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Gikuyu Origins
Who are the Gikuyu? The Gikuyu is one of the “tribes” among the forty two tribes in Kenya, and were originally located in Central Kenya around and about the foot of Mt. Kenya, the snow capped second...
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The Great Discussion
It is 7 pm at the twilight of night, Kahuaini, and Wanjohi, a man of about 52 years is visiting with his age-mate neighbor, Mugo. As he passes under the gate, thome, of Mugo’s homestead he feels the...
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The story of a man and his wife.
The man and his wife Once upon a time a woman prepared very tasty porridge and as she didn’t love her husband much decided not to give him any. But because she feared being found out and subsequently...
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Gikuyu Clans
Graphic Representation of the “TEN” Clans of the Gikuyu According to the mythology of the Gikuyu, the first parents Gikuyu and Mumbi after arriving at Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga begat “nine” daughters who...
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Gikuyu Cosmology
Every society has a mental map or world view of how man (male and female) relates to the cosmos and the Gikuyu are no different. I doubt there exists a people anywhere on earth without such a map or...
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Old and New Contrasted
LESSON X Sometimes you think, “When I am grow-up I will have a very big and beautiful house.” Perhaps you think you would like it to be very tall, or perhaps you think of the wonderful carved doors you...
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Authenticity in Pictures
In a post “De-cluttering the Countryside“, ecologist and photographer Roger Butterfield presented this picture. A friend of his de-cluttered the picture with Photoshop to the one below. This led me to...
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Gĩkũyũ names for God
NGAI The name for God among the Gĩkũyũ is NGAI. Ngai seems from the many descriptions of him to be a man who related to the first man, Gĩkũyũ as a friend, walking with him and speaking with him. But...
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Gitaruru {GĨTARŨRŨ}
GĨTARŨRŨ is a winnowing tray of the Gĩkũyũ tribe in central Kenya that was and still is an indispensable household utensil in many homes. It has multiple uses. It is mainly used for winnowing grain and...
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Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga
Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga is the mythical garden of Eden of the Gikuyu tribe of central Kenya. It is also the central point of dispersal of the Gikuyu after arrival into the Mt. Kenya area. According to...
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Wamuyu: A Single Mom?
Wamuyu aka Warigia aka Wanjugu was the Gikuyu daughter of Mumbi who according to legend did’t marry. This post speculates on the reasons she did not marry. According to the existing myths of the tribe,...
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Stages of a Gikuyu Woman’s Life
Kaana – a girl baby. A baby boy is a gakenge. Karĩgũ – a young girl not yet circumcised. (Kĩrĩgũ – big girl.) Mũiritu – A maiden after circumcision and before marriage. Mũhiki – A bride for the first...
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Gĩkuyũ Home – Mũciĩ
A Gikuyu home, Muciĩ, “is that which has a woman and a man, for an unmarried man has no home of his own and one gets a home when he marries or is married. A man when he marries is when he builds his...
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Hair
The Nordic woman has long blond hair which she uses as part of her winter attire. It falls over her shoulders as a blanket and keeps the neck warm. The neck carrying the crucial blood vessels and...
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Kamweretho
Kamweretho is a modern Gikuyu ceremony by women who go home to their mother to ask for blessings from her and sometimes her husband but the central characters are women. The males always take a...
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Goat eating at a function
They are celebrating a function to welcome a son from the US visiting in Kenya. Preparations are in full throttle – sitting arrangements, music, food, the goat and even the test video. A modern rural...
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Hair and the Mau-Mau
Question? Why do freedom fighters don long hair? Field Marshal Kimathi wa Waciuri monument at Kimathi street Nairobi. The article below set me thinking. The Truth About Hair and why Indians would keep...
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Gikuyu traditional architecture documented
This PhD thesis presented at the Oslo school of Architecture and Design on 15th August 2013 is now made available to the readers of this site. The title of the thesis is, “Transformation of Kikuyu...
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