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

   Bananas are richer in nutrients than apples Introduction: Bananas hold a significant place in the life and culture of the Kikuyu people, the largest ethnic group in Kenya, primarily residing in the Central Province. For Kikuyu families, having banana plants is not just common; it's often a necessity. Those with larger land holdings cultivate extensive banana groves, providing a valuable source of sustenance and income throughout the year. Cultural Significance: Bananas in Kikuyu Traditions The importance of bananas extends beyond their nutritional value. During "ruracio" (betrothal ceremonies), the groom's family traditionally presents the bride's family with one or two full banana bunches, harvested whole. In regions like Murang'a, failing to include bananas in these gifts can result in a fine, highlighting their deep cultural embedding. The Banana Plant: An Herbaceous Giant Scientifically, the banana plant is the world's largest herbaceous plant, prod...

  Kikuyu people: Ceremony of the second birth Routledge, writing in the early 1900s, noted that all the Kikuyu clans in his locality took their male children through a ceremony that re-enacted a birth. He termed it appropriately ‘second birth’ and was perplexed by it. He noted that “the symbolical second birth is perhaps the most mysterious of the Kikuyu rites…” Routledge tried to get to the bottom of the rite, but much as he tried, the Kikuyu would not let him in on it. He even offered to be taken through the rite himself, while his wife offered to be one of the birth attendants. Routledge records that “no amount of bribery or use of personal influence prevailed to permit either of us to witness it.” The European couple was, however, fortunate to have among their servants “natives who have freed themselves from tradition,” who described the procedure, having gone through the ceremony themselves. For those who have read my writings about the Kikuyu having come from ancient Egyp...

               The Kikuyu faced Mt Kenya during prayers in the belief that God reseded there - image from Wikipedia commons Who was Wang'ombe wa Ihura of the Kikuyu? Chief Wangombe was the son of a Kikuyu man and a Maasai woman. He was born in Tetu, at Kamakwa, near present-day Nyeri Town. His father and therefore the whole family belonged to the Ambui clan of Thiukui  Mbari . Mbari is a cluster of homesteads whose members of several generations can trace their origins to a single clan member. His father was a trader by the name, Ihura Karugu. He went frequently into Maasai country to trade with foodstuffs, especially during famines and cattle epidemics when the Maasai needed grain most. In one of Ihura’s business trips , in the company of the young Wangombe, he was dispatched by the Laikipiak Maasai. The young boy escaped and went to live with his relatives among the same people who had caused the demise of his father. After a period that is...

  Wangari Maathai - A Kikuyu Nobel laureate - wikimedia commons The daughters of Mumbi According to the Myth of Origin, God made  Gĩkũyũ  and placed him near Mount Kenya at a place called  Mũkũrwe wa Gathanga  God saw that he was lonely and gave him a wife,  Mũmbi.  Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi were blessed with nine daughters, but no sons. The daughters’ names, arranged from the eldest to the youngest were as follows: Wanjirũ, Wambũi, Njeri, Wanjikũ, Nyambũra, Wairimũ, Waithĩra, Wangarĩ,  and the last one was  Wangũi.  These are the founders of the nine clans of the Kikuyu. The nine clans are listed bbelow,besides the name of the founder: Wanjirũ  -Anjirũ Wambũi  - Ambũi Njeri  - Aceera Wanjikũ  - Anjiku Nyambura  - Ambura or Ethaga Wairimũ  - Airimũ or Agathigia or Aicakamũyũ Waithĩ ra  - Athirandũ Wangarĩ - Angarĩ or Aithe-Kahuno Wangũi  - Angũi or Aithiegeni There was a tenth daughter who according to trad...