Mango, mangoes

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Mango

***** Location: Tropics
***** Season: Hot and dry in Kenya
........ others see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

There are mangoes in Kenya at any time of year -- but it is in the hot and dry season when many different varieties come on the market at the same time.

The Apple and Tommy mangoes -- round and sweet, hardly any strings, lots of juice -- are some of the best on the market in this season, while the Ngowe mango (longer, yellow-skinned) is available year round, from various parts of Kenya and its East African neighbours.

Isabelle Prondzynski

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Tommy Atkins (after whom the Tommy mango is named)
He's in his early 80s and is an international wooer of adoring women. Actually this variety of mango was developed in Florida, USA in the 1920s. It was meant for commercial export, and today, along with Keith (another variety) dominates international trade. To make sure you are not too taken by this rogue, I must tell you he is not on the list of the 20 top-tasting mangoes.

Ed Schwellenbach

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Mango Fruit Facts : Mangifera indica L.



Common Names: Mango, Mangot, Manga, Mangou.
Related species: Bindjai (Mangifera caesia), Horse Mango (M. foetida), Kuweni mango (M. odorata).

Origin:
The mango is native to southern Asia, especially Burma and eastern India. It spread early on to Malaya, eastern Asia and eastern Africa. Mangos were introduced to California (Santa Barbara) in 1880.

Forms:
The mango exists in two races, one from India and the other from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Indian race is intolerant of humidity, has flushes of bright red new growth that are subject to mildew, and bears monoembryonic fruit of high color and regular form. The Philippine race tolerates excess moisture, has pale green or red new growth and resists mildew. Its polyembryonic fruit is pale green and elongated kidney-shaped. Philippines types from Mexico have proven to be the hardiest mangos in California.

Read a lot more here:
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/mango.html

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http://freshmangos.com/mangos.html,
a great link to our subject.

The mango is known as the 'king of fruit' throughout the world.
The mango is a member of the Anachardiaceae family. Other distant relatives include the cashew, pistachio, Jamaica plum, poison ivy and poison oak.

All About Mangos More mangos are eaten fresh all over the world than any other fruit!
Varieties of Mangos
Facts & Myths : The Mango tree plays a sacred role in India; it is a symbol of love and some believe that the Mango tree can grant wishes. And much more
The World's Largest On-line Mango Recipe Guide! : "MangoPickle in Brine" might go really well with a Japanese meal.

Ed Schwellenbach

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Plant characteristics :
The mango tree is an evergreen perennial. Its height, when mature, depends on the variety; some of the smaller fruited varieties grow to a height of 60 ft (c. 18 m) or more, whilst other varieties grow to only half this height. The foliage is produced in flushes; at first, it is yellow, pale green or red, but it becomes dark when mature. One part of a tree may be producing young flush growth whilst the rest of the foliage is mature. The inflorescences are also produced in flushes; these occur at different times of the year in different parts of East Africa, but the generally occur after the main periods of vegetative growth.

Each inflorescence consists of as many as 6,000 flowers, most of which are male, the remainder being hermaphrodite. The hermaphrodite flowers are insect pollinated, but as few as 0.1 % set fruit. Each inflorescence produces very few fruit; in the larger fruited varieties only one is usually produced but in varieties with smaller fruits there may be three to five.

The fruit consists of the following : the skin, or exocarp, whose colour may be green, yellow, red or purple according to the variety, the edible flesh, or mesocarp; the woody husk, or endocarp, which usually has fibres extending into the flesh, and the seed, which is embedded in the husk. The period from flowering to fruit maturity is about five months.

Most of the East African mango varieties exhibit polyembryony, i.e. each seed produces, in addition to the sexual seedling, one to five nucellar seedlings which are genetically identical to the parent plant. Monoembryonic varieties produce only one embryo per seed; as this embryo is of sexual origin such varieties do not breed true to type. Uniformity can only be achieved in monoembryonic varieties by vegetative propagation.

Ecology :
Mangoes grow well in areas which receive poor and erratic rainfall, e.g. the central part of Tanzania, where an average annual rainfall of only 25 in (c. 650 mm) is common. They grow best at a higher rainfall than this but a dry period is essential at flowering and fruiting; rain at flowering can cause a high incidence of fungal infections on the inflorescences. Mangoes are limited to the lower altitude areas and are seldom seen above 5,000 ft (c. 1,500 m).
Two Kenya selections, Sabre and the Harries mango, can be grown as high as 6,000 ft (c. 1,800 m).

Mangoes do not require soils with a high nutrient content but the must be free draining and deep.

Pests :
The most important pest is the mango weevil, Sternocochetus mangiferae. The larvae enter the fruit, leaving no external sign of their entry, and attack the seeds. There is often a hard white area in the flesh of mangoes which may be caused by the entry of mango weevil larvae.

J D Acland, East African Crops, FAO 1971

Plant of the Month : Mango


You can take unripe mangoes and place them in a brown paper bag, add an apple if you have, and keep them outside at room temperature. The mango will ripen within a few days, check it regularly. These home-ripened mango are quite delicious.
artificially ripened mangoes
Home-grown mango come from your own orchard.



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MANGO TALES (of India)
by Isidore Domnick Mendis

Though mango plays a very important role on the Indian dining table it has many other usages. Romance of the Mango, written by Kusum Budhwar and published by Penguin Books touches on all aspects of the king of fruits, especially its reference in mythology, poetry, sculptures, paintings and textiles.

In the 15th century one of the Portuguese Governor Generals took the Alphonso variety grown in Goa to Brazil which was also governed by Portugal. In return he brought the cashew, a native of Brazil. Both mango and cashew adapted themselves to their new homes," says Budhwar.
Today Brazil has over 600 varieties but many popular ones like Espada, Bourbom, Carlota and Augusta are variants of the Indian Alphonso. Similarly the American varieties like Haden and Kent grown in Florida too are Alphonso variants.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the reference of mangos in religion. "Lord Shiva married Parvati under a mango tree. Lord Ganesha's love for mangoes and ladoos is legendary. Lord Hanuman consumed the mangoes that Ravana sent for Sita who was in his captivity. The fruit finds mention several times in Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas," says the author. Even the Buddhists, Jains and Parsis consider the mango tree holy. Some Christians even use it as a Christmas tree, says Budhwar.

The fruit is inextricably linked to Indian art. Mango motifs can be seen in paisley shawls of Kashmir, they are also on gota and kinari work and can be found on many traditional Indian sarees. In many parts of India the mango motif is a must in the bridal trousseau. The Balucheri saris of Bengal and Kanchivaram saris of Tamilnadu have mango motifs woven into them.

There is a lot more on this link:
http://www.the-south-asian.com/May-June2003/mango_tales.htm

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Worldwide use

Brazil

The mango is a very popular fruit in Amazonia, even though it comes from Asia.

In Amazonas, the mango tree, begins to bloom in July, in the beginning of the dry season. Its fruit production begins in September, with the largest harvest occurring from October to January, rarely until March (rainy season).

The tree can be found in many backyards of local homes. Not long ago the mango tree had great importance as an ornamental along the avenues of Manaus, softening the hardness of the cement constructions. Unfortunately, local politics caused great impact by substituting for more cement those green areas, leaving in the residents' memory only the history of the avenues adorned with such beautiful trees. Fortunately, the same didn't happen in the city of Belém, which still maintains mango trees in their streets and explains one of the names: "city of the mango trees". Since the same did not occur in Manaus, the mango trees are part of childhood memories, yielding a lot of histories to tell.

Amazonia produces several types of mango fruit, with forms, colors, flavors and sizes particular to each one. Some types are more popular than others, with the manguita, the pink mango and the common mango the ones that fall in the preference of most of the Amazonian people. The manguita got its name because it´s a small fruit, weighing about 65-90g with the seed weighing 8-10g, and a pulp with a sweet mild flavor. The common mango is just a little larger, but its flavor is not as attractive as that of the manguita, although it is also pleasant. The tree of the common mango was the common along the city's avenues.

The pink mango is very coveted. It stands out in the tree for its size (450-550g and seed 35-50g) and strong pink color. Its flavor and smell are also very appreciated. It´s difficult to pass by a mango tree full of fruits and resist the desire of having one in hand. This is because from the height of their portliness they awaken the impulse of wanting to reach them, sometimes even without their owners' permission.

Some people prefer to eat the mango still green, seasoning it with salt. There are those that prefer it ripe or almost ripe, cut with a knife or peeled with the teeth or sucked until the fibers become clean and stretched, even if they get stuck in the teeth. Formerly, when the children sucked the mango to that point, they used the seed to play with. It was common to make a horse by nailing pieces of thick wire to give it legs and a tail, and to use a bottle cap or cork for a head. It depended on the artisan to select the appearance of the animal. The mango tree was also the most common tree for childhood climbing and the one that best allowed arrival at the top due to the abundance of strong branches. Thanks to it, many boys inflated their chests with pride for having gotten to observe the neighborhood from the highest point.

Besides these traditional uses, that were maintained for a long time, now the fruit of the mango is used in several forms in Amazonian cuisine. Nowadays, the pulp has regular presence in the local supermarkets. It can be found in processed forms, wrapped in bags with varied amounts for the preparation of juices, in the form of ice creams, creams, and other sweet and salty recipes, showing its versatility in times of global changes. In any form that it comes, it is always a delicacy.





parking lot
waiting with birds for mangoes
to ripen in the trees

nothing moves--
the mangoes in the tree
turning yellow

Rosa Clement, May 2008

BRAZIL SAIJIKI


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India

mangoes-
planter waits to ripen
also a squirrel

In fact in the villages, kids prefer to eat the semi-ripe mangoes half-eaten by Squirrels - it is believed that the squirrels know which one to bite into and they run away when there is noise around leaving the half-eaten ones.

By the way, following the principle of TRINITY, the fruit-trinity, as per the Tamilian lore, consists of Banana (Plantain), Mango, and Jack Fruit . We can find quite a lot of references to "mukkani" (the Tamil word meaning "3-fruits") in Tamil literature and folk lore.

A. Thiagarajan



hanging mangoes
kigo for mid-may


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home-ripened mangoes
I hear my grandmother's voice
in my mother's

Kala Ramesh

source : The Mainichi, Japan, June 2012


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Philippines

The mango is the national fruit of The Philippines. Whoever decided this made a good decision.

Our variety has a rich golden colour, and is finger-licking yummy. It's one of the things that influence my decision to visit. We once went to the open market and bought two kilos and a knife, then returned to our hotel room and ate all of it for the next couple of hours.

How to eat a mango:

1 You could slice off both cheeks and scoop the fruit out with a spoon, then pierce the large seed with a knife, peel the skin off, and bite off the remaining flesh.

2 You could also slice the flesh into small pieces, put it all in a blender with crushed ice (for health and safety reasons, use bottled water to make the ice!!!), and voila! ... mango shake!

3 Green mango slices are also a favourite. This is unripe mango, which is very sour. You dip the slices in salt or 'bagoong', which is anchovy paste. Usually eaten as an afternoon snack; often sold on the sidewalk, complete with dip.

4 Dried mango - just open the bag and munch as much as you like! It's candy and fruit in one.

By the way, the tastiest mangoes are those which are grown without artificial fertilizers. Too many chemicals affect the taste of the fruit. These days we call it biological farming; not such a new concept after all.

Ella Wagemakers


Philippines　mango More reference.


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Yemen

kigo for summer


mango harvest -
the sun peels
a man's face


Heike Gewi, Yemen, Summer 2008


Mangos were introduced to Yemen in the 20th century.
READ
Mangos find a place in Yemen



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Things found on the way

.. .. .. .. .. Botswana Haiku

Students were asked to do a piece of creative writing using the characteristics (whether formal or not) of one of the texts that we discussed during the semester. The assignment required that they follow the conventions and characteristics of the text (China, Japan, Puerto Rico, and ancient Mesopotamia) but used their own experiences in Botswana for the content.
http://www.thuto.org/english/courses/eng434/botshaiku.htm

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The Mango Worm or Mango Fly
http://www.bbcgf.org/far/oct2003/goodthings.html
http://www.amershamhealth.com/medcyclopaedia/medical/volume%20III%201/AFRICAN%20EYE%20WORM%20DISEASE.ASP


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In India, mango trees can be decorated as Christmas trees :

Let us take a look at what are the various way of celebrating Christmas in India. Generally the Christians who live in the plains decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. Some of them also decorate their houses with mango leaves. However in some of the other parts of India, a lot of people use small clay oil-burning lamps as Christmas decorations. These small clay lamps are placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls.
http://www.indianchild.com/christmas/christmas_in_india.htm


Christmas celebrations vary in different parts of India. In some parts, small clay oil-burning lamps, mango leaves etc are used as Christmas decorations and mango and banana trees are decorated. All the major Indian cities wear a festive look. Shops and bazaars are decorated for the occasion and offer attractive bargains.
http://www.webindia123.com/festival/dec/christmas.htm


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HAIKU

slurping
plump sweet Tommy mangoes --
bring me Tommy!

raising its head
into sudden daylight --
surprised mango larva.

Going home on the bus this evening, one of the lower-income areas had stands selling piles of small green mangoes, which reminded me of a famine period not long ago :

drought and famine
nothing to eat but
small green mangoes

These mangoes are sweet and juicy, but have more than their fair share of strings. I have yet to hear their specific name in Kikuyu or Swahili -- they are simply called mangoes in both (iembe / embe) and were probably the only variety of mango that grew up-country until the last century.

Isabelle Prondzynski

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A hot long harsh day
I crept into the shadow
Of a mango tree

S. I. Nkatogang
http://www.thuto.org/english/courses/eng434/botshaiku.htm

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Kona wind
sticky even before
this mango

the 'kona wind' is the wind that hits the northern shore of the big island of hawaii. kona is an area on that coast. coffee and chocolate grow there. there are also many cattle ranches there. the kona wind is rather hot, and you feel uncomfortable and sticky because of it.

susan delphine delaney
(won a first prize in the hawaii education association contest one year)

About Kona in Hawaii.
http://www.konaweb.com/
http://www.konaweb.com/konaweb/index.shtml

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the monk bows
for the mango tree
leaves in flushes

a fond embrace
the taste of mango
on her lips

Geert Verbeke

Read more of Geert's Mango Haiku here:
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2004/01/friends-geert-verbeke.html


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Mango Haiku
Ester Obwamu, Kenya


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Related words

***** Mango Blossoms
kigo for spring in India

Mango Blossoms – early March - the phrase encapsulates and symbolizes the essence of spring.

