From Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi to Mukunga and Ngaa: Tracing the Divine Lineages of Mount Kenya

 

                                 Mt Kenya; a religious symbol of the Kikuyu, Embu, Chuka and Meru - Wikimedia commons

Introduction: Exploring the Roots of Kenyan Cultures

The origin stories of a people provide a crucial window into their worldview, beliefs, and history. For the Kikuyu, Meru, Gumba, and Chuka communities in Kenya, these myths, passed down through generations, explain their beginnings, migrations, and relationships with the land and each other. This article delves into these fascinating narratives, offering a comparative look at their key themes and variations.

The Kikuyu Origin Myth: Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi

The most prominent origin story among the Kikuyu centers on Gĩkũyũ (the Adam figure) and Mũmbi (the Eve figure). This narrative, documented by scholars like Kenyatta (1938), Cagnolo (1933), and Gathigira (1933), was traditionally shared with every Kikuyu child as a fundamental part of their history.

The Story of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi

According to the myth, God (Mwene Nyaga or Ngai) placed Gĩkũyũ near Mount Kenya at a place called Mũkũrwe wa Gathanga. Recognizing his loneliness, God provided him with a wife, Mũmbi. Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi were blessed with nine daughters:

• Wanjirũ

• Wambũi

• Njeri

• Wanjikũ

• Nyambũra

• Wairimũ

• Waithĩra

• Wangari

• Wangũi (as recorded by Leakey, 1977)

It's important to note that some traditions mention a tenth daughter, but she was often excluded from formal accounts due to a story of an incestuous relationship (Kabetu 1966, pp. 1-2). The Kikuyu often referred to the daughters as "nine and the full," perhaps acknowledging the tenth daughter's existence while deeming her unmentionable. The Kikuyu had a cultural aversion to counting people precisely, believing it could bring misfortune.

To provide husbands for his daughters, Gĩkũyũ performed a sacrifice to God. One interpretation of this part of the myth suggests that Gĩkũyũ encountered a community where men were not circumcised, a practice central to Kikuyu identity. To integrate these men into his lineage, Gĩkũyũ may have encouraged or persuaded them to undergo circumcision to marry his daughters. This interpretation may explain why circumcised young men are referred to as 'Anake,' which could be derived from 'his children.'

Alternative Kikuyu Origin Stories

While the Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi narrative is dominant, other versions exist:

• The Mũmbere Myth: Middleton and Kershaw (1965) describe a myth featuring Mũmbere, who created the world and had three sons: Maasai, Gĩkũyũ, and Kamba. Each son chose a different tool – spear (Maasai), bow (Kamba), and digging stick (Gĩkũyũ) – symbolizing their respective roles. Another version of this myth replaces the Kamba with the Dorobo, assigning them the role of hunters.

• The Wandering Man: A folklore version, narrated by Cagnolo (1933), tells of a man whose swollen knee gave birth to three boys. These boys became the ancestors of pastoralists, agriculturalists, and ironworkers, respectively. This myth suggests that the Kikuyu people originated from elsewhere.

• The Fifth Myth: Routledge gives a fifth myth of origin, explaining the origin of the Manjiri age set. God spoke to the first man Mamba, who instructed his son Njiri to separate the dry land from the waters.

The Meru Origin Myth: Mukunga and Ngaa

The Meru people share many cultural similarities with their Kikuyu neighbors, leading some early scholars to classify them as a Kikuyu subgroup. However, their origin traditions offer more detailed accounts of their early history.

The Ameru believe their progenitor and God was Mukunga, and their goddess-mother was Ngaa. The Meru often invoke Mukunga in expressions of surprise or wonder. Mukunga is also used to refer to humanity or the public, emphasizing the communal nature of their society.

The Meru Migration

Accounts of the Meru migration vary. Mwaniki (n.d., p. 132) states that they fled from captivity at Mbwaa and went to Misiri (likely a reference to Egypt), while Nyaga (1986) suggests they came from Nthi-Nkuru, passing through Maiga-a-nkenye (a place associated with women's circumcision). Their journey took them through places like Nkuruma and Nkubiu, and they eventually left places called Kariathiru, Gachiongo, Kariene, and Kaamu.

Mwaniki's account places the Meru's "creation" in Misri, followed by a disagreement that led them to Mbwaa. Fadiman (Ogot ed. 1976, p. 140) describes Mbwaa as a small, irregularly shaped island near the mainland, where the tide's movements were interpreted as the water "eating grass." Fadiman proposes that Mbwaa might have been originally pronounced "Mbwara" and identifies Mbwara Matanga on Manda Island as a possible location. Matanga is a Kiswahili word referring to mourning activities before burial.

Mwaniki suggests that Mbwaa was located to the north, possibly in Ethiopia (referred to as Pissinia, similar to Abyssinia). Meru traditions mention the Nguu Ntune (red cloth) as a ruthless people who enslaved them.

The Meru crossed waters in three groups – at night (Njiru/Black clan), at dawn (Ndune/Red clan), and during the day (Njeru/White clan). Their arrival route, according to Nyaga, involved a southward journey via Mount Elgon and Lake Baringo, then eastward past Kilimanjaro towards the Indian Ocean. They separated from groups along the way, including the Kisii. From the coast, they returned to Nthi-Nkuru (old homes) (Nyaga 1986).

The crossing of a river involved a human sacrifice, with three men – Gaita, Muthetu, and Kiuna – volunteering to have their bellies opened. A man with a stick (thanju) ensured they did not renege on their promise (Mwaniki, n.d., p. 125). This may indicate that the Antubathanju served as a kind of police force. The three men survived and founded clans named after them: Antubaita (also called Njiru), Amuthetu (also called Njiru), and Akiuna (also called Nthea, associated with the Njeru clans). The three-color clan system is more prominent in Imenti, which Nyaga suggests was originally a Maasai-Meru group (Amathai Ameru). One group was reportedly absorbed by the Turkana upon arrival.

Fadiman (Ogot ed., 1976) notes that the arriving Meru were called Ngaa, while Nyaga (1986) attributes this name to their god-father Mukunga and goddess-mother Ngaa. The Ngaa entered the Tharaka area in three divisions, eventually dissolving their unity in a period known as Kagairo (the dividing) (Ogot ed., p. 151). This suggests a migration led by a chief and queen who divided the land for settlement, possibly displacing or interacting with the indigenous Gumba people.

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