Full text of "Origin of the Maasai (Criticism of Cardale Luck's treatise)"

two different types, one of which was probably Mediterranean. If a 
Mediterranean tongue was spoken by some of the ancient Sumerians 
and by the proto-Eigyptians from whom it descended to the Automoli, 
any connection between the languages would be explained and the few 
Aramaic words in Borneo may be merely loan-words the result of 
subsequent trading intercourse in Solomon's time. 

In conclusion, the writer wishes again to suggest that we must 
judge the actions of older empires by our own and when we consider 
how English and Christianity have spread to races with hardly a drop 
of English blood in their veins, we may expect moon goddess worship 
and ancient dialects to be found amongst races not connected by blood 
with the nations from which they learn their religion and language. 
Also from the old world civilisation, adventurers and traders would 
have made their way into the unknown even as Europeans have done 
recently. Here in Kenya and Uganda on the borders of an old time 
civilisation, we may well expect to find traces of its influence, and 
when we consider the difficulties of mass migrations owing to desert 
and drought we need not expect to find any vast influx of alien blood 
amongst the indigenous savages, but only the vague memories of 
religious teaching and language, which a few explorers and traders 
bore southwards from their civilised home. The peculiar physique 
tradition and language of the Masai-Nandi however point to an actual 
influx of alien blood and the most likely source of which history tells 
us is the Automoli of Herodotus, but even tEey were probably $ negro, 
so that the strain of Mediterranean blood in the Masai-Nandi is only 
small. Judging by the analogy of the local fauna and flora, we should 
expect to find the human race in this area essentially African with a 
few immigrant's from Eurasia. Physically this appears to be the 
case and any theory of racial origins must be based on physical as well 
as linguistic and traditional evidence. 



To The Editor, B. A. & U. Nat. Hist. Society. 
Dear Sir, — 

I wonder if you will allow me to make a few comments on Mr. 
Cardale Luck's paper on the "Origin of the Masai" and the authors he 
quotes ; not with the idea of criticising its theme for I cannot pretend 
to Mr. Luck's patience and erudition, but tq try and remove some 
exaggerated and even erroneous ideas about the Nandi and so-called 
Lumbwa. 

I must give you my excuse for this request, viz. : — that I have 
lived 16 years almost continually amongst the Kipsigis (Lumbwa) and 
have been fond of wandering on foot in their Reserve and accepting 

19 



their hospitality. Having always liked and respected this people I 
have reached a state of intimacy which few Europeans care to with 
natives of East Africa and I myself would not except in the case of 
the Nilotic tribes, who seem to differ from the other tribes in some 
subtle way which on© can only "describe by saying that they seem 
more gentlemanly. 

I have not made a study, in the scientific sense, of the Kipsigis; 
but I fancy I have considerable understanding of the mentality of the 
people. It is now many years since I gave up the use of Swahili 
entirely for I believ© the only way to obtain a real understanding of 
any people is to speak their language; every day for years. 

One seems to notice a tendency in many books on Native Customs 
a tendency to approach them with a bias due to previous reading and 
the desire to and expectation of finding certain customs and certain 
meanings in their beliefs and customs. Frequently there are simple 
explanations of names and customs, etc., which should not be entirely 
neglected even though there may be abstruse and more exciting 
possible origins. Asking questions as to customs, beliefs, etc. , especially 
in a foreign and crudely spoken language is hardly reliable. To get 
the nett results one must experience sympathetically the customs and 
beliefs as they crop up spontaneously. 

Tribal Names. 

The two very similar tribes known to Europeans to-day as 
Iiumbwa and Nandi were not so long ago a single tribe calling 
themselves " Kipsigis " as a whole but called by the Masai 
" Elumbwa ". The Masai on the other hand were and are still known 
to the Kipsigis as " Ikwopek ". A little more than 100 years ago 
perhaps, that is in the time of the great grandfathers of the present 
old men, the whole tribe of Kipsigis moving Southwards across country 
occupied by the Masai, probably the present Uasin Gishu country, 
accidentally got split into two by a wedge of Uasin Gishu " (Masai) 
living in the Kipchoriat (Nyando) valley. 'One section moved west- 
wards to the north of that valley and the other crossing the head of 
the valley found it occupied by Masai. They apparently halted first 
at a hill, 10 miles along the present Lumbwa Kericho road, which 
has retained the name of " Diluapsigis." " The hill of Kipsigis." 
Finding the Masai in strong possession of the valley they proceeded 
South and West ousting the Sirikwa and Kosopek (Kisii) who were in 
possession. It was many years, before the Maasai were driven out of 



* Page 169, Natural History Journal. 

30 



the Kipchoriat valley separating the two halves of the Kipsigis tribe 
and when this finally occurred, the two sections had already become 
somewhat differentiated, a difference which was perpetuated by the 
difficult nature of the Kipchoriat gorge between them. 

After the separation the Northern Kipsigis began to be called 
' ' Chemngal(ek) ". The reason given by old men of the Kipsigis (whose 
people have been in touch with the Nandi continually) is ready and 
simple though of course it may not be correct. At the time of the 
separation the elders of the section of the tribe which went North were 
fond of standing up on the rocks and haranguing the people (talking 
a lot literally) Kikocham kotelel en goinwek barak sikomwai ngalek 
chechang] 

Ngaliot (singular) = word. 

Ngalek (plural) = words, news, talk, conversation. 

It is very commonly u&ed of persons who have too much to say 
or as we say colloquially " hot air." And it seems to have been 
considered that the elders had " too much talk." 

