Food Ceremonial (Kikuyu).—If an ox is killed for a feast and a member of the same clan, who happens to [[260]]live at a distance, puts in an appearance, he must be given a piece of meat, although he cannot claim to share in the feast.
If an ox is killed on the occasion of a wedding, the members of the clan living in the neighbourhood are always invited to participate.
Women eat separately inside the huts and out of sight of the men, but can drink water or beer in the presence of men.
Small children naturally feed with their mothers, but once the boys are circumcised they no longer eat with women.
A curious custom was recently noticed during a journey among the Kikuyu. The desiccated carcase of a cow or ox was noticed in the branches of a tree by the roadside, a little distance from a village, and it appears that if cattle are lodged at the village of a friend and one should die, the owner is informed, and is asked to come over and see it and remove the meat. If for some reason or other he does not come the carcase is hoisted into a tree so that all may see it. The object of this is that people may know that the beast was not surreptitiously killed and eaten by the people of the village, and no claim can then be lodged against them by the owner.
Names Among the Kikuyu.—Every Kikuyu child receives two proper names. If a male, his first name is that of the paternal grandfather, thiga, and if a female that of the maternal grandmother, chuchu. In the case of a male the second name is that of the father.
In addition he generally receives another name at the time of circumcision; this is considered as a nickname, and generally refers to some peculiarity of character, habits, or physique.
For instance, a boy will be called kichuru because he was said to drink a large amount of gruel as a child. If the lobe of a man’s ear is broken he is called kachuru; if he happens to break a finger he is called kara. [[261]]
The names are derived from animals such as nugu—a baboon, njovu—an elephant, hiti—hyæna, ngui—a dog.
From names of natural objects, such as kamiti—trees, kegio—a wild hibiscus used by the Kikuyu for making fibre, higa—stone, meriwa—a thorn, wa-rui—a stream, kirima—a hill.