Mangoes are so widely grown in India – and the blossoms are simply too beautiful to look at. Mango trees would be covered with buds and blossoms so fine that we would hardly be able to see the young leaves or the branches!

In madras – most houses have mango trees and the city out-skirts have mango groves- vast acres of it.

And when on a visit to these mango groves in early March, you would see the trees covered in a soft brownish canopy of buds and blossoms – millions of them . . . .

the coming of spring so visible . .

childhood home. . .
gentle breeze caresses
the mango blossoms

Kala Ramesh, India

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first bloom
in my mango tree
a vacant nest

Dr.Vidur Jyoti, India, March 2008

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his sunburned face
on my pillow -
mango blossoms

Gabi Greve, travelling in India 1979

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Two Tahitian Women with Mango Blossoms
Paul Gauguin.



1899. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.abcgallery.com/G/gauguin/gauguin71.html

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How to make a dish called Mango Blossoms out of a mango:

Slide a sharp knife parallel to broad side of mango and against pit; cut off both sides.
Place halves cut side up; cut flesh to the skin, but not through, to make 1/2" squares.
Gently push up the skin to flare out mango sections; serve with orange wedges.
http://search.yumyum.com/recipe.htm?ID=4970

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***** Mango Blossom Honey
non-seasonal topic

Looking for a photo of a mango blossom, I found this:

Mango Blossom Honey: A dark amber honey, Mango Blossom reveals smoke, butter, black cherries and high notes of passion fruit to provide a truly sensual experience.

Made in Java
http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/shoppe.asp?cat=2


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noonday sun --
a child squeezes her mango
to the last droplet

James Bundi
2011



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a mango leaf
the entire world
of the unnamed bug


Suhit Kelkar
Maharashtra, India
The Heron's Nest - September 2012　　



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Maize, Green Maize

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Green Maize

***** Location: Kenya and neighbouring countries
***** Season: Cool dry season, hot dry season
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Maize harvested before it is quite ripe, while it is still fairly soft, is called Green Maize. This food is greatly enjoyed, as it is the first output of the staple grain during the season, and it can sometimes be the first harvested food after a period of hunger, even famine.

The maize cobs are sold in street markets, still covered by their inner leaves. They may also be sold freshly boiled or grilled, for immediate consumption on the spot.

Green maize is particularly appreciated for making soft mûkimû or gîtheri suitable for elderly people who may have lost some of their teeth. However, it is not suited for storage -- which means that the maize eaten for most of the year consists of the ripe grains, decobbed, sundried and stored in a safe place until needed.

The main page for maize, covering further maize related kigo in Kenya, may be found here :
Maize / Corn

Isabelle Prondzynski.

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Here is a delicious plate of gîtheri -- enjoy!


http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/12529/67575/f/405255-githeri--my-favourite-food-0.jpg

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Worldwide use

The Kenyan Green Maize is equivalent to the yellow maize eaten as sweetcorn or corn on the cob in many other countries. The main difference is the maize variety -- Kenya maize being white rather than yellow, and therefore less sweet and more savoury in flavour.

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

fresh grain of maize
on the dry Kayole street --
sharp eyes of the hen

~ Isabelle Prondzynski

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From Bahati Haiku Poetry Club (The Bamboochas) :

a swarm of houseflies
on cobs and leftovers--
green maize

~ David Wandera

蝿の群れ 青唐黍の 屑の上
hae no mure ao tookibi no kuzu no ue
Translation by Nakamura Sakuo


boiled maize --
jaws move up and down
chewing hard

~ Depporah Mocheche


a man
with his customer by his side
roasting maize

~ Walter Ochola


Green maize roaster, January 2005
Photo : Isabelle Prondzynski


at Soweto Market--
men unloading maize
from a blue lorry

~ Raymond Otieno

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at the fireside --
happy kids telling stories
as they roast maize

~ Kevin Safari

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early morning
kids chase weaverbirds
from their green maize

~ Patrick Wafula

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From Falcons Haiku Poetry Club (Lorna Waddington) :

maize in the garden
standing still on the farm
Kadima enjoys the taste

~ Susan


elephants enjoying
the villagers chasing them
beating drums

~ Simon


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warm steam from
the boiled maize sufuria--
evening showers

Hussein Haji


Sufuria cooking pot


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Related words

***** Maize / Corn as a kigo


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Maize, Corn

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Maize (Swahili : Mahindi, American : Corn, South African : Mealies)

***** Location: Kenya, East Africa, other areas
***** Season: Dry Season and others, see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Maize is the main staple crop of Kenya and its neighbours. It is the size of the maize and bean crops that determines the nutritional state of the nation. Moreover, maize constitutes the most important element of the country’s strategic grain reserve.

Maize and beans together form a nutritional whole which is greater than the sum of its parts, each bringing out the best in the other. Thus, it is no surprise that the greatest staple dishes of the country are composed of maize and beans cooked together or separately -- githeri (maize and beans cooked together, with the addition of some onions, tomatoes and potatoes), mûkimû or irio (maize and beans, mashed together with potatoes and bananas).



Maize is also roasted over charcoal fires in every town and city along the roadside and eaten by passers by as a filling snack.



The most “Kenyan” of all dishes, eaten by practically all nations of the country, is ugali, a soft cake of boiled maize flour, skillfully eaten with one’s fingers, together with sukuma wiki (cooked shredded green cabbage) or a meat stew. For the Luo people, a meal is not a meal if it does not include ugali!




As a kigo,
maize plays the same role in Kenya as rice does in Japan. Each season has its kigo related to maize -- its planting, weeding, watering, ripening, harvesting, decobbing, the cleaning (“selecting”) of the grains, various dishes eaten at different stages of the grain’s ripening, various uses for the stalks and leaves, various worries when the weather is too dry or too wet at different stages of the maize crop’s progress.

These kigo are repeated twice a year, as maize is planted at the start of each rainy season and harvested towards the middle of each dry season. Some maize dishes are eaten all year round, some are quite seasonal, as they are cooked with unripe (“green”) maize.

Maize has replaced some of the earlier staples, such as millet and sorghum, which still accompany many of the traditional festivals in the lives of the communities.

Kenya eats white maize, which differs from the smaller, harder, sweeter yellow maize grown and eaten in Europe and North America. It is said that the colonialists liked the white maize so much that they reserved it for themselves, making the Africans eat yellow maize. After Independence, Kenyans have never wanted to touch it again, and even during famine seasons, they treat foreign donations of yellow maize with the greatest of suspicion.

The “maize countries” of Africa generally lie along the Indian Ocean, from Kenya southwards, all the way to South Africa. North of Kenya, in Ethiopia, tef (Ethiopian millett) is the main staple, in Uganda, it is matoke (bananas), and further westward from there, it becomes cassava, with its favourite dish, fufu. All these carbohydrates, as well as sweet and “Irish” potatoes, rice and tapioca, are also grown and eaten in Kenya, but maize is the nation’s favourite by far.

Isabelle Prondzynski
Text and Photos

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Maize kigo of Kenya

preparing maize fields
planting maize seeds
weeding maize fields
growing maize plants
ripening maize plants
harvesting maize
decobbing maize cobs
composting maize stalks
Green Maize
ripe maize
mûkimû

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Some recipe pages :

Githeri :
http://www.kenya-mail.com/githeri.html
http://www.congocookbook.com/c0203.html

Irio (mûkimû) :
http://www.congocookbook.com/c0045.html

Ugali :
http://www.congocookbook.com/c0051.html
http://kenya.rcbowen.com/recipes/ugali.html

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And a wonderful article in German about githeri & co. :

Githeri - nicht nur für geschäftstüchtige Kioskbesitzer ein Gewinn
VON CHRISTOPH LINK (NAIROBI)

Die Volksgruppe der Gikuyu in Kenia gilt als besonders geschäftstüchtig, und man sagt, sie seien sparsame Leute, die ihr Geld nicht verprassen, sondern auf die hohe Kante legen. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass in den Küchen der Gikuyu im kühlen und zentralen Hochland Kenias besonders preiswerte Gemüsegerichte entstehen. Mukimo zum Beispiel - ein Erbsen-Kartoffelpüree - oder das berühmte Githeri, ein Eintopf aus Mais und Bohnen, der so ein Schlager ist, dass er sogar in Dosen verpackt im Handel erhältlich ist.

To read more, click HERE !

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Zea mays (Maize, Corn)
Mielie [Afrikaans]

by Hamish Robertson

Maize originates from Mexico and by the time Columbus arrived in the New World, there were already many domesticated varieties. Maize has become a particularly important crop in North America and Africa.

There are four wild species in the genus Zea, all of which are native to Mexico and northern Central America. One of these, Zea mexicana, commonly called teosinte, gave rise to maize Zea mays. Genetic evidence suggests that maize originated mainly from the Balsas race of teosinte which is found in the Balsas River basin in the Michoacan-Guerrero border region of western Mexico. Zea mays is thought to have speciated from Z. mexicana into a separate gene pool many thousands of years ago afterwhich it diversified into a number of different races.

Archaeological evidence from the Tehuacan caves in Puebla, Mexico, suggests that people were using Z. mays rather that Z. mexicana from about 5000 BC. The remains of Z. mays from these caves still bare quite a close resemblance to Z. mexicana in that the ears are small and slender and the grains are tiny and hard. However, the cobs were non-shattering and there were mostly eight row of kernels although there were a few four rowed types. They were probably used to produce popcorn.

By the time Columbus arrived in the Americas, people had developed numerous forms of maize and were often growing them in close proximity to one another. Although maize is wind-pollinated, people were able to keep races genetically distinct because (1) different races were grown in different fields with forest inbetween; (2) pollen of the same race as the plant tends to grow down the long styles faster than pollen of different races; and (3) farmer can spot a cob with pollination by different races of pollen because grains are often differently coloured - cobs like this would be rejected for planting.

Columbus brought maize grains back to the Spanish court, originating from the Greater Antilles in the Caribean, and these were grown in Spain in 1493. Basque companions of Pizarro brought maize grains back from Peru and introduced maize growing to the Pyrenees. Maize growing spread rapidly in Europe although only in southern Europe did it become a major crop. The popularity of maize in this region stemmed from the increased yield it provided over other spring crops such as wheat. It soon became the staple diet of poor people which led to malnutrition because maize is defficient in the amino acids lysine and niacin and white maize is defficient in carotene which is converted to Vitamin A. The disease pellagra became common, caused by a deficiency of niacin.

Maize was introduced to Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries and was readily accepted by African farmers, partly because it was grown and used in a similar way to their traditional crop of grain sorghum. Maize displaced sorghum as the staple grain in all but the drier regions. The Portuguese are thought to have introduced maize to Asian regions where it became widely grown but in most cases did not replace rice and wheat as the major crops.

In North America, the Red Indian tribes were growing maize as far back as 200 AD, but it was only in the 19th Century, with the aid of draft animals and ploughs, that European settlers rapidly developed the prairie grasslands of the Eastern US into what is now referred to as the Cornbelt. It was in this region that new, higher yielding maize varieties were developed, some of which were adopted in other parts of the world.

Copyright 2004, Iziko Museums of Cape Town
http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/poaceae/zea_mays.htm

toumorokoshi, tohmorokoshi
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http://www.comekuona.org/Working%20on%20field%2002.jpg

http://flickr.com/photos/jenly/110072694/in/photostream/

http://www.kenyaseed.com/maize.htm

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Worldwide use

Japan

Maize, toomorokoshi 玉蜀黍、とうもろこし, トウモロコシ

kigo for late summer

toomorokoshi no hana 玉蜀黍の花 (とうもろこしのはな)
maize flowers
nanban no hana なんばんの花（なんばんのはな）
tookibi no hana 唐黍の花（とうきびのはな） "Kibi from Tang China" flowers


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kigo for mid-autumn

....... other words used are

morokoshi, もろこし
"Southern Barbarian Millet", nanban kibi　南蛮黍 （難波黍）
..... nanban　なんばん
Korean Millet, koorai kibi　高麗黍
Chinese (Tang) Millet, tookibi, 唐黍、玉黍

corn, koon　コーン

Another species　(some Japanese saijiki lists them as the same) :

"high millet" takakibi　高黍　
Chinese Millet, kooryan　こうりゃん, 高粱　
corn-millet, morokoshi kibi もろこしきび
Chinese (Tang) Millet tookibi　唐きび

These crops have been introduced by the Portugese (nanban) to Japan around 1570. Some came via China and Korea, hence the naming.

Kooryan is the main source of an alcoholic drink of China.

　「唐土」と書いて「モロコシ」と読みますが（勿論、トウドと読んでも構いませんが・・・）、「唐黍」がさすモロコシは、唐土の事ではありません。漢字を当てると「蜀黍」です。「蜀」も日本では中国あるいは大陸を表す文字のひとつでありましたから、どの道中国ゆかりのコトバであることは同じですね。
著名な中国酒のひとつであるコーリャン酒の原料である「高粱」は、モロコシの中国語の呼び方です。
http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/ayuta/kotoba/kotolog/tokibi.html


WKD : Maize and other autumn vegetables


. PLANTS - - - the Complete SAIJIKI . 　


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USA

. corn shucking, corn husking 　


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

strong and healthy maize
due to sewage nutrients --
very green colour

-- Grace Wanjau (Falcons)


唐黍や汚水で育つ青々と

tookibi ya
osui de sodatsu
aoao to

(Tr. Sakuo Nakamura)


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Read more MAIZE haiku from the Kenya Haiku Clubs here !

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Golden maze of maize
Silent sentries standing tall
Summer fortress formed

Harley Gal, USA
http://www.blossomswap.com/poems/haiku.html


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Shiki Haiku Competition, August 2009


cold afternoon --
an old toothless woman
roasting maize

~ stephen macharia



a boy chews an
abandoned green maize...
late noon

~ Catherine Njeri Maina



vociferous murmur
from the maize plantation...
August showers

~ Patrick Wafula



dry morning --
people sowing maize seeds
along the river bank

~ Eric Mwange



old Kikuyu farmer
busy on his withering maize --
sad face

~ mugaka

Kenya Saijiki Forum


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brown moulds form
on a rotting maize cob-
stagnant water

Andrew Otinga

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lunch time--
she drops a plateful
of githeri

Ceciliah Wambui

Discussion at the Kenya Forum


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wilted maize—
the sandy riverbed turuns
into a path

Patrick Wafula
during a drought in February, 2011


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shelling maize -
the blister on her hand
burst

Doris Muthoni
March 2012


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Related words

***** Green Maize

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***** Millet (kibi　きび、黍)
kigo for mid-autumn in Japan

ear of the millet, kibi no ho 黍の穂
cutting millet, kibi karu, 黍刈る
thrashing millet, kibi hiku　黍引く
millet-field, kibibata 黍畑
millet dumplings, kibi dango 黍団子


