EPISODE 2 PART 2 : CLOTHINGS
Hi guys, so on Tuesday we did quite a bit of detailing on Kenyan tribes. Today, we’re just going to be addressing some traditional attires to back that up along side some background details to it. Please it is necessary to note that civilization has taken over. Thus, you should to necessarily be looking out for these. However, for knowledge sake:
KIKUYU
The kikuyu have different types of clothing for different age sets. The clothing vary from the young to the old. However, the major traditional attires are skins from goats or calf and shukas,
They also wear earings, necklaces,bracelets and anklets that are made from multi-colored beads and cowrie shells.
The Kikuyu use to greatly value beauty and hence they decorated themselves with chalk and cow blood on the bodies and the faces. These decoration would sometimes be put on by men during initiation, mourning for the dead, appeasing the ancestors and when going for war.
LUHYA
The luhya men shift their skin to cover that part of the body which faced the people he was supposed to ‘fear’ (respect). These included mothers-in-law, aunts and all women he called ‘mother’.
During war men painted themselves with frightening colours, and wore frightening apparel such as horns. On a festive occasion they also painted themselves, though differently. Often they wore head dresses decorated with feathers of ostriches (amaudo) or with skins of the colobus monkey (ituru).
KALENJIN
Traditional Kalenjin, Earrings were common for both sexes in the past, including heavy brass coils that made the earlobe stretch down almost to the shoulder.
LUO
Traditionally, the Luo wore minimal clothing. Animal hides were used to cover private parts, but there was no stigma (shame) associated with nudity.