‘AN ELEPHANT FELL FROM THE SKY’
(Posted 22nd November 2015)
Mention the word elephant and you have my undivided attention, very likely the same with most of my readers if not all of them. When recently in Kenya and staying at the Sarova Panafric Hotel, where the Africa Travel Association and the Kenyan Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism had booked a 20 strong international media team invited to cover the congress, did I see in a document on the reception desk a booking for a book launch on 27th of November, a book titled ‘An Elephant Fell From The Sky’.
Curious by nature and investigative by profession did I set out to find out more about the launch, the book and the author and finally made headway in getting the facts together.
Karigu Kiragu, the author, lives in Mombasa but is a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, besides running her own consulting firm. She is also the Director of Research and Publications for the Kenya Association of Project Managers, and as such an almost unlikely candidate to write such a book, and yet she did.
Inspired by hearing the stories of the Tharaka legend Kibuka at a young age she felt compelled to put the lore and stories into writing to preserve them for future generations, paying tribute to her cultural background and upbringing in a way few others today do. Through the narrative of the book will readers be able to understand better the culture of the Tharaka and use the lessons the book teaches for a more harmonious way of living together today, regardless of tribe, ethnic background or religious beliefs.
(The author Karigu Kiragu and her book’s front and back cover)
Said Karigu in a brief communication, when asked to characterize her first ever book and talk about the intriguing title:
Start quote:
Kibuka the Tharaka Legend
The narrative of the Tharaka Legend Kib?ka would take very many days to tell. The actions of this great man, who
actually walked the land as a leader of the Atharaka people, captivate both the young and old. To this day, when people come into contact with his stories or visit sites associated with Kib?ka – the sites mentioned actually exist to this day: Kib?ka falls, Kib?ka the area and Kib?ka’s homestead – it elicits the same reverence that was accorded him then – many years ago. Myth or fact, Kib?ka the hero still lives on. Thus, his story has been broken down into series.
Who knew, that an elephant would take on the role, form or colour other than that of a true elephant?
End quote
The extraordinary effort by Karigu to put the lore and legends into a book format will go a long way to preserve the history of old, previously only passed on from generation to generation by and old storyteller to a new storyteller, but with this way of life rapidly disappearing is a book format the best way to keep the lore alive.
Karigu was kind enough to let me quote one section from the book, to perhaps entice my readers in Kenya to not just attend the book launch at the Sarova Panafric Hotel next Friday but also buy and read the book.
Start quote
Excerpts of the Book ‘An Elephant fell from the Sky’ by Karigu Kiragu
The Atharaka who are part of the Bantu speaking people lived
on Manda Island several years ago. They were surrounded
by waters. The ‘waters went out to feed each day and came back
at a later time well fed’. It brought back with it greens, twigs and
tiny shells. Sometimes its mood was aggressive as it crashed
into the land as though it wanted to lap up all that was near it.
Then it would helplessly flow back only to surmount some more
strength to lunge forward again, crashing and roaring as it came
then gently ebbing back out again. The repetitive motions of
coming and going, coming and going the sound of which broke
the air giving rise to its description ‘Mbwaa’…
…One cold and rainy night, Ciakamene, who hailed from the
Ukuuju clan, heard a loud cry. It was very late and upon venturing
out of her wooden hut into the rain storm, she came across a
stark naked child crying his lungs out. Her feet almost stepped
on the tiny, wet and muddy form that was writhing and wailing,
but by sheer instinct, stopped just in time. Her bare feet had
almost slithered over and crushed the life of the child she had
gone out to investigate.
The darkness was broken by occasional flashes of lightening as
she looked around. Questions raced through her mind about
the origin of this child. Who in their right mind would leave
a new born child out in such weather? The raindrops quickly
soaked her body and the cold air made the hair prickle erect
on her. Despite the heavy rainfall, there was no indication of
movement out in the darkness.
R?k?ndi’s wife scooped the crying baby in her arms and peered
out into the darkness. Seeing nothing she quickly carried it
inside leaving a trail of wet footsteps into her earthen floored
hut. Inside, she hid the child and with quick arm and hand
movements, she scrapped warm ash and earth from the side of
nearly dying embers in the fire place and placed the child on it.
Then she noticed it. The child clutched the root of a plant in its
muddy hands. She felt a shiver descend down her back just as
she felt the palm of her hand slam her open mouth. She gasped
as her breath got stuck in her throat cutting short the cry that
nearly rent the air. The root of a plant in the palm of a hand. Her
surrounding became cold. And just as quickly, she sprang into
action. She dropped her hands and covered the whimpering
child with earth and warm ash up to its neck. Its arms and hands
also buried as she contemplated her next move…
…She kept the child and called him Kib?ka – the one who cried out
aloud…
…“The skies are clearing. We should be able to hurry back
home soon. We will find out from the others if this is Kib?ka’s
prediction and its outcome,” said Mutumi.
“But we have no food to take back with us,” cried Makena.
“What happened?” cried Karimi in shock, as she held
herself tightly.
Despite the women telling each other to get up and find their
way home, they continued to sit, huddling closely together.
They were not aware that the actions of a few men who did not
want to listen to Kib?ka’s advice had brought upon them bad
consequences…
End quote
