Skip to main content

Featured

Posted by

Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
Post a Comment
Read more
Posted by

Izava Walk : Musakhulu Makacha

Makacha is an old blind man. People who ask him questions must buy him a cup of chang'aa. 'It is his medicine,' his wife says while going to buy. He is of Vavai clan that migrated from Bunyore a long time ago. Elders were sent to see whether the  wife  he married was from witchcraft blood or not. She was clean.
I had met Makacha's wife by Izava fetching water. She had told me about feeding twins. Food was first given to the eldest or else he'd refuse if the young one was fed first. Then 'imbago' bought land and only two cows were given for dowry. If a girl gave birth, the child had to be wrapped in any clothing that the father had used. If the child wasn't his, it would die.
Had it been found out that folks from the same clan engaged in sex, a black hen was demanded by the cleanser and given to a stranger after the procedure. The child would be left by the paths a distance away for a stranger to pick. On your house, it was the responsibility of your mother to put the first mud before the rest mudded.
I asked to help her in carrying the side jerican. She refused. I lead the path because it is improper for a young person to walk behind an old one.
In a new house, my sister need to come and cook the first meal. It does not matter whether you had a wife. She is the one to make the fireplace. The responsibility of a wife on that day was to go where she called home for a basket of flour, a couple hen, meat and a pot for cooking ugali.
Makacha remembered how boys in clothes that only hid their penises knelt with cupped hands to receive a potion of maseke. Maseke made busaa and busaa was the drink of wise men. On death of an elder, he was wrapped in reeds and taken down the farm for cremation. There the elders visuhaa. Burial wasn't a deal.
About Izava, he sang,
Mujera yigu goo gwakumarira vandu
Izava iyi goo yakumarira vandu.
Makacha could have sang more had I given silver. I left him drinking his medicine.

Comments

Post a Comment