and practices) lived in a traditional huts. These huts had a very interesting way of controlling temperatures. During cold season they would be very warm. In hot season the hut would be cool. The hut for the man who would have several wives was called Thingira. Here the man would call his kids for lectures on family norms and he would also call his wives for serious family discussions. In ordinary days the man would invite his age mates called riika for a horn(ruhia) of traditional beer(Njoohi) called muratina. The agikuyu had a very deep way of controlling the age gaps in their children. A father would only get another child to the same wife, after the mother sent the kid to look after the goats a practice called(Guthii ruuru). Ruuru is a collection of gotas and sheep or commonly referred as herding. The other interesting practice was the practice of sharing wives. Today its called Swing. Then it was called kuithiya. The owner of the thingira would raise into song once he neared his homestead after a drinking ceremony. This would serve as an alert to any stranger in the homestead and he would then disappear into the darkness safely. This practice was allowed to break curses and inheritable genes in a family line. The Agikuyu has very deep and interesting history. Today they have taken to the western life and practices.
[edit] External links
es:Kĩkũyũ ko:키쿠유 족 it:Kikuyu nl:Kikuyu ja:キクユ族 no:Kikuyu pl:Kikuju sh:Kikuju fi:Kikujut
