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How do you pay dowry in Kikuyu culture?
Today, dowry payment precedes a wedding in Kikuyu. The dowry payment is in a series of events namely “Kumenya mucii” (getting to know the bride’s home), “Kuhanda ithigi” (literally means planting a branch of a tree), followed by “Kuracia” (actual dowry payment) .. This last process lasts a lifetime.
Why do the Kikuyu make sacrifices?
Sacrifices were always carried out facing Mount Kenya, ideally at a high place, and it is said that sometimes the Kikuyu used to climb the mountain to make their offerings. The basic idea behind sacrifice is to please God or the ancestors so that they may bring something needed by the people.
How did the Kikuyu worship?
Regarded as the omnipotent God, the Kikuyu worshiped Ngai facing the Mt. Kirinyaga (Mount Kenya) while prayers and goat sacrificial rituals were performed under the sacred Mugumo tree (a fig tree species).
How do the Kikuyu deal with their dead?
The Burial Traditionally, the Kikuyu people couldn’t touch the deceased. They placed those who were dying in the forest or on the hillside. Then, they made sure they were a specific distance from their village and placed a leash in their right hand. When there was no tug on the leash, everyone knew they passed.
How much is dowry in Kikuyu?
The Kikuyu Dowry is about 99goats, which is usually estimated at 100goats. The Dowry these days is usually monetized so if you know the cost of a goat, you should have an idea of what it will cost you.
What clothes did boys wear in Kikuyu community?
The young men attire is that of a short loincloth. In the past, the loincloth was made of a kid’s skin-either that of a lamb of a goat. The elderly would adorn a garment made mainly of fur for warmth. The men had only two types of Kikuyu traditional wear-Githii and Gathere.
What do Pokot call their God?
Tororot
Religious Beliefs. In Pokot cosmology, the universe has two realms, the above and the below. The above, remote and unknowable, is the abode of the most powerful deities—Tororot, Asis (sun), and llat (rain); the below is the abode of humans, animals, and plants.
What are the Kikuyu beliefs?
The Kikuyu believe in an omnipotent creator god, Ngai, and in the continued spiritual presence of ancestors. Because they resented the occupation of their highlands by European farmers and other settlers, the Kikuyu were the first native ethnic group in Kenya to undertake anticolonial agitation, in the 1920s and ’30s.
How much is bride price Kenya?
The bride price depends on how educated the girl is, and you might have to pay between Ksh. 10,000 and Ksh. 100,000. The more substantial amount is for university ladies.
How much is a Kenyan dowry?
In Kenya, the dowry is often the equivalent of five years of the groom’s expectable income, usually payable in postmarital installments of livestock, bicycles and money.
What kind of culture does the Kikuyu tribe have?
The tribe has effectively adopted the modern culture. Be it any aspect of the personal lives of the people, they have always valued their Kikuyu culture traditions first. They are fully conscious of their domination in politics and leadership in Kenya. Both the boys and girls of the tribe have to take part in lots of rituals.
How is circumcision important to the Kikuyu people?
During the Kikuyu culture circumcision ceremonies, the birth of strong relationships between families can be seen. In the present generation, the younger Kikuyu children are taken for circumcision at the hospital directly. In schools, churches or playgrounds, the Kikuyu kids seem to love each other’s company.
How does a Kikuyu family prepare for a wedding?
For the wedding, a Kikuyu culture dress is prepared for both the bride and groom just like any other tribal marriage ceremonies. The negotiation takes several months. They might take years to pay off the dowry. Normally what happens is the families never beg to return the balance amount left to be paid.
How is the Kikuyu language related to the Bantu language?
The Kikuyu belong to the Northeastern Bantu branch. Their language is most closely related to that of the Embu and Mbeere. Geographically, they are concentrated in the vicinity of Mount Kenya. The exact place that the Northeast Bantu speakers migrated from after the initial Bantu expansion is uncertain.