. Millet (awa, hie, kibi) 　


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WASHOKU :
YASAI . Vegetable SAIJIKI


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Maize Haiku 0609

nnnnnnnnnnnn TOP nnnnnnnnnnnnn

Maize Haiku from Kenya Haiku Clubs
September 2006

Maize cultivation
------------------------


hoes on their hands as
farmers cultivate maize crops
whistling loudly

~ Geoffrey (Falcon)



healthy green maize
using sewage manure
they are nutritious

~ Keago (Falcon)



moo moo moo
leaves of green maize
cows bleating for them

~ Grace (Falcon)



swaying her hands
a woman chases away chicken
from her maize

~ Raymond Otieno (Bamboocha)



blooming tassels
on strong maize plants
expectant farmers

~ Catherine Njeri (Bamboocha)



month of June
showers and frost--
healthy maize plants

~ Catherine Njeri (Bamboocha)



in our farm--
weaverbirds sing
as they peck maize

~ Patrick Wafula (teacher)




Maize Harvest
----------------------

ready in the farm
no workers to harvest
birds celebrate

~Nalo (Falcon)



green maize
like a grandfather's beard--
great harvest

~ Kevin Safari (teacher)



in the homestead--
a happy-looking father
receives maize from farm

~ Patrick Wafula (teacher)



Green Maize
--------------------

old African mother
looks very confused as
she sells maize

~ Helen (Falcon)



green long sheath stem
big grains from its maize cob
healthy and energetic

~ Baraza (Falcon)



so lovely and strong
they grow along the sewage
making the farm nice

~ Seline (Falcon)



tupft tupft tupft
mahindi choma ten bob
shouts the man selling

~ Rebecca (Falcon)



a woman carrying maize
buying beans in the market
githeri at home

~ Raymond Otieno (Bamboocha)



a pit full of maize cobs
business must be doing well
happy men

~ Raymond Otieno (Bamboocha)



a man eating maize
along a busy street
gets knocked over

~ Catherine Njeri (Bamboocha)



I move near a stall
full of boiled green maize
sweet scent

~ Catherine Njeri (Bamboocha)



happy chorus girl
with a chopstick
eating Indian corn

~ Susan Wangui (Bamboocha)



boiled maize on plate
saliva drops off the lips --
can I taste?

~ Samson Onyango (Bamboocha)



expectant Luhyas
stand around the maize stand--
munching jaws

~ Patrick Wafula (teacher)



a woman
shelling green maize--
githeri for lunch

~ Annastacia Muthoni (Bamboocha)



a long the streets
women sell githeri--
green maize

~ Kevin Safari (teacher)



plenty of food
a man riding a bicycle
with three bags of maize

~ Jedidah Kerubo


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Related words


***** Maize, Corn in Kenya
Back to Main Entry


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THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
worldkigo .....

Back to the Worldkigo Index

Maasai and their cattle Masai

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Maasai Cattle

***** Location: Kenya (Nairobi)
***** Season: Hot dry season, cool dry season
***** Category: Animal

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Explanation

In the city of Nairobi and its suburbs, home to some 2 million people, Maasai cattle make an appearance regularly during the dry seasons, when vegetation becomes scarce in the Maasai countryside. More recently, since global warming started, the Maasai never quite leave Nairobi, even during the rainy seasons, but settle down in their temporary villages in the bush near the International Airport. But when drought strikes, they venture all the way into the city centre, browse along the main highways and in the public parks, and spread into the leafy suburbs of Karen to graze where they can still find grass.


[Photo November 2005]

The people of Nairobi are highly tolerant of the Maasai herds, and are well used to their strolling down dual carriageways, attended by their keepers clad in traditional red cloths. It is only when they take to narrow streets that they arouse irritation, as their horns are long and straight, and they have been known to break many a window in their search for grass.

The cattle graze along verges and in public parks, but cause very little damage to the roots and soil, as they keep gently moving along all the time on the dry earth. Anyone who plants a kitchen garden or a flower patch that is not securely fenced in, will not see much surviving after the Maasai cattle have passed, but I have never heard more than a moan about them, as everyone understands that the cattle too must eat.


[Photo January 2006]

Maasais have a close and religious relationship with their cattle (see below), and above all else want them to thrive and multiply. The cattle always look well cared for, and are herded in a gentle manner by their keepers, who are usually paid by several owners to look after them. Their purpose is to own cattle, and only very rarely will they slaughter an animal for a celebration. They do, however, enjoy their milk and their blood and, unlike many African nations, have no allergy against milk, which from time immemorial they have enjoyed.

The current (2006) drought and famine, the worst for many decades, shows its severity by the fact that Maasai cattle are dying in large numbers even as the people too are suffering and dying. The article which you will find directly below concerns the work of a friend of mine, Ronnie Briggs, who returned to his Kenyan home in Kajiado (February 2006), after some months spent in Ireland.

Text and photos (c) Isabelle Prondzynski

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Work Begins on Food Distribution Centres in Kajiado

January saw the launch of CMSIreland's 'Food for Thought' appeal, in response to the famine situation in Kenya. Ronnie Briggs, a CMSIreland Mission Partner, has recently travelled back to Kenya and is working to help deliver the programme on the ground.

Writing from Kajiado (in the heart of Maasai country) he says, "I have arrived safely and am beginning to get my head around what is going on here. Even though I have not yet travelled very far I can see that the famine and drought are hitting very hard - there is much distress and suffering. Dead animals are lying at the side of the road - including wild animals which is quite unusual as they are normally more suited to severe conditions than domestic animals. There are heaps of dead animals lying outside villages. When they can't get up in the morning they soon die and so they are heaped up and eventually burned. The smell is awful!"

The local church has been gathering together groups, pastors and evangelists from around the diocese in order to train them in how best to manage the distribution of food -- ensuring that it reaches the most needy. Now they are just waiting for enough food to arrive at the centres.

Ronnie says, "All the energies of the Diocese are extremely focused on this issue. I have already heard some awful stories of the effect of the famine in some of the remote parts of the Diocese. One man - a headmaster in a primary school - was almost in tears as he related the situation in Torosei - one of our nominated centres - as they have not received any help at all so far. This kind of story is repeated in numerous places all over the Diocese".

Quoted from here.

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Prayer for Rain

Almighty God, Giver of life and strength,
creator of rain and sky, dust and earth,
preserver of people and plants and animals :
as our cattle leave their enclosures,
as we work on a dry and weary land,
we look to you, our heavenly showers,
quench our thirst, strengthen our herds,
raise our crops and refresh our land;
Through Jesus Christ, the water of life. Amen

-- Our Modern Services, 2002 (c) Anglican Church of Kenya

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From Naomi Kipury's excellent "Oral Literature of the Maasai"
(1983: East African Educational Publishers Ltd., PO Box 45314 Nairobi, Kenya).

The Origin of Cattle, collected by Naomi Kipury

In the beginning, the Maasai did not have any cattle. One day God called Maasinta, who was the first Maasai, and said to him: "I want you to make a large enclosure, and when you have done so, come back and inform me."

Maasinta went and did as he was instructed, and came back to report what he had done. Next, God said to him:

"Tomorrow, very early in the morning, I want you to go and stand against the outside wall of the house for I will give you something called cattle. But when you see or hear anything do not be surprised. Keep very silent."

Very early next morning, Maasinta went to wait for what was to be given him. He soon heard the sound of thunder and God released a long leather thong from heaven to earth. Cattle descended down this thong into the enclosure. The surface of the earth shook so vigorously that his house almost fell over.

Maasinta was gripped with fear, but did not make any move or sound. While the cattle were still descending, the Dorobo, who was a house-mate of Maasinta, woke up from his sleep. He went outside and on seeing the countless cattle coming down the strap, he was so surprised that he said "Ayieyieyie!", an exclamation of utter shock.

On hearing this, God took back the thong and the cattle stopped descending. God then said to Maasinta, thinking he was the one who had spoken: "Is it that these cattle are enough for you? I will never again do this to you, so you had better love these cattle in the same way I love you." That is why the Maasai love cattle very much.

How about the Dorobo? Maasinta was very upset with him for having cut God's thong. He cursed him thus: "Dorobo, are you the one who cut God's thong? May you remain as poor as you have always been. You and your offspring will for ever remain my servants. Let it be that you will live off animals in the wild. May the milk of my cattle be poison if you ever taste it." This is why up to this day the Dorobo still live in the forest and they are never given milk.

This page is part of Jens Finke's
Traditional Music and Cultures of Kenya
http://www.bluegecko.org/kenya/tribes/maasai/stories-cattle.htm

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To the Maasai cattle are sacred and a direct gift from the heavens. Grass is also considered a blessing and sacred. When passing a fig tree, it is customary for the Maasai to push handfuls of grass between the roots, as homage to the source of their herds. One of the more common Maasai greetings is "I hope your cattle are well".

http://www.magicalkenya.com/default.nsf/doc21/4YGEX3ADMY6?opendocument&l=1&e=1&s=1

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The life of the Masai tribe of Kenya and Tanzania revolve around cattle. Virtually all social roles and status derive from the relationship of individuals to their cattle. Cow's milk, together with blood, is the staple food of the Masai who eat no fruit or grain. Once a month, blood is taken from living animals by shooting a small arrow into the neck. This blood is then mixed with milk in a gourd which has been washed with urine to prevent spoilage.

Masai cattle vary considerable due to the centuries old practice of stealing cattle from neighboring tribes. This is sanctioned by the Masai legend with relates that Ngai (God) sent them cattle at the beginning of time and gave them the sole right to keep them. Compared with cattle belonging to the surrounding tribes, Masai cattle are the largest and in the best condition. This is due largely to the generous amount of milk the young calves get.

As a rule, the Masai have so many cattle that only a portion of the milk is needed for human consumption and there is plenty left for the calves. Females stand 125 cm tall and weigh about 360 kg while bulls are 140 cm at the withers and weigh 400 kg. The breed has a characteristically small narrow head. The dewlap is quite large, the chest is relatively deep and the whole body is well muscled. Coloration varies although the Masai favor brindled animals.



© Photo provided by Drew Conroy

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/masai/

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Ngai

The Maasai believe in one God, whom they call Ngai. Ngai is neither male nor female, but seems to have several different aspects. For instance, there is the saying Naamoni aiyai, which means "The She to whom I pray". There are two main manifestations of Ngai: Ngai Narok which is good and benevolent and is black; and Ngai Na-nyokie, which is angry and red, like the British. For a story which has them as separate gods, see Thunder and the Gods.

Ngai is the creator of everything. In the beginning, Ngai (which also means sky) was one with the earth, and owned all the cattle that lived on it. But one day the earth and sky separated, so that Ngai was no longer among men. The cattle, though, needed the material sustenance of grass from the earth, so to prevent them dying Ngai sent down the cattle to the Maasai by means of the aerial roots of the sacred wild fig tree, and told them to look after them. This they do to this day, quite literally taking the story as an excuse to relieve neighbouring tribes of their own livestock.

Any pursuit other than a pastoral one was considered insulting to Ngai and demeaning to them. No Maasai was willing to break the ground, even to bury the dead within it, for soil was sacred on account of its producing grass which fed the cattle which belonged to God... Equally, grass has acquired a semi-sacred aura, and is held in the fist as a sign of peace, and similarly held is used for blessings during rituals, a sheaf of grass being shaken at the people or animals being blessed.

No surprise, then, to find that cattle play an important role in ritual occasions, such as initiation, marriage, and the passage of one age-set to the next, where their sacrifice bridges the gap between man and God. Yet for all the deep significance cattle embody for the Maasai, a stupid person will still be referred to as a cow or a sheep!
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/maasai_religion.htm

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

cold dew at sunrise --
thirsty soil, thirsty cattle
dust soon covers all



Maasai cattle
thronging city streets
their silent guards

Isabelle Prondzynski, February 2006

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Haiku from the drought of 2006

austere drought
withered grasses and trees
carcasses all over

Catherine Njeri

ooo ooo ooo

austere drought
deserted manyattas
animal carcasses

Patrick Wafula

manyattas are houses build with mud walls, where the Maasai live.

ooo ooo ooo

dry whirlwinds blow
Maasais and their cattle flee
carcasses and stench

Teresia Wanjiku

Bahati Poetry Haiku Club Meeting January 2006


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maasai herdsmen
lead hungry cows across
an empty field

James Bundi
January 2011


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Related words


. Masai, Maasai, Massai
topic for Kenya haiku


While it’s true that the Maasai are largely pastoralist, urbanization and other modern forces have forced others to adapt a new life though much informed by their former way of life.

The Urban Maasai still hold their culture dearly. They move along in clusters, holding their rungu and in most cases with their traditional dressings. Rarely will you see a Maasai walking alone. They have to a large extended defied the power of individualism. They live as a community. They communicate to one another through their mother tongue. They share the place of living thus minimizing the cost of living. In most cases they live in the building that they guard. In most cases this are building that are still under construction and those which are not yet rented.

Their economy is based on employment as guards. Maasai are believed to be good askaris due to their braveness. Thus also provide security to those who get home late, those who go to work in late hours. Beside provision of security the Maasai are employed in nyama choma (roast meat) joints. In recent times they are been involved in small vending businesses – such as selling sweets, cigarettes, milk, bread and such related commodities. Their businesses are located in the gates of estates, on the road sides and at the bus stops. I have not met a Maasai selling fruits yet.

It is the male Maasai that are dominant in the city center. Their wives are left in the rural area and the male always makes visit to their rural areas whenever they have earned enough money. This enables the Maasai community to live they way they do in the city.




young maasai
jumping and singing - -
cold morning

holding a stick
they pierce the mist in turns - -
the Maasai

a small crowd
celebrate the Maasai dance - -
another crow

Antony Njoroge
January 2010



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Masai herdsmen--
lead hungry cows a cross
an empty field

Barrack Elungata
January 2011



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***** Cow (Pashu, Gai) The Holy Cow of India


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LORNA Haiku Club

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The FALCONS Haiku Club


The Lorna Waddington High School Haiku Club!

LORNA Haiku Club Records

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KIGO: THE LONG RAIN SEASON

A student-
Walking down a Soweto Street
His shoes squelching in mud

Outside our house-
Chicken peck grasshoppers
In the green grass

The white pelicans
Striding among cattle
In green pastures yonder

At Marikiti-
Trucks loaded with mangoes
Queue to offload

In the village-
Outside our mud house
Children play mtereso

*mtereso* a children’s game of sliding over mud.





At Soweto Market-
Crowds mill around
Buying fruits and veges

*veges* short for vegetables





A woman-
Looking very happy
Bites a juicy pear




Happy-looking women
Selling fresh pears
In market stalls



Happy-looking farmers
Delivering milk at KCC
Money is not a problem

*KCC* Kenya Co-operative Creameries.



Pastoralists smile-
Green pastures all over
Their livestock increase

Soiled farmers-
Planting maize and beans
Tired faces

A dark carpet
Covering the sky all day
Umbrellas vanish from shops

Happy-looking shopkeepers
Umbrellas and omo
Disappear from shops

*omo* A detergent.

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Collection from July 2006

in their torn shoes
the people walk chock chock--
rainfall
Catherine Muhonja


roads get flooded
and cars get stuck---
rainfall
Paul Musyoka


a vehicle is stuck
on the muddy Soweto road--
rainfall
Susan Wajau


a dashing car splashes
water on a lady in white
along the road
Rose Wanjiru Maina


helpless ants
struggling in a puddle--
rainfall
Joshua Luvinzu


rainy season
brings stagnant water---
mosquitoes buzz around
Kadima Zipporah


Kayole River--
flows in its curvy way
taking garbage away
Lilian Kiyaka


the rain falls--
Nairobi hawkers
have no job
Everlyne Ngang'a


a lot of mosquitoes
spreading malaria--
the rain
Ouko Hellen


mosquitoes multiply
and people rush for nets--
rainfall
Boniface Mutua


my child is drowning--
a woman screams loudly
from the riverbank
Domitillar Mutheu


Gikomba Market
is flooded and muddy--
hawkers hold their goods
Indombo Carolyne


flooded markets--
and hawkers carry
goods in hand
Ashraf Baraza


muddy Soweto streets--
villagers wearing boots
walk up and down
Jacklyne Aoko


cars dashing
on busy Valley Road
splash water on people
Erastus Mella


Baba Shiro is confounded
as his car is stuck in quagmire--
Shiro is sleepless
Patrick Gakuo

Note : Baba Shiro : Shiro's father


Wanjiku struggles
to trap water from their roof--
raining in Soweto
Hudson Mukanzi

Note : Wanjiku is a woman's name. Wanjiku also represents THE ordinary Kenyan citizen


muddy splashes
on people's clothes--
much washing
Mary Nabwire


moving cars
splash water on the road--
fuming pedestrians
Seline Aluoch


a frog jumping
across my feet as I draw
water from the river
Rebecca Akinyi


clouds become darker
and a spattering on the roofs--
the rainbow
Victor Amboko


shoes become
too heavy to lift--
rainfall in Soweto
Lilian Awino


a drunkard drowns
in flooded Kayole River--
burial rites
Billy Omalla


children slip and fall
mothers have plenty to wash--
omo
Irene Adisa


a black ant
drowned in a puddle--
this rain
Hillary Mbiti


a crawling baby
splashes her hand in a puddle--
mother concerned
Risper Kwamboka


children play in puddles
dirtifying themselves--
screaming mothers
Beatrice Anyango


a throng of children--
watching a chick drowned
in a puddle
Kamau M. Mathew


stagnant water--
frogs crock korrr korrr
all night
Johnson Mwangi


the rain causes
our vehicle to get stuck--
my mother is angry
Nyambura Serah


lightning strikes
as the silvery drops fall--
John caries his umbrella
Timothy


umbrella over my head
as I go to the market--
this rain
Timothy


a black ant--
drowned in water
in a basin
Beatrice Wangari


Muli's house is flooded
as it rains in Soweto--
shouts of help
Ian Kamau


my feet slide
in mud on Soweto streets--
rain
John Mutahi

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Meeting of the Haiku Clubs of Nairobi
November 2006

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Related words

***** Bahati Haiku Club, Nairobi


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Long Rains

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Long Rain

***** Location: Kenya
***** Season: Long Rains
***** Category: Heaven

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Explanation


Long rains
This is a season in itself in Kenya and other parts of Africa.
It rouhgly lasts from March to May.
It normally accounts for 80 percent of total annual food production in Kenya.

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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

gray sky all day
spattering sounds on the roofs
umbrellas over heads

Spider Haiku Club,
Lorna Waddington High School
Nairobi, April 2006
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kenyasaijiki/message/99


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It has finally started to rain in Kenya in March 2006, after a very long drought.

Here are some haiku from the Bahati Haiku Club members, after the rains finally started !


Lightning
----------
a striking light
scaring the children
everybody hides

-- Anderson Mwendwa


Thunder
------------
a bright flash
a lighted plain
a child yells

a scary roar
a bright flash
scared faces

-- Irene Adisa


a scary roar
a blue-white flash
chicken quack

-- Patrick Wafula


Floods
--------
furious waters
sweeping away people's property
fear on every face

-- Samson Mungai


Wind
-----
wave blowing
trees fall down
everybody feels it

-- Anderson Mwendwa


Rainbow
---------
multiple coloured bow
streaking across the sky
in a sunny drizzle

-- Patrick Wafula

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Long Rain in Nairobi
Juhudi Children's Club Haiku, April 2009
The children were aged 7-14.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kenyasaijiki/message/96

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Related words

***** World Kigo Database: Monsoon, India

***** World Kigo Database : Rainy Season (tsuyu) Japan -


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Literature of Kenya

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Poetry and Literature of Kenya

Quote from Travel Guide Kenya:

The oldest form of written poetry in Kenya is from the coast.
Swahili poetry reads beautifully even if you don't understand the words. Written for at least 300 years, and sung for a good deal longer, it's one of Kenya's most enduring art forms. An Anthology of Swahili Poetry has been compiled and rather woodenly translated by Ali A Jahadmy (o/p), but some of Swahili's best-known classical compositions from the Lamu archipelago are included, with pertinent background.
There's a more enjoyable anthology of romantic and erotic verse, A Choice of Flowers , with Jan Knappert 's idiosyncratic translations and interpretations (o/p), and the same linguist's Four Centuries of Swahili Verse (Darf, UK & US), which expounds and creatively interprets at much greater length.

Up-country poetry in the sense of written verse is a recent form. But oral folk literature was often relayed in the context of music, rhythm and dance.

Wole Soyinka (editor) Poems of Black Africa (Heinemann, UK). A hefty and catholic selection. Its Kenyan component includes the work of Abangira, Jared Angira, Jonathan Kariara and Amin Kassam.

Heinemann Book of African Poetry (Heinemann, UK/US). Includes the work of Kenyan poet Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye.

http://guides.omnidreams.co.uk/viewLocation/f-96965-Kenyan+Poetry.htm

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0783240171/102-3897064-7920138?v=glance&n=130

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Literature of Kenya, © 2004 EasyTravel.com Although a number of authors have written in the older languages of Kenya, English still predominates as the medium for artistic expression, a situation which creates dilemmas for writers struggling both to reach a readership at home and to find viable channels for publication. Most Kenyan fiction is more cheaply available in Kenya than abroad. Wahome Mutahi How to be a Kenyan (Kenway Pubications, Kenya) A satirical view of Kenyan life by one of the country's most popular newspaper columnists. Painfully funny, and rather close to the bone, the book takes a humorous look at Kenya's very worst side - it won't put you off the country, but it will certainly give you a chuckle at Kenya's expense. Mutahi followed it up with a sideswipe at Kenyan women entitled How to be a Kenyan Lady . Renato Kizito Sesana Father Kizito's Notebook (Koinonia Media Centre, Kenya) Kenyan life from the Catholic perspective of Fr Kizitos weekly columns in the Sunday Nation. Full of insights into the struggle to survive that most people here call life, infused with humour and compassion. COLONIAL WRITERS Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) Out of Africa (Penguin, UK/Vintage, US). This has become something of a cult book, particularly in the wake of the movie. First published in 1937, it describes Blixen's life (Dinesen was a nom de plume) on her Ngong Hills coffee farm between the wars. Read today, it seems to hover uncertainly between contemporary literature and historical document. It's an intense read - lyrical, introspective, sometimes obnoxiously and intricately racist, but worth pursuing and never superficial, unlike the film. Karen Blixen's own Letters from Africa 1914-1931 (trans. Anne Born, Chicago UP, US) gives posthumous insights. Harry Hook The Kitchen Toto (o/p). By way of an antidote to a surfeit of settlers' yarns, this screenplay tells the story of Mwangi, a Kikuyu houseboy caught up in the early stages of the Mau Mau rebellion. Writer-director Hook's movie is as keen as a country panga and draws masterful performances from a largely unknown cast. Elspeth Huxley The Flame Trees of Thika (o/p); The Mottled Lizard (o/p). Based on her own childhood, from a prolific author who also wrote numerous works on colonial history and society, including White Man's Country , a biography of the settlers' doyen, Lord Delamere , and Out in the Midday Sun: My Kenya , both as readable, if also predictable, as any. Her last book, Nine Faces of Kenya (Harvill, UK) is a somewhat dewy-eyed anthology of colonial East African ephemera. More interesting is the collection of her mother's letters, Nellie's Story , which includes some compelling coverage of the Mau Mau years from the pen of a likeably eccentric settler. Beryl Markham West with the Night (Penguin, UK/Northpoint, US). Markham made the first east-west solo flight across the Atlantic. This is her only book about her life in the interwar Kenya colony, drawing together adventures, landscapes and contemporary figures. Not great literature, but highly evocative. Richard Meinertzhagen Kenya Diary 1902-1906 (o/p). The haunting day-to-day narrative of a young British officer in the protectorate. Meinertzhagen's brutal descriptions of "punitive expeditions" are chillingly matter-of-fact and make the endless tally of his wildlife slaughter pale inoffensively in comparison. As a reminder of the savagery that accompanied the British intrusion, and a stark insight into the complex mind of one of its perpetrators, this is disturbing, highly recommended reading. Good photos, too. Judith Thurman Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Story Teller (Penguin, UK/Picador, US). A biography that sets the record straighter and was the source of much of the material for the Out of Africa film. Errol Trzebinski The Lives of Beryl Markham (Mandarin, UK/Norton, US). In which, among much else, it is suggested that Markham did not, and could not, have written West with the Night . KENYA IN MODERN WESTERN FICTION Justin Cartwright Masai Dreaming (Picador, UK/Random House, US). A compelling novel juxtaposing a film-maker's vision of Maasai-land with the barbarities of the Holocaust, linked by the tapes of a Jewish anthropologist. Jeremy Gavron Moon (Penguin, UK). Vivid short novel about a white boy growing up on a farm during the Emergency. Martha Gellhorn The Weather in Africa (Eland, UK). Three absorbing novellas, each dealing with aspects of the Europe-Africa relationship, set on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, in the "White Highlands" of Kenya and on the tourist coast north of Mombasa. David Lambkin The Hanging Tree (Penguin, UK/Counterpoint, US). A human-nature-through-the-ages saga which makes a good yarn - in fact, several yarns. John Le Carré The Constant Gardener (Hodder Headline, UK). The spymaster turns his hand to a whodunnit, in which a campaigner against the misdeeds of Western drug companies in Kenya is raped and murdered. Her husband, a British diplomat in Nairobi, fails to believe official explanations and starts his own investigation. Effectively banned in Kenya, the novel is brilliantly crafted, though not always convincing in its portrayal of today's expat society. Paul Meyer Herdsboy (Northwest Publishing, US). American tourist "finds herself captive of a native tribe". A pacey first novel, set in Samburu-land, that overcomes the jacket description. Maria Thomas Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage (Serpent's Tail, UK/Soho Press, US). Most of these tales are set in Kenya or Tanzania. Thomas's characters are solid, but the stories leave a wearying aftertaste as if there were nothing positive to be had from the expatriate experience. Her first novel, Antonia Saw the Oryx First , is painfully detailed - a good antidote to Out of Africa . Barbara Wood Green City in the Sun (Pan, UK) A white settler family come into conflict with a Kikuyu medicine woman in one of the few credible novels about the realities of colonial Kenya by a mzungu writer. ARTS of Kenya Jane Barbour and Simiyu Wandibba Kenyan Pots and Potters (o/p). This comprehensive description of pot-making communities includes techniques, training, marketing and sociological perspectives. Roy Braverman Islam and Tribal Art (o/p). A useful paperback text for the dedicated. Susan Denyer African Traditional Architecture (Holmes & Meier, UK). Useful and interesting, with hundreds of photos (most of them old) and detailed line drawings. Frank Willett African Art (Thames & Hudson, UK/US). An accessible volume; good value, with a generous illustrations-text ratio. Geoffrey Williams African Designs from Traditional Sources (Dover, UK/US). A designer's and enthusiast's sourcebook, from the copyright-free publishers. Look here for more books on History and peoples Mountain, hiking and diving guides Coffee-table books http://dg.easytravel.com/index.jsp?action=viewLocation&cid=89245&formId=96958

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...................Writers of Kenya

Ali Mazrui
Charles Mangua
David Maillu
Grace Ogot
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
John Kiriamiti
Jomo Kenyatta
Margaret Ogola
Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye
Meja Mwangi
Micere Githae Mugo
Ngugi wa Thiongo
Renato Kizito Sesana
Sam Kahiga
Thomas Akare
Wahome Mutahi
Yusuf K Dawood

To be continued.

Click here for more LINKS to authors of Kenya

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Caroline Nderitu



http://www.carolinenderitu.20m.com/

Caroline Nderitu, an Introduction at the Kenya Saijiki Forum

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Patrick Wafula's Bizzare Tales
"I love teaching children and writing stories for them. I also enjoy writing stories for the youth and adult. "

Read these fascinating tales online
http://bizzaretales.blogspot.com/


Patrick Wafula and the KENYA SAIJIKI

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You may like to visit the web sites of these two Nairobi bookshops for further inspiration :

Legacy Bookshop, located in Yaya Centre, Hurlingham, and also selling by internet :
http://www.legacybookshop.com/

Text Book Centre, located in Kijabe Street and in Sarit Centre, Westlands, where it has two separate shops -- one for textbooks and the other for a diverse range of literature, fiction and non fiction, photographic books, self-improvement books, children's books, stationary, art and office supplies.
http://www.textbookcentre.com/aboutus/aboutus.htm

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Sasa Sema Publications have provided a wonderful series of books especially for children. The lives of many notable Africans are recorded to ensure that these heroes are never lost no matter where we are.
http://www.canapublishinguk.com/sasa_sema_publications.htm

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Related words

***** Music of Kenya, by Douglas Paterson

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THE KENYA SAIJIKI
Please send your contributions to
Gabi Greve / Isabelle Prondzynski
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