What is Mijikenda culture?
The Mijikenda are nine culturally and historically related peoples3 who reside in the Kenyan and northern Tanzanian coastal area and hinterland. As in many sub-Saharan African cultures, ancestral spirits are an integral part of Mijikenda society, and remain active in the lives of their descendants.
Where are the Mijikenda located?
Kenya
Mijikenda (“the Nine Tribes”) are a group of nine related Bantu ethnic groups inhabiting the coast of Kenya, between the Sabaki and the Umba rivers, in an area stretching from the border with Tanzania in the south to the border near Somalia in the north.
What do the Mijikenda call their god?
The Kalenjin religion believed in a god called Asis, who was symbolised by the sun. The spirits of departed ancestors were also revered, and sacrifices were made in their honor. These days, like many tribes in Kenya, the Kalenjin practice Christianity mixed with some of their traditional beliefs.
Which tribe makes the best wives in Kenya?
Known for being the most fierce, the Maasai make the tribe with the best husbands in Kenya. Additionally, due to their preservation of most cultures, the Maasai are one of the wealthiest people in terms of livestock. Their women are very submissive and are naturally motherly.
Why did the Mijikenda live in kayas?
Why did the mijikenda live in kayas? It was because they wanted a secure place and kaya was secure and enemies could not access easily.
Which tribe has beautiful ladies in Kenya?
1. Kamba. According to numerous dialogues and responses from Kenyans, Kamba ladies are one of the most beautiful women tribe in Kenya. Certainly, this is because a vast majority of the ladies are glamorous, hence rank as the champions of beauty countrywide.
Is Mijikenda a Bantus?
The Mijikenda are a Coastal Bantu community. They inhabit the region from the Tanzanian border to the Sabaki and the Umba rivers. ‘Mijikenda’ means nine villages, namely: Giriama, Digo, Duruma, Rabai, Kambe, Chonyi, Jibana, Kauma and Ribe.
How many kayas are in the world?
The total number of kaya forests recognised as National Monuments is now 39, including the most important kayas in both Kwale and Kilifi Counties on the south and north Coast. Four were also gazetted as Forest Reserves under forest laws.
What kind of people are the Mijikenda tribe?
The Mijikenda Tribes are a Kenya coastal Bantu tribe that consists of nine closely related sub-tribes. In the past, the Mijikenda people was also referred to as the Nyika tribe, a near-derogatory term implying bush people.
What does the name Mijikenda mean in Swahili?
In the past, the Mijikenda people was also referred to as the Nyika tribe, a near-derogatory term implying bush people. “Mijikenda” literally means nine homes or nine homesteads (in Swahili ), referring to the common ancestry of the Mijikenda people.
Where are the Digo and northern Mijikenda found?
They are the northern Mijikenda while the Digo are southern Mijikenda. The Digo are also found in Tanzania due to their proximity to the common border. Each of the Mijikenda groups has a sacred forest, a kaya, which is a place of prayer.
Why did the Mijikenda people leave the Kaya?
The political symbolism of the kaya also played a part in the resistance to colonialism for the Mijikenda peoples. Sometime during the late 19th century the Mijikenda peoples began leaving their kaya homesteads and settling areas elsewhere.