Introduction to the Kikuyu
General Information
The Kikuyu people are the largest ethnic group that resides in Kenya making up 20 percent of the population with its own population of around six and a half million people that claim to be Kikuyu (Kikuyu People 2014). Their main area that they live in is around Mt. Kenya for religious and other reasons. Their traditional language is the Bantu Gikuyu language. Other major languages spoken are Swahili and English. The Kikuyu are known by many names like Kikuyu, Gikuyu, and the Agikuyu (Kabira, Wanjiku: 7).
Language
The Bantu Gikuyu language is thought to derive from very similar neighboring groups like the Meru, Embu, Kamba, and the Mbeere. The reason it is thought to be connected to those groups because it is a theory that those groups are the Kikuyu ancestors. These possible eastern relatives are probable ancestor groups also speak a similar Bantu language, so it is possible that they are related(Maren, Michael: 29).
Personal Adornment
The appearance of the Kikuyu people can very quite a lot. For traditional wear it is common to wear face paints with ornate necklaces and long colorful skirt-like clothing. This traditional wear is the most common thing for all important religious events. Nowadays people just wear regular clothing just like most of the world does (Kikuyu People 2014). That type of clothing can vary with many different brands. Also, today many events like weddings are changing, so that it is like any normal Christian wedding(Pateman, Robert: 23).