T
raditionally, the forests were regarded by many African communities as sacred places of worship where rituals such as praying to the gods and the ancestors for rain or protection from natural calamities such as floods, droughts, disease or attacks from other communities would take place.
SOUTH COAST
© Victor Ochieng
KAYA FOREST
The Mijikenda people who inhabit the Kenyan coastline were no different. They offered sacred rituals and sacrifices from within the sacred forests they called kaya.
unesco A ‘kaya’ is a Mijikenda term that means ‘homestead’. The term Mijikenda describes the nine coastal tribes of the Giriama, Digo, Duruma, Rabai, Kauma, Ribe, Jibana, Kambe and Chonyi. Today, these sacred forests in the coastal lowlands combine history and culture and add to the aesthetic appeal of Kenya’s natural scenery. The kaya forests consist of at least 11 natural forests in a 200 km stretch of land along the coast. The sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests are listed among the Unesco World Heritage Sites. Today, organised groups are allowed to tour these sacred forests. Many hotels and tour operators at the coast arrange such visits, which go a long way towards opening up the cultural aspects of the Mijikenda people.
Tribal shrines Historically, the Mijikenda were driven out of their former settlements in the Upper Tana by nomadic pastoralists such as the Galla and Oromo people. They were forced to relocate to the coastal forest settlements, which acted as shelters, protecting the Mijikenda villages from outsiders. The most sacred part of these forests is the Kaya itself, the central clearing known as the home of the community. This was preserved as a sacred place and burial ground for the villagers. The
The sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests are listed among the Unesco World Heritage Sites
graves of great leaders or tribal chiefs were buried separately and the graves would be treated as shrines.
fingo The Mijikenda people believe the spirits of their ancestors still reside in the kayas and their presence can still be felt. A protective amulet called a fingo, believed to possess supernatural powers, would be buried in a secret spot within the kaya to protect the community from outside aggressors and help them communicate with the spirits of their ancestors. SWAHILI COAST MAGAZINE // ISSUE 02
11