Corresponding to the Maasai word Blmegi the the Kipsigis apply 
the word Lemek (sing Lemindet) only to uncircumcised tribes, i.e., 
all the Kavirondo tribes but not to the Kikuyu and Kisii. 

Prom their name then and their present numerical superiority 
it would seem that the Kipsigis (Lumbwa) are the main section of 
the tribe. I would suggest that there is no more reason for calling 
them Lumbwa than there is for calling the Maasai Ikwop, or the Jaluo 
Lemek. Might we not then call them by their proper name of Kipsigis. 
It would be very interesting if Mr. Luck could find a derivation fo* 
the word. The root " Sigis " means, Kick, but is not thought by the 
people to have anything to do with the proper name. If one asks why 
they are called Kipsigis they will reply " Why is an Elephant called 
an Elephant." 

II. Sun worship. 

It may interest Mr. Luck to know that Asis (ta)* has other names 
which are only used in the sense of God and not as Asista is used for 
the actual sun in the everyday sense. These names are " N'golo " 
and " Chebtalil. " Their derivations I do not know (c.f. the Elephant 
reply above). 

Mr. Luck is correct in thinking that special woods and scented 
ones at that were used in the sacred fire at the " Kapkorosit." Being 
no botanist I can only give the Kipsigis names for them. 

The generic name for all plants and woods used at ceremonies 
is " Korosek." The one chiefly burnt at the Kapkorosit is (1) 

* Pages 160-162, Natural Hiitory Journal. 

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Segejuwet (or Chegechewet), a plant about 6 ft. high with rather ft 
climbing habit. It has bluish pink rosettes of flowers and strongly 
scented leaves. The sacredness of cowduing seems a little doubtful, 
for naturally amongst a pastoral people it is used for a great variety 
of domestic purposes, as also is goat and sheep dung. 

The quotation from Mr. Ward's article on the " Kapkorosit " 
rather gives the idea that the festival is still celebrated. It is about 
22 years or so since the last Kapkorosit (which used to be roughly 
annual and held during any month but August) was held. The 
occasion of its abandonment was the building of the military road 
from Lumbwa Station to Kericho. Possibly the people thought it 
was no use praying to God after that, for they say " we were scattered 
and families separated." 

As to the orgies and debaucheries! so often referred to by 
Europeans, without, I think, sufficient evidence, I wish to say most 
emphatically trat I have never been able to hear of them or find them 
amongst the Kipsigis. At the Kapkorosit, for example, which I take 
is one of the " high places " Mr. Luck refers to, cohabitation during 
the day and night of the festival was strictly prohibited, man and wife 
•3ould not sleep together. 

To say that " practically unrestricted free love exists " amongst 
the Kipsigis is most misleading. It is very difficult for Europeans to 
believe that when men and girls before initiation live freely together 
cohabitation is not the rule. It is nevertheless a fact that about 75% 
of unmarried girls are virgins. Nearly every girl has her sweetheart 
and sticks to him and more often than not is married to him after she 
comes out of the six months initiation unless he happens to be too poor 
and even then there are recognised ways of overcoming that 
impediment. 

Considering again the statement that " they take particular 
trouble not to cover themselves before girls and unmarried women."* 
It had already been stated in the same paper that it is the custom of 
the men to go naked, i.e., it is natural to them (and their womenfolk) 
and so the fact of nakedness is not felt by them as it is by people 
accustomed to be clothed. Therefore to say that they take particular 
trouble not to cover themselves is hardly appropriate. Eather does 
it seem to them and to those familiar with them that they take 
" particular trouble " to cover themselves before married women (all 
grown-up women are ip«o facto married women except a few outcasts. 

An example of the effect of point of view may be apropos. When 
the Kipsigis see for example a picture advertising gramophones of 

t Page 156, Natural History Journal. 
* Page 156, Natural Hi$tory Journal. 

22 



men and women dancing they think it is indecent. If Victorian 
women saw our present day dress and behaviour or some of our 
illustrated papers what would they think of us, even though they are 
of the same race ? 

The Kipaigis-Nandi have faults enough without our exaggerating 
them. 

III. The Chemosit. 

Amongst the Kipsigis one finds no belief that the Chemosit is 8 
devil or spirit or god or man. The only reference to its being like a 
man is that some say that at a distance it looks like a huge man 
because it stands up on its hind legs. Even those who say it has only 
one leg say that it has no arms and that its footprint is something 
between that of an elephant and a rhino and insist very strongly that 
it is only an animal. A few old men even say they have seen it at 
night and give descriptions — very wild ones but all quite unlike man 
or spirit, for they include fur, whiskers (" wawechik " = whiskers or 
antenae of animals and insects only). The crutch of Hollis' book is 
quite unknown here for they say how could an animal use a crutch. 
A curious detail is that the urine of the Chemosit is said to be so evil 
smelling that no man can stay near it. All the young men deny 
having seen it or knowing what it is like, but love to tell children and 
unsuspecting Europeans fancy tales of it. 

The name Chemosit however omight not be said at night just as 
in the case of the Chief Witch Doctor. At night it was given another 
name, viz., " Gononet," of which I do not know the derivation. 
Chemosit is a fairly common man's name and it is also used by 
mothers to make their children obey, e.g., " If you don't eat your 
food the Chemosit will come and eat you." 

Iletnemie and Iletneya are quite unknown to the Kipsigis. 
Ilet, the lightning, however, is universally and firmly believed to be 
a huge birdlike animal.