The art of storytelling: Oral traditions among the Agikuyu

What does it mean to embrace your story? The beauty in knowing your story and knowing that only you can tell it is an empowering feeling which can assist in feeling more connected within yourself. The various ways in which storytelling manifests also draws attention to its fluidity as an art form. For the Agikuyu people storytelling played a central role in shaping an individual as well as the wider Agikuyu societal structure.

The Agikuyu (also referred to as Kikuyu and Gikuyu) hail from the north-eastern regions of present day Kenya. Like many societies across the African continent, “the Agikuyu use[d] oral traditions as their main source of passing on history” as noted by Kenyan author Wanjiku Mukabi Kabira. Stories were used as a means of creativity to educate and instill values as well as share experiences. Looking back at Agikuyu history, here are some of the various forms of storytelling:

Storytelling through song – Music as a means of storytelling was used, particularly in the process of passing on history. One example of this could be seen in the use of lullabies to children in households. By teaching a child about the history of his or her family through song this acted as a key way of better understanding where you come from.

Storytelling through recreation – Storytelling through recreation was used as a way of passing knowledge of surroundings. In his book Facing Mount Kenya: The tribal life of the Gikuyu Jomo Kenyatta described the process of a father teaching his son about agriculture: “he makes a digging-stick, mora, for his boy to play with while the father is doing the actual work of weeding or turning the soil. Through watching his father in these activities, the boy gradually learns how to handle his digging-stick, and thus becomes a practical agriculturist”. This example shows how knowledge was shared for the purpose of establishing a connection to the land, which in turn, assisted in the process of cultivating one’s own story. By receiving the tools to navigate through life, a person was then equipped to cultivate their own experiences with the tools received.

Storytelling through dance – For the Agikuyu, dances were used to symbolise unity which helps to explain why certain dances are used to mark mambura (rituals or divine services) including marriage, death, homecoming, war and spirituality. The variety of dances that existed to mark different life experiences emphasises the important role storytelling can play in bringing people together to co-create and share experiences.

The various examples of Agikuyu storytelling highlight the many ways in which it was used to nurture spaces to know and celebrate history, experiences, and values. By using storytelling to educate and come together, this shows its importance in facilitating connection with self, each other and our natural surroundings.  

Sources

Agikuyu – Wanjiku Mukabi Kabira (1995)

Facing Mount Kenya: The tribal life of the Gikuyu – Jomo Kenyatta (1938)

With a prehistoric people, the Akikuyu of British East Africa – William Scoresby (1910)