The Samburu people are an indigenous ethnic group residing in northern Kenya, primarily in Samburu County.
They are closely related to the Maasai and share some cultural similarities.
Here is a summary of the Samburu people.
The Samburu People Family Structure
A typical traditional Samburu community lived in groups of five to ten families. The husband was the one in control of the family.
The family also had extended family members, including the man’s in-laws, aging parents, and unmarried siblings. Each wife had her hut that was shared with her children.
The Samburu Clans
The Samburu have eight clans which have other sub-clans, but the main ones include;
Lmasula
Lpisikishu
Lukumae
Lorokushu
Loimisi
Lnyaparae
Lngwesi
Longeli
The clans are associated with two moieties: the Black and White cattle.
The Samburu Dialects
They speak Samburu, which is a Nilo-Saharan language. Similar to Maa, that is the language spoken by the Maasai. However, they speak more rapidly than the Maasai.
Read Also:
The Details of the Maasai of Kenya
Major Kisii Subgroups and Clans
The Samburu Age Sets
The age-set system among the Samburu is characterized by the succession of status associated with age grade.
These age sets are organized for both men and women. Both genders undergo circumcision to enter into a new age group.
The teenage boy's transition into the warrior age set is called Morans. The girl's transition from girlhood into womanhood after circumcision.
Traditionally, they are divided into age groups, namely;
Lkiteku
Llkipiku
Lmekuri
Lkimaniki
Lkishili
Lkiroro
Ltarigirik
Lmarikon
Lterito
Lmirisho
Lkileku
Lmooli.
The Samburu Tribe Marriage/Courtship
Traditionally, morans would court girls by giving beads. The beads were eventually added each time, indicating who the Moran would choose as a wife.
Marriage entailed complex rituals that began with the groom negotiating with the bride’s family to obtain consent.
The groom was required to deliver eight oxen to the future father-in-law as a pledge. Goat skins, copper earrings, and sheep were also given to the bride as a gift from the groom.
The groom also provided several cows to be sacrificed during the marriage ceremony.
The wedding party began with the division of the ox meat while the elderly conferred blessings and put butter on the head of the bride’s father.
The marriage is concluded when a bull enters a hut guarded by the bride’s mother and is killed.
The next day, the bride left her mother’s hut and moved to her husband’s village. She traveled without looking back, and on arrival at her husband’s home; she was blessed by the elderly.
Traditionally, a clitoridectomy was performed on the bride on the wedding day.
Polygamy
Polygamy was practiced amongst the Samburu. However, only the elders were allowed to practice polygyny.
Young men were not allowed to marry until thirty after they had completed their Moran duty.
Gender Roles in Marriage
Roles among the men and women of Samburu were clearly defined. Men took care of and herded the cattle.
They were also responsible for the security of their families. Women were responsible for building manyattas, gathering food, and caring for the children.
They also looked for water and milked the cows while the men moved with the animals in search of food.
Read Also:
The Kipsigis Clans You Should Know
The Major Nandi Clans you Should Know
Death
The Samburu had a tomb near the village where they buried their dead. However, those accorded decent burials were the very elderly and children below one year of age.
Once dead, the elderly were shaved and placed on the skin they used to sleep on with their face turned towards the sacred mountain, which they believed was a dwelling place for their God.
A dead child was buried inside the hut close to the fireplace, after which the family abandoned the hut.
When other people died, they were not buried but left on the ground outside the village.
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