The History of Two Tribes - Assignment Example

Theories of Origin: comparison and contrast --- Prajakta Kanegaonkar History gives us interesting stories. Some are true while some become legends and become the foundation of the society they belong to. This is evident in the oral histories and legendary stories that are passed as a heritage from one generation to another. Interestingly these are also woven to give a solid background or roots to the person and also tend to give a sense of belongingness to the particular society. Every society creates and develops its own roots. Many such instances are found in the histories of the nations and societies world over. These ranges from the Greek and Roman mythologies woven beautifully in the lineage and history of the society, which also form the basis of the art and architecture of the country, or it, could be Indian epics that are an intricate part of the society and customs of a large country like India. African history cannot be an exception to this. This is evident in the two stories which we are going to consider for comparison. It is a comparison between Facing Mt. Kenya and the story of Sundiata. These give the history of two tribes. These rely on the oral history that has been passed on from one generation to another. Comparison of Facing Mt. Kenya and Story of Sundiata This is a very interesting story which gives the theory of origin of the Gikuyu tribe in Kenya. It explores the relation between the creator that is God and the man. It is a common understanding that the phenomena, creation of which goes beyond the understanding of the human mind is attributed to the creator and that is God. God establishes and explains the origin of the human and the race to which he belongs to. He assists the human in the times of his need and problems. Here the provenance of the tribe is proven by the simple logic of being the descendants of the God himself. God providing for the sons, increasing of the clan in great deal of number and eventually establishment of nine kingdoms gets a very strong base when one accepts the lineage that comes from the God. It also gives a superior edge to the people who belong to these families over the other people in the tribe. The hold and authority is automatically established. It also acts as a binding agent for the tribe. Even though later on the tribe gets divided into nine factions they are easily bound and ties together by the fact that they belong to one family of nine sisters. This proves a strong base for the society which comes together under one banner when needed and also gives the much needed base that ties them together. It also gives the roots and sense of belongingness which is a very basic human need for building or creating a society. It also gives a common ground to establish rules and laws to run the society. In this society we observe that the society was initially matriarchic society as it got its name from the nine sisters. It also establishes the place of the women in the society which is undoubtedly more powerful. Later it got overturned and men took over the charge but even though women still continued to hold the reins which is an interesting theory to observe. The same sense of unifying the people under one name establishes the story of Sundiata. The name takes after his mother’s name and the djata in the name means lion. This is a story of the brave tribal king who gave an identity to the people he belonged to. The influence of God and prophecy is seen here as well. The very birth of Sundiata is associated with the prophecy made. He was to be born to a very ugly woman and would go on to become the greatest king in the history. The story goes ahead to prove that the greatness of the person doesn’t depend on the roots he comes from or the crucial times he had to face. The greatness stems from the fact how he overcomes the situation and with the sterling qualities he has got how he fights back the situation. Once again the need to establish the common ground for a society is highlighted here. In the Mt. Kenya story the establishment of the clan is proven with the founder of the clan or tribe getting a firm guidance and support from none other than the Creator himself. In the legend of Sundiata the leader’s provenance is established by the prophecy of the God. The clan in the first takes shape under the guidance of the God, while in the second story the clan gets together and fights for its kