A Luo Perspective
There are over 70 tribal groups in Kenya, although the distinction between many of the groups are becoming blurred (in fact the number of tribes is sometimes reduced to as few as 40 depending on the sources you read). At present, our English school in Eastleigh has nearly 150 students enrolled, but they are not all from Somalia. While most of our classes are Somali, we also have Oromo, Ethiopian and Luo students as well.
I have selected this third and final essay on marriage from one of our Luo students, Manassah Oure. The Luo people are the third largest tribe in Kenya with about 12% of the population (the Kikuyu are the largest tribe at 20% of the population). They live in the west of the country on the shores of Lake Victoria. Once a great cattle herding people, the Luos were devastated by a rinderpest outbreak in the 1890s. Subsequently, most Luos turned their hand to fishing and subsistence agriculture by the beginning of the 1900s. They are largely "Christian", but old animistic religions still exists. A great importance is still given to the local medicine man and spirits within Luo communities.
The Luo people are known for their two great loves -- football (soccer) and music. There are many distinctive Luo instruments found throughout Kenya made from gourds and gut or wire strings.
We hope you enjoy reading a Luo perspective on marriage!
Marriage in the Luo Culture by Manassah Oure
In my culture, marriage is one of the most powerful means of maintaining the cohesion of society. It is a way of extending kinship ties and keeping social life going. Many cultures define marriage as the union of a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation, rearing of children and mutual existence. My culture however, defines marriage as the approved social pattern where two or more persons establish a family. It includes the elements of companionship and mutual existence between men and women. Stress is laid on procreation and the continuation of life as the dominant reason for marriage.
In Luo society, a male ready for marriage has to stroll and identify a lady of his own choice. She must be single. He then must report back to his clan. The plan to bring her is made without her awareness. Her family does not know either. After the bridegroom’s family investigates and confirms that the girl is single and nice, the will seek strong young men to lurk behind bushes and grab the bride as if by force and shoulder high take her to the expectant groom – her wailing protestations not withstanding.
In my culture, marriage is one of the most powerful means of maintaining the cohesion of society. It is a way of extending kinship ties and keeping social life going. Many cultures define marriage as the union of a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation, rearing of children and mutual existence. My culture however, defines marriage as the approved social pattern where two or more persons establish a family. It includes the elements of companionship and mutual existence between men and women. Stress is laid on procreation and the continuation of life as the dominant reason for marriage.
In Luo society, a male ready for marriage has to stroll and identify a lady of his own choice. She must be single. He then must report back to his clan. The plan to bring her is made without her awareness. Her family does not know either. After the bridegroom’s family investigates and confirms that the girl is single and nice, the will seek strong young men to lurk behind bushes and grab the bride as if by force and shoulder high take her to the expectant groom – her wailing protestations not withstanding.
The next stage is the exchange of gifts mainly from the side of the man to that of the girl. The gifts symbolize a serious and binding marriage contract. Following the exchange of gifts and negotiation is beer drinking and feasting on meat and other foods.
posted by four_kennys @ Thursday, May 24, 2007
3 comments
3 Comments:
In North America this would be called abduction! I am assuming that much of it is playacting in which the bride is actually a willing participant.
Linda
Abduction sounds about right!
I've been speaking to some of our Luo students about the subject of Luo marriage and they all tell me that their mothers and grandmothers were married in this way of "a traditional Luo Marriage". That said, they are adamant in wanting a "Christian Marriage". Most Luo communities are now Christian, but there are still mant groups that practice pagan/anamistic faiths. Contemporary Christian Luo's want nothing to do with these old ways.
Witchcraft and Shamanism is also still common throughout Kenya. There is seldom a week that goes by that we won't read something in the local newspaper about cursings, or a witch hunt (that ussualy ends in a murder).
One of the most terrible groups in Kenya are the Manuki sect/gang who terrorize many small rural communities. Last week on the anniversary of a police shooting of the late-Manuki leader, three people were beheaded in a village two hours outside of Nairobi on the site of the Manuki leader's death.
There is certainly a spiritual battle going on here between powers of light and darkness.
It is also interesting to note that poligamy is still widely practiced by many Kenyan tribes. This creates some real tensions in African churches that are trying to distill cultural values and scriptural truth.
What about the mutliple wives of Abraham, and the other Old Testament men of faith? We need to be praying for one another as people of faith struggle with evaluating traditions and cultural mores.
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