ABANYALA BA KAKAMEGA: Names of Non Edible Wild Mammals.
By Balovera Edwin Ongacho
Abanyala have names for many wild non edible mammals. The following is a list of a few of the mammals in Olunyala (K).
Abanyala have names for many wild non edible mammals. The following is a list of a few of the mammals in Olunyala (K).
- Efukho- mole. It commonly attacked sweet potatoes. It was trapped using twig of olukhoni that was places at the opening of its hole.
Efukho - Efuniyusi- skunk.
Efuniusi - Ekhene esaha- The Common Vervet Monkey. Its male type was identifiable for having blue scrotum area. Because it was the commonest, its image bacame associated with the word monkey. Many people knew it as the real monkey.
Ekhene - Ekhima- Blue monkey. Some people still call it a general name as ekhene. However, those in the know use the name ekhima.
Ekhima - Ekhooli- giraffe. It is also called by use of a borrowed word etika
Ekhooli - Ekhondo- dark white monkey with a long tail. It tied its tail around tree branches to help it swing around from one branch to the next. This lead to the saying that Ekhondo used its own tail: "Ekhondo yewoyera okwayo." Again, most people still refer to it using a general term as ekhene. However, those keen observers will refer to it by its right name: ekhondo.
Ekhondo - Ekhunga- Red tailed monkey. Those who have no idea of the specific name still call it ekhene. However, its right name is ekhunga. This name seem to be almost same to the ikhunga used by the Isukhas as seen in the name of the crying stone- Ikhunga Murwe
Ekhunga - Ekipwe- side stripped jackal.
Ekipwe - Embalamwesi- Eastern potto. It was usually sighted on a tree at night as its hair reflected the moonlight.
Embalamwesi - Embalabiramwesi-
- Embeba- Black house rat. Very destructive in the house. There is a difference between embeba and echungu.
Embeba - Embeba ya naluwunyi- long mouthed rat with strips
- Embirimbiri- large water mammal
- Embumuli- De Brazza's monkey. It is the genesis of shaving style known as 'box'.
Embumuli - Embuyusi- baboon. Today, the name ENGUKE is being used by the younger generation to refer to embuyusi. The land between Chebuyusi High School and River Nzoia was their known habitat before people's settlement. That is the origin of the name Chebuyusi.
Embuyusi - Embwa- dog. A young dog was called kulu. The dogs were kept for security, hunting and occassional amakhu (dog fights) by hunters.
Embwa - Emondo- used for both the cheetah and serval cat. From it, we have a male name Wamondo. It resembles a leopard from a distance.
Emondo - Enani- used to refer to ogres but also common name for bear
- Endiasi- Gorilla. They were very destructive and displayed noticeble obscenity in appearance. They were given a thorough beating out of the village every time they appeared. It was a taboo to kill endiasi.
Endiasi - Endibisi- Black and white columbus monkey. They were never hunted anyhow. Their skin was precious for making a head gear for leaders called ekutyusi. When being hunted, some of them removef the white fur from their skin. They were just supposed to be ambushed
Endibisi - Endibisi engulukhi- Ugandan Red Columbus Monkey. Same to black and white columbus monkey but had red backs. They were said to have had the ability to fly- jump across longer distances. Its skin was the one used by clan leadership as thatthat of the black and white columbus was reserved for higher ranks. From it, we had a pride name Ngulukhi.
Engulukhi - Endube- Zebra . The name epunda milia sounded poetic replacing the original name endube. Endube has same semantic meaning to punda milia. It meant that of mixed colours. Abanyala identified another species of zebra that was bigger with many close strips and big ears called esirikoyi.
Endube - Endukhulu- otter. Its skin strap had an effect of reducing body rushes among babies. It presence and contact with skin induced a medicinal effect in the body against the rashes.
Endukhulu - Eng'u- wolf. Its bile together with that from crocodile and hiopopotomilus was an asset in treating war spears or arrows for they made the wound of the enemy worsen if not treated.
Eng'u - Engiri- warthog
Engiri - Enguke- Chimpanzee (and ape.) They looked real to human such that the were escorted out of village by burning reeds and beating. This made them to fear smoke hence not coming close to houses. A male name Wanguke is a product of this name.
