Gĩkũyũ Heritage: Exploring the Rich History and Traditions of the Agĩkũyũ People

  Introduction: Pharaonic skirt compared with ceremonial attire of a Kikuyu woman. A Kikuyu woman is not allowed to show her thighs but it seems there were occasions when this particular attire was worn, perhaps in a dance. The Kikuyu people, the most populous ethnic group in Kenya, possess a rich cultural heritage and a compelling myth of origin centred around Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi near Mount Kenya.  However, linguistic and cultural comparisons with Ancient Egypt, particularly the 18th Dynasty, suggest a deeper, potentially forgotten history of migration. This article delves into the evidence hinting at a connection between the Kikuyu and the land of the Pharaohs.     The Kikuyu Myth of Origin: Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi The traditional Kikuyu creation story recounts how God (Ngai) placed the first man, Gĩkũyũ, and woman, Mũmbi, near the sacred Mount Kenya. Their nine daughters miraculously married nine men, forming the foundation of the Kikuyu clans, known collectively as "T...

  The Mũkũyũ (Ficus sycomorus) was the sacred tree of Kikuyu. in its absence, the Mugumo (Ficus natalensis/thoningii) was used  Image from Wikipedia commons The Kikuyu People of Kenya The Kikuyu people of Central Kenya believed in one God. They also had a concept of ‘being born again,’ and every child had to undergo a ritual of being born again to be a complete member of the community. When the firstborn child was ready for religious instructions, the child’s uncle from the mother’s side, known as  Nyar ũ me , charged a fee in goats to pierce three holes in the upper earlobe of the child. Three sticks, known as  ndũgĩra , were inserted in those holes like aerials that directed the new information into the ear for memorisation. In Kikuyu, God is called Ngai or  Mwenenyaga The Kikuyu religion was not separate from the ordinary lives of the people. One did not have the choice to either believe or not believe. There were no atheists. Everything a Kikuyu did or did n...