mzeiya
Elder Lister
The historical accounts are taken from this very rare and expensive book.
The following excerpt is a real gem and contains terms in use to this very day.
__________________________
We have a truly amazing ancestry.
Some of my highlights.
Kihingo is not just an affluent neighborhood in Nairobi or a gate. This was the name for fortified villages that secured the borders and kept the interior villages safe. When the Kikuyu cleared the land for settlement, they initially identified suitable places for these villages before clearance begun.
They were usually near the top of a ridge where the ground was level. They would then clear a large area while leaving the tall trees and their undergrowth standing. The other trees around the area were felled outwards, so that they formed a rough fence of tangled branches & tree trunks. The virgin forest beyond this was left untouched for a considerable distance.
Any land for cultivation was arranged so as not to interfere with this "belt". There was however a njira cut through this belt. One only to provide the entrance to the village. Across this clearing, they built a palisade of poles. Each about 6in in diameter and was set into the ground 3ft deep so it was unshakeable.
These palisades were in a double or treble line with only the one entrance that was so narrow, only one person would pass through at a time. This was known as rugiri rua kihingo. The trees used for the palisade were the mutamaiyu, mucarage, mukinyai, mutendera, muhugu and muiruthi. All of these were long-lasting hardwoods that would not rot.
Outside the palisade they dug deep pits like the ones they used to trap buffalo and they were fitted with sharp stakes projecting inwards at an angle from the sides and the bottom. They covered them with brushwood. Enemies attempting attack would risk kutanaing with those stakes. The gap in the palisade then led to the main path in & out of the village on either side of it was the belt ( the uncut virgin forest). This path was still guarded by a built up fence with gateways at intervals before the main entrance. At nightfall as soon as every village member had returned, each of the gateways was closed till the following morning. Kama wewe ni wa kuchelewa, you still would not be opened for. This was because any genuine member would know the secret pathways into the village through the fence made of the felled trees. These secret entrances were such that you still could not enter without being heard, so if you were a spy leading others in, you would be caught.
Just inside the entrance to in the palisade, there was the boi with shelters called itayaya here the warriors slept on guard and every woman/girl coming back from the fields left a contribution for the warriors supper ( gwaci, nduma, marigu).
Sometimes, outside the main entrance there was a deep pit with stakes where a bridge was fixed by day. It was referred to as riigi and would be removed at night so that anyone rushing the entrance would meet their end.
The fence made from felled trees around the village was called ngando. They ngando left to its own devices would become overgrown with a creeper called mutanda-mbogo or muthanguru. It was a creepy & thorny plant which combined with the felled trees made an impenetrable barrier. Only those that new the secret passages could make it through.
These passage were essential because if the Maa ever attacked the stronghold, women, children & the aged would be sent from the villages through these passages to hide in the bush beyond.
The trees most favored for this fence were the muyuyu and mukawa. These were thorn bearing trees that were felled & toppled without separating from their roots. In the fallen position, they would continue to grow, forming a growing thorn fence.
They were truly brilliant!
What additional info might you have? @Field Marshal @Meria, et al
The following excerpt is a real gem and contains terms in use to this very day.
__________________________
We have a truly amazing ancestry.
Some of my highlights.
Kihingo is not just an affluent neighborhood in Nairobi or a gate. This was the name for fortified villages that secured the borders and kept the interior villages safe. When the Kikuyu cleared the land for settlement, they initially identified suitable places for these villages before clearance begun.
They were usually near the top of a ridge where the ground was level. They would then clear a large area while leaving the tall trees and their undergrowth standing. The other trees around the area were felled outwards, so that they formed a rough fence of tangled branches & tree trunks. The virgin forest beyond this was left untouched for a considerable distance.
Any land for cultivation was arranged so as not to interfere with this "belt". There was however a njira cut through this belt. One only to provide the entrance to the village. Across this clearing, they built a palisade of poles. Each about 6in in diameter and was set into the ground 3ft deep so it was unshakeable.
These palisades were in a double or treble line with only the one entrance that was so narrow, only one person would pass through at a time. This was known as rugiri rua kihingo. The trees used for the palisade were the mutamaiyu, mucarage, mukinyai, mutendera, muhugu and muiruthi. All of these were long-lasting hardwoods that would not rot.
Outside the palisade they dug deep pits like the ones they used to trap buffalo and they were fitted with sharp stakes projecting inwards at an angle from the sides and the bottom. They covered them with brushwood. Enemies attempting attack would risk kutanaing with those stakes. The gap in the palisade then led to the main path in & out of the village on either side of it was the belt ( the uncut virgin forest). This path was still guarded by a built up fence with gateways at intervals before the main entrance. At nightfall as soon as every village member had returned, each of the gateways was closed till the following morning. Kama wewe ni wa kuchelewa, you still would not be opened for. This was because any genuine member would know the secret pathways into the village through the fence made of the felled trees. These secret entrances were such that you still could not enter without being heard, so if you were a spy leading others in, you would be caught.
Just inside the entrance to in the palisade, there was the boi with shelters called itayaya here the warriors slept on guard and every woman/girl coming back from the fields left a contribution for the warriors supper ( gwaci, nduma, marigu).
Sometimes, outside the main entrance there was a deep pit with stakes where a bridge was fixed by day. It was referred to as riigi and would be removed at night so that anyone rushing the entrance would meet their end.
The fence made from felled trees around the village was called ngando. They ngando left to its own devices would become overgrown with a creeper called mutanda-mbogo or muthanguru. It was a creepy & thorny plant which combined with the felled trees made an impenetrable barrier. Only those that new the secret passages could make it through.
These passage were essential because if the Maa ever attacked the stronghold, women, children & the aged would be sent from the villages through these passages to hide in the bush beyond.
The trees most favored for this fence were the muyuyu and mukawa. These were thorn bearing trees that were felled & toppled without separating from their roots. In the fallen position, they would continue to grow, forming a growing thorn fence.
They were truly brilliant!
What additional info might you have? @Field Marshal @Meria, et al