Enguke - Engwe- Leopard. It was never intertained within the environment. A trap was made for it and its skin taken for making cloth cloak called echabe. From it, we had a male name Wangwe.
Engwe - Enjayu- wild cat. They were common with some nightrunners. The night runner trained them to help him get notified of a person's presence in the night environment. When the animal took off, he too took off. Nihghtrunners, with the unfortunate spirit of nightrunning, were harmless to people in the society. Their unfortunate spirit cooled down after runing around and scaring things- imaginary and real. Enjayuy used by nightrunners could only respond to one person- their conditioning trainer; the nightrunner. Those who married nightrunners were supposed to be very persevering.
Enjayu - Enjekeche- porcupine. Its spikes were used in making ornaments.
Enjekeche - Enjukuchu-Golden Elephant Shrew. Same in structure to long mouthed rat but slightly bigger. It haa an odour to an extent that a cat or dog cannor eat it.
Enchukuchu - Enyefwe- almost same to enjekeche but the spikes covers a small part of the back. Its spikes made good arrows.
- Epusi- cat. Very important in every family. Abanyala never bought or battered old cats; they took young ones in exchange of a chicken. Old cats always went back and could became distructive turning wild. From it, we have the male name Pusi
Epusi - Esialume- Golden monkey. Same to blue monkey but has golden colours on back towards the face. It has the ability to keep a lot of food in its cheeks.
Esialume - Esibende-
- Esichwenge- African civet. Same to enjayu but differnt sounding and zebralike lines on body. It hits or bites it target meal then leaves it. After some time, it comes back for it. It was once believed to sip blood from its kill.
Esichwenge - Esichekeche or esipupu- hedgehogs. Esipupu is used for one which is completely black on the back.
Esichekeche - Esikangala- common genet. Almost same in appearance to esichwenge but its spots covers the entire body. It kills and take away the meal. It was also believed to have been used by nightrunners.
Esikangala - Esikulukhi- Flying squirrel. It had skin-like wing on either side that makes it glide in air like a bird. The people associated it to a bat and never ate it.
Esikulukhi - Esimba enia halala- mursh mongoose. A mongoose that loved swampy places and excreted at one designated point on rocks or dry spot.
Esimba enia-halala - Esimba lya Nalukekhi- A type of mongoose. A great predator to chicken. It likes lifting its front limbs to see far. When connered, it is believed to fart or excreate a rotteb fish-like smell substace called olukekhe. It is usu assually a quiet animal only growling when cornered.
Nalukekhe - Esimba lya Namukuulo- Same to the above only that that it is dark coloured, black eared and noisy. Some have jte tail. They have no smelly staff when attacked. Named due to their behaviour of rising their bodies with front feets close to their stomachs like roofing poles called emikuulo.
Namukuulo - Esisuche- wild dog. At times people refer to it as T9. The T9 became a nickname after the death of the leader of Abanyala called Hamisi Okwako Tabasi Ndombi wa Namusia in 1939. He was killed by wild dog bite. The wild dog that bit him to death had been branded a game park number T9 on its right ear.
Esisuche - Esiwulukhu- Black backed jarkal
Esiwulukhu - Esupupwi- horse
Esupupwi - Esukiria- a donkey with strips on the legs
- Esukhiri- donkey
Esukhiri - Etalang'i- lion. The use of esimba is borrowed from Kiswahili.
Etalang'i - Ewololi- wildebeest
Ewololi - Namunyu- hyena. Many have always confused Namunyu with Enani. Enani is name for an imaginary creature called an orge in oral narratives. From hyena, we have the male name Namunyu.
Namunyu - Nangeye- honey badger.
Nangeye - Nasikhutu
- Olukabe- pangolin . Shy animal that usually moved at night and had a long toungue. If attacked; it rolls into a coil.
Olukabe - Wachuli- bushbaby. They were considered by the natives to be a species of small monkeys.
Wachuli - Wambundo- bat. Some of its species had its droppings and meat that were very poisonous and dangerous in hands of witches. It was said that it was never supposed to fly and hit a baby on the head before the frontnel hardens.
Wambundo
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