Kalenjin mythology

Did You Know?

• Three major religious pillars (the sun, thunder and lightning, and living spirits) were explained to have a bearing on Kalenjin religious beliefs.
• Asisian religion declined during the British colonial period in Kenya but has recently seen renewed interest.

Earlier religion and ancient deities

An earlier Kalenjin belief system, centered on the sky and dating to the early Southern Nilotic period, is thought to have been superseded by henotheism. Traces of this older religion were recorded among the Pokot as late as 1911 but not elsewhere among the Kalenjin. It featured a greater number of deities, including Tororut, a Supreme God who made earth and caused the birth of mankind and animals. Tororut was perceived as man-like with huge wings; their flash causes lightning and their whirring thunder. He lived above in a place with land, stock, ivory, and every good thing, and was seen as an omniscient, universal father who sent calamities as punishment for sins. His wife was Seta (Pleiades), and his children included Arawa (Moon), Ilat (Rain), Kokel (Stars), and Topogh (Evening Star). Asis (Sun) was his younger brother, seen as angry during the dry season. Spirits (Hoi) were understood but not significant.

Deities

Kalenjin natural philosophy describes two principal deities: Asis and Ilat. Among southern Kalenjin sections, Ilat's dual nature is identified as two separate beings: Ilet ne-mie and Ilet ne-ya. Asis is also commonly referred to as supreme God, living in the sky and being omnipotent and the guarantor of right; among northern sections he is also called Tororut. Ilat or Ilet is associated with thunder and rain, inhabiting deep pools and waterfalls, with rainbows as his discarded garments. Among the Nandi, Ilet ne-mie is the good thunder-god and Ilet ne-ya the bad. Forked lightning is the sword of Ilet ne-ya, while sheet lightning is the sword of Ilet ne-mie.

The Creation Story

Among the Kalenjin, the world began when the sky and earth came together. The Sun, who had married the moon, came down to shape things as they are now. On earth, he either found or made Ilet, who stayed there with an elephant—seen as the ancestor of all animals—and an Okiek, the ancestor of all people. For a long time, the three lay on their sides without moving. Then Ilet saw the man turn his head. He grew uneasy but said nothing. Later, the man rolled completely onto his other side. Ilet told the elephant, “This creature can turn while sleeping. He is dangerous.” The elephant just laughed, saying the man was far too small to fear. Frightened, Ilet fled into the sky. The man, glad to see Ilet run, said, “The one I feared is gone. The elephant does not worry me.” He went into the woods, made poison, and dipped an arrow. After cutting a bow, he came back and shot the elephant. The elephant wept, raised his trunk to the sky, and begged Ilet to take him up. Ilet refused: “I warned you that man was evil, but you laughed and called him small.” The elephant begged again as death neared. Ilet only answered, “Die on your own.” So the elephant died, and from then on, man held power over all the land.

Places of worship

The Kalenjin traditionally did not build structures for worship, as it was felt this would reduce God's power and limit it to a building. They had three main places of worship. Kaapkoros was a hilltop set aside for worship; the term derives from kaap ('the place of') and koros ('gift'), koros also being the indefinite form of korosyot, a mild bush that gives a pleasant odour when burned. When the Kalenjin settled, one hilltop was set aside for worship; as the tribe expanded, other hilltops became sacred. People gathered about once a year at kaapkoros, led by priests called Tisiik. Mabwaita (Kipsigis term) or korosyoot (Nandi and Keiyo) was the family altar or prayer tree positioned east of the house. It was a duplicate of the kaapkoros and the centre for home and family worship. The father officiated for ceremonies involving his own family; ceremonies involving multiple families required a priest, who was paid a lamb or goat per family. Sach ooraan (or sach ang'wan for four paths) refers to the intersection of paths or roads. When used for a ceremony, a crossroad was considered a shrine, remembered as a spot for removing something bad. Children were not allowed near such a shrine. Casting a leaf at sach ooraan was a form of prayer to Asis to drive away disease.