The kikuyu community has a lot of myths stories and legends about their origin and their creator. Translation services usa offers professional translation services for english to kikuyu and kikuyu to english language pairs. The gikuyu attribute their ultimate origins to sacred intervention by their god ngai who sometimes resides on mount kenya which, for the gikuyu, is a sacred place. Although, among the prominent music of the kikuyu tribe include ketebul, mugithi, kukiyi country and benga. A new cultural centre devoted to the kikuyu, kenyas largest offers a unique. The people are also superstitious, with many of them retaining some practices like the taboo against whistling, unlucky numbers such as 10, and so on. They are kenyas most popular and the largest ethnic tribe, making up 22 percent of the countrys population.
Kikuyu songs from my childhood this was originally posted on thoughts and stuff in t. This is the maasai name for the one creator god and was borrowed. There is a vigorous kikuyu recording industry, for both popular and gospel music, in their pentatonic scale and western music styles. Gikuyu is a language of the bantu family spoken primarily by the kikuyu people agikuyu of kenya. The book has since been published in 4 more editions including a kindle version. The clans have been named as nine from the times of the old because our fore fathers believed that head counts of people brought death. Inroduction kikuyu community is the largest tribe among the 42 tribes found in kenya.
From the traditional music and cultures of kenya, a multimedia encyclopaedia dedicated to all kenyan tribes, including music and dance, history, culture, society, religion and beliefs, rituals and daily life, fables, legends, riddles and proverbs. The best and most comprehensive is by professor godfrey muriuki a history of the kikuyu 15001900 by godfrey muriuki were, one of the foremost historians in kenya admits that the early history of the kikuyu is still unknown, but goes on to posit that the bantu migrated into the mt. Hence, this is an android application based on this language and the best part it is free without. Kenya region in waves and not as a group from ad 0. An online copy is provided here as a pdf for readers of this blog.
The kikuyu as such actually came to be by around 1800, and include some families from all the surrounding peoples. Quoted by numerous authors around the globe, kikuyu folktales represents a cornerstone in african orature. See more ideas about african tribes, africa and african. Kikuyu translation services english to kikuyu translations. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Kikuyu, bantuspeaking people who live in the highland area of southcentral kenya, near mount kenya. For the purpose of the present paper, the researchers purposively decided to use 10 out of the many effluvia. Kenya with the presence of a cloud touching the mountain. A new cultural centre devoted to the kikuyu, kenyas largest offers a unique experience of this tradition rich culture existing in a modern world. In every gikuyu traditional homestead, the womans house, nyumba, belonged to a specific married woman for no two married women shared a nyumba. Learning the roots, traditions and customs of the kikuyu tribe form research and authors of different books and most importantly from the old men and women of the kikuyu tribe. We also translate kikuyu to and from any other world language. The kikuyus, also known as gikuyu or agikuyu, have been known since the colonial times as a tribe that wields a lot of political and. It is believed that the kikuyu people migrated from lake chad to east africa in ad, settling in the fertile central highlands of kenya and engaging in farming.
Many opinions were cast in favour of dr congo due to its coltan, south africa for the languages used in the black panther movie, haiti with its. Barra of the italian instituto missionario consolata, nyeri, was published in 1939 by the kenya literature bureau. Nov 14, 2014 2 thoughts on kikuyu goat eating traditions picasso n. Many opinions were cast in favour of dr congo due to its coltan, south africa for the languages. The kikuyu man is referred to as muthuri meaning someone who can choose or discern evil from good and the kikuyu woman is mutumia meaning someone who retains family secrets and practice among the kikuyu marriage rendered a man an elder, a dowry was a must pay to the family of the bride. Age grades traditionally there was a circumcision ceremony for boys and girls by age grades of about fiveyear periods. The music prepared by the kikuyu tribe is believed to be extinct now. At point 5, u say lungs mahuri and pancrease rwariungu and given to dogs. Barras foreword penned on 9th december 1939 is a worthwhile read. The kikuyu also agikuyugikuyu are a bantu ethnic group inhabiting central kenya. Transformation of kikuyu traditional architecture university staff.
Mumbi the creator andtogether with the ngoma ancestors. One genetic line contributing to the kikuyu is the thagicu, thought to be the earliest bantu settlers in the area, perhaps around 1200 ad. Kiama kia magegania sammy irungu so today i was bent on clearing some work from a quiet. By matthew muriuki karangi thesis presented for the degree of. Kikiyu dice, database for indigenous cultural evolution.
Today, music and dance are strong components of kikuyu culture. The book is a study of kenyattas own tribe, the kikuyu. Euphemisms on body effluvia in kikuyu arc journals. We can translate into over 100 different languages. I am a member of the kikuyu tribe and even though this is great work, some of the facts are about the kenyan people and not necessarily about our culture. Jul 17, 2015 the icy peak was the realm of ngai, the supreme creator, who descended from the heavens to his mountainous throne to survey his newly created lands. They would tactily communicate to their son or daughter about their preferences long before the children matured. The mountain became kirinyaga, his resting place, and it was from here that he called forth gikuyu, the father of the kikuyu people. After a general description of the kikuyu household, kitchen and foods, four studies are presented, the first of which gives a complete list of foods presently used among this tribe and also the kikuyu name of each food. Details of the kikuyu people of kenya and their culture in.
The kikuyu people of kenya a cultural profile orville jenkins. As we fulfill this aim, the study will also find out word formation processes that are involved in euphemized taboo words in kikuyu. Kikuyu is the english form of the proper name of the tribe, the gikuyu. Traditional kikuyu music has existed for generations up to 1888, when the agikuyu people encountered and adopted a new culture from the europeans. The kikuyu tribe is a bantu tribe that neighbors the embu, mbeere and meru tribes around mount kenya. Currently, the modern kikuyu culture has the recreated kikuyu culture songs and music which are enhanced as per current music taste and standards.
Kikuyu creation myth gikuyu centre for cultural studies. Kikuyu culture the largest of kenyas tribes, the kikuyu tribe live in area around mount kenya where, at the dawn the colonial era, they came into violent conflict with the european settlers, to whom large tracts of kikuyu people homeland had been apportioned by the colonial government. The kikuyu traditionally believe that a man, gikuyu, was the founder of the tribe. Locally the bible is also known as ibuku riria itheru ria ngai. The icy peak was the realm of ngai, the supreme creator, who descended from. The first major work on kikuyu culture in kikuyu language by a distinguished. Mukimo wa njahi so this is mashed ripe bananas and njahi. Pdf the creation of gikuyu image and identity researchgate.
Much of their history has been passed on from generation to generation in the form of songs and stories. Mar 06, 2017 twa twa teachings for married couples special couples dinner. The icy peak was the realm of ngai, the supreme creator, who descended from the heavens to his mountainous throne to survey his newly created lands. Kikuyu people and the traditional ceremony of the second birth. Apr 16, 20 people including a few kikuyu and books written have shown that the clans are nine which is totally incorrect. Education is held very highly in kikuyu culture, and it is. The music and culture of the kikuyu tribe fsu world music. God is the creator and ruler of all things, and he distributes everything to his. He was said to have ninefull technically 10 but the number is considered a taboo in kikuyu culture.
Kikuyu tribe, people, language, culture and traditions. Kikuyu goat eating traditions the whims of a madman. Dec 29, 2017 who are the kikuyu the kikuyu are the largest single ethnic tribe in kenya, making up 22% of the countrys population. Betrothal ceremonies before a marriage among the kikuyu of. Hence agikuyu in the kikuyu language translates to. He termed it appropriately second birth and was perplexed by it. Preliminary studies on some aspects of kikuyu food habitst. Mumbitranslated as creator and the same father gikuyufrom whom our tribe is named. The name akikuyu or agikuyu with the prefix a is usually used to describe the people as entities and a kikuyu and a mugikuyu for an individual being.
They believe that ngai mogai or mungai is their creator and giver of all things making them monotheists. Kenyattas facing mount kenya, published in 1938 after kenyatta, then in his forties, had studied for three years with bronislaw malinowski. Creation myth mukurwe wa gathanga after separation, the kikuyu became an independent people with their own and unique sense of identity. The kikuyu also agikuyugikuyu is the largest ethnic group in kenya. Parent always had a preference for a certain family and disdain for others. The girls are raised to work in the farm and the boys usually work with the animals. In the late 20th century the kikuyu numbered more than 4,400,000 and formed the largest ethnic group in kenya, approximately 20 percent of the total population.
The girls also have the responsibility of taking care of a baby brother or sister and also helping the mother out with household chores. The kikuyu developed from several continuous waves of migration and remigration within the area. The kikuyu people usually identify their lands by the surrounding mountain ranges in central kenya which they call kirinyaga. Routledge, writing in the early 1900s noted that all the kikuyu clans in his locality took their male children through a ceremony that reenacted a birth. Traditional kikuyu religion involved ngai one god who was said to live in the sky and resided in mt. The kikuyus believe in their creator, god who they call ngai and also in the spiritual presence of their ancestors. A new cultural centre devoted to the kikuyu, kenyas largest offers a unique experience of this. He was said to have ninefull technically 10 but the number is considered a taboo in kikuyu culture daughters. The man could marry as many wives as he could afford, polygamy was determined by the wealth one had. Mibura ya njahi is the season of big rain and the black bean harvest. Please read, facing mount kenya by jomo kenyatta, it will give you all you want to know about the gikuyu people. The kikuyu tribe is predominately made up of christians, however, traditionally, the kikuyu people believed in a polytheist religion focusing on a god named ngai.
In fact, translation services usa is the only agency in the market which can fully translate kikuyu to. They speak the bantu kikuyu language as a mother tongue which is similar to kiembu language and kimeru language. The kikuyu themselves moved west to a place near present day muranga from where the kikuyu creator myth picks up. Otherwise the kikuyu dont really celebrate any other holidays unless they have a different religion kikuyu people 2014.
Pdf the book examines the gikuyu people of kenya, their. Muhotoro naomi karanja so why do i like kikuyu songs so much anyway. Before 1888 and well into the 1920s, kikuyu music included kibaata, nduumo and muthunguci. Kikuyu central association and the establishment of gikuyu. In a polygamous homestead the number of nyumba corresponded to the number of wives unless the widowed mother of the man was also housed in the homestead. Kenya is famous for its 42 cultures, but other than the nomadic maasai and samburu, not many of these are widely known to the outside world. Apr 25, 2020 kikuyu culture the largest of kenyas tribes, the kikuyu tribe live in area around mount kenya where, at the dawn the colonial era, they came into violent conflict with the european settlers, to whom large tracts of kikuyu people homeland had been apportioned by the colonial government. Music and dance are strong components of kikuyu culture. For the purpose of the present paper, the researchers purposively decided to. They believe he created the first gikuyu communities, and provided them with all the resources they needed to live e. In kikuyu culture, girls and boys were expected to find each other during the numerous dances that were organised by their youth leaders. They are boiled together with the head for soap and during a ngurario ceremony, lungs actually have a symbolic part to play.
Kikuyu tribe of kenya, language, music, women, people, houses. Kikuyu is spoken in the area between nyeri and nairobi. So they never gave the correct number in fear of bringing a bad omen to their loved ones. Cultural loss increased as urbanization and modernization impacted on indigenous knowledge, including the ability to play the muturiru an oblique bark flute. The third son applied fire to stones and metals and became a blacksmith. Details of the kikuyu people of kenya and their culture in africa. See more ideas about kenya, african tribes and my people. The agikuyu can be traced from the bahrelgaza where they originally migrated and spread to other parts of the continent. Kikuyu tribe of kenya, language, music, women, people. It is palatable, resistant to heavy grazing and mostly used for pasture. Ngai or mwenenyaga is the supreme creator and giver of all things.
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