The Nyika so called from the Swahili word meaning “Forest
and thorn bush country” are a group of tribes who, during the sixteenth
century, under pressure from the Galla, migrated down the coast from the poor
country on the left of the Tana river. The term is not however used indiscrimately and does not include
such peoples as the ‘Pokomo, though they are ethnically connected with the
tribes to whom it is applied. The Giryama, now living about 3 south of the
equator, are probably the most important of the group, whose members are,
generally speaking tall, muscular, well set u and long-headed. Western-clothes
are worn by the men and women wear many-plated kilts, but are nude from the waist
up, though now the tendency is to dress like Swahili women.
The Nyika tribes are divided into exogamous clans which
observe certain prohibitions and avoidances and share a general veneration for
the hyena, in which all the cognate
tribes join except the Pokomo. Every clan has its own club-house, which is the
general inter clan meeting place for men and houses the friction drum used for
convening the council. The Nyika are essentially agricultural with many sheep
and goats but few cattle. Some, if not all the tribe, carry swords, which are,
however, as much implements as weapons, while the Giryama have a parrying
stick, said to be unique in this area.
The Nyika worship the widespread Eastern bantu deity, Mulungu, who, in one aspect at least,
is the dispenser and creator from whose union with the earth have sprung all
things in the world including human beings, who are the hens and chickens of
Mulungu.
QUESTIONS
a) What
tribe belong to the Nyika people?
b) Can
you describe them?
c) What
is the hyena to the Nyika people?
d) Explain
the following as they are used in the passage: exogamous clans, venerations,
many-plated kilts, ethnically connected
e) Give
one word for: Cognate, indiscriminately and Mulungu
f) (i)
Can you suggest a suitable title for this passage? (ii) Give a clause analysis
of “The Nyika tribes are divided into exogamous clans which observe certain
prohibitions and avoidances and share a general veneration for the hyena in
which all the cognate tribes join except the Pokomo”
MODEL ANSWERS
a) Giryana
and others who migrated to the left of the Tana river
b) “Muscular,
well-set, and long-head forest and thorn bush country
c) An
object of veneration.
d) Having
the same cultural bond, respect, kilts fixed with many plates.
e) Having
common affinity, purposelessly, creator
f) (i)
The Nyika (ii) (a) The Nyika tribes are divided into exogamous clans ___ main
clause (b) Which observe certain prohibitions and avoidances ____ subordinate
adjectival clause, qualifying the noun “clans” in the main clause (c) and which
share a general veneration for the hyena ____ subordinate adjectival clause
qualifying “clans” in the main clause. (d) in which all the cognate tribes join
except the Pokomo ____ subordinate adjectival clause, qualifying the noun
“veneration” in the main clause.
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