Summary of "The Southern Kikuyu Before 1903" by L.S.B. Leakey
Chapter 1: Kikuyu Social Organisation
This chapter explores the deep structure of Kikuyu society, emphasizing the family as its foundational unit. Life was governed by individual and communal rites of passage marking age, maturity, and responsibility. Men were expected to take on protective and public roles, while women were central to household and agricultural labor. Social leadership was through councils (not chiefs), and professional classes like blacksmiths and medicine-men held distinct social functions. Religion, centered on belief in God (Ngai) and ancestral spirits, bound society and regulated behavior.
Chapter 2: The Kikuyu Country
Leakey describes the physical and ecological layout of Southern Kikuyu land. It discusses boundaries, neighboring tribes, altitude, climate, rainfall patterns, and natural resources. The Kikuyu had a strong understanding of their environment and named most native animals, plants, and geographic features. Wildlife was especially dense in forest patches, and land use was deeply tied to both spiritual belief and practical necessity.
Chapter 3: Tradition and History
This chapter outlines the Kikuyu's oral traditions, including their origin myth involving Gĩkũyũ and Mũũmbi, believed to be the ancestors of the tribe. It narrates the formation of the ten clans from their daughters. The chapter continues with Kikuyu expansion, agricultural development, early trade with Arabs and Swahilis, and initial encounters with Europeans. Much of this history is drawn from oral accounts from elders and contrasted with early European records.
Chapter 4: Land Tenure
Land was a critical cultural asset governed by detailed laws and rituals. This chapter covers Kikuyu land ownership systems like Gĩthaka, methods of land transfer through sale or adoption, and the role of tenants and in-laws (mũhoi, mũthoni). Complex ceremonies accompanied land transactions, including showing boundaries and public adoption. There were strict customs about land security (e.g., mortgaging land for livestock) and the responsibilities of landowners regarding resources like water, grazing land, and burial sites.
Chapter 5: Villages and Homesteads
This chapter examines settlement patterns. Border villages (kĩhingo) were heavily fortified to guard against Maasai raids, while interior villages (itũũra) were more open. Villages comprised multiple homesteads (mũciĩ), with layouts influenced by space, terrain, and divination. Homesteads varied in size based on wealth and family size, with huts, granaries, and fencing. The chapter also describes construction techniques, ceremonies when building new huts, fire safety, and social regulations within villages.