Industry:
Ironworking:
The chief iron articles of pure Gĩkũyũ origin are spears, swords, digging-and clearing knives of different sizes, ear and finger rings, arrow heads, bracelets, axes, fine chains, hammers, tongs and tweezers among many others.
Iron was obtained from washing sand secured from certain districts and in a particular river. The sand was carefully washed in a river by experienced men; The black substances that contain ore were put together and handed over to the women and the children, who helped to spread the ore in the sun to dry. The one great demand for iron was during the time of initiation when the new warriors needed spears and swords. New ore didn’t have to be collected for every need. Recycling was practiced where old worn out iron items were collected to build new ones.
The dried sand containing iron was put by the smithy in a special fire made from a particular tree and others from a special banana plant. After a ritual, the process of smelting was commenced with. Two bellows were employed simultaneously to keep the fire burning. They were worked by assistants who learnt the profession by watching the smith doing his work. The bellows were put in motion, the charcoals were carefully laid and the sand was carefully sprinkled over the burning fire. The heat was regulated by adding the required amount of charcoals in the furnace. At the same time, the blowing of the bellows was kept in check. Sometimes the heat was intensified, other times it was slowed down. The ore was reduced to metallic iron, technically known as blooms (gekama).
The smith and his assistants worked from morning to evening. In the evening the melted iron iwas left in the furnace to cool. In the morning the blooms which had collected together into small lumps were taken out of the furnace. These were joined into a big heap by a mass of slag which had overflowed during the melting. After the big pile of slag was taken out, the blooms were knocked and collected together. Next, the blooms were heated according to the quantity required to make a spear or a sword or other iron articles. The iron thus beaten as heaps was known as mondwa. If a man wanted a spear he would not buy a ready made one, but would buy mondwa and pay the smithy to make him one.
Gĩkũyũ huts are round with wooden walls and grass thatched roofs. The woman's hut is called nyũmba and was considered the traditional sacred abode of the family and the proper place to hold communion with the ancestors. All aspects of religious and magical ceremonies and sacrifices which concern the family were centred around the nyũmba. The man 's hut is called thingira where friends and casual visitors were entertained. A hut was built and occupied on the same day. This was achieved by the Gĩkũyũ collective method of working.
To make a good circle, a kind of string compass was employed. A string was put in the centre of the circle and a string tied to it., then a man held one end of the string and after measuring the required paces, he held the string tight and then went round, marking the ground until the circle lines met. This is called gokurura kiea. When this was done the builders started digging holes in the ground for the outer walls. The holes are about one foot deep and about six inches in diameter. After this the inner circle was marked , which the wall is erected and roof put on. This completed the men’s work in building. They built the frame. The women completed the work by thatching and thus the hut was completed.
pottery:
Pottery was done by women. Certain clans specialized in this work. The digging of the clay, beating and softening it, the molding and drying, burning of the pots and finally the marketing was all done by women. The industry was carried out with two purposes, to satisfy the family needs and for marketing. The latter was the most important factor in deciding whether pots were to be manufactured or not , for unless the potters were satisfied that there was a good market for their articles, they would not undertake the task. Very few potters had good pots for themselves, they sold the good ones to others.
Basket Making:
This is again done by women although a man was not restricted from handling the material while the baskets were being made unlike in pottery. A man may collect the materials and prepare them ready for his female relatives or friends to use. He may however not do the actual work. The baskets were made of strings called mũgio, mũkeo, mwondwe and mũgotha. The barks were chewed or beaten to soften and strengthen them; they were then stretched and put in the sun to dry. The next process was to wind them together into a long string about fifteen feet long. Several of this were made into balls, similar to those which European women use for knitting. When enough strings were prepared the work of knotting kĩondo (trademark now sadly owned by some Japanese individual or company. Shame on
Apart from baskets, there are two kinds of trays called gĩtaroro (large tray) and gĩtiti (small tray), which are sewn from a creeper called moogo. This is cut from several pieces which are then sewn together. Gĩtaroro is used for winnowing and spreading grain in the sun to dry. Gĩtiti is used as a dish for serving or keeping food cooked and uncooked. This two articles were made chiefly by men although there is no taboo preventing a woman from making them.
Skin Tanning:
All Gĩkũyũ men and women dressed in skins, which made this industry very important. For this purpose also, sheep, goats and cattle would be kept. In every family group (mbarĩ), there would be one or two members specializing in tanning of skins and cutting them into shape for making dresses. There is a marked difference between the skin suitable for a man's dress and one for a woman's. Not only do they differ in quality but in the method used in tanning them. A skin for a woman's dress has to be made thin and soft for it is said that a woman's body is made of soft and delicate texture.
The skin made for a woman's dress was first pegged on the ground to dry. Then, hair was peeled off by a specialist. When the process was complete, the skin was softened by rubbing it in the hands. After this the skin was ready to be measured and cut into the right size. A woman's skirt took about 2 skins and an upper garment needed three or four skins. This maybe sheeps or goats. Goat's skin had more value and longer wear. A woman's clothes consisted of three garments. An upper garment called nguo ya ngoro, a skirt called mũthuru and an apron called Mwengu.
Unlike women clothes, a man only had one garment, gĩthii made of kids skins or very small calf. Gĩthii for young men were made short covering the body from the shoulders to just below the heaps. The only other garment was the apron, gĩthere worn only for ceremonial dances. The elders wore a long gĩthii. Chiefs and rich men wore a more elaborate gĩthii made of fur, whilst the lower ranks wore gĩthii made of sheep skins.
Since most photographic records of the Gĩkũyũ start around 1910, the skins seem to have been discarded in favour of blankets and sheets pretty fast, later to be replaced by European style clothing.
Bee keeping:
Wood Carving:
Beer Brewing:
Beer played a very important role in Gĩkũyũ country. It was offered at the beginningof marriage negotiations. It was offered to the elders of the council, kiama, before they took on a case. It was offered by a man wanting to purchase another man’s piece of land as he declared his intentions. It was offered by the mũthami and mũhoi to the mũramati as a sign of goodwill.
Brewing was done by both men and women. It was brewed from sugarcane. Men would cut sugarcane and peel them. Women would carry them home and pound them in a wooden mortars while men were mixing the substance of the sugarcane with water and squeezing or wringing the juice out of it , and also straining the juice into fermenting gourds. Beer was also made out of honey
Beer was not an industry in the sense that certain specialized people did it and others only partook. It seems that every family had the knowledge on how to brew. Seeing as how beer is multi billion dollar industry in this day and age, it was important to include it.
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