Facing Mount Kenya; the Tribal Life of Gikuyu Chapter Summary & Analysis - Tribal Origin and Kinship System and The Gikuyu System of Land Tenure Summary

Tribal Origin and Kinship System and The Gikuyu System of Land Tenure Summary and Analysis

In Tribal Origin and Kinship System, Kenyatta explains the organization of the basic units of the tribe. The first is the immediate family. Over time, this group becomes large, due to the polygamous system of marriage, and thus, clans are the next family unit. The clan consists of more distant relatives of the family. The next grouping is the age group. This age group unifies the entire clan into specific activities. Kenyatta then tells the story of creation. Mogai, the creator, takes Gikuyu, the first man, to Kenya to live. He creates Moombi, a wife for Gikuyu, and the two have nine daughters. After a sacrifice, Mogai gives Gikuyu nine men to marry his daughters. The men agree to live in a matriarchal society in order to marry. Each clan is represented under the name of the daughter who...
(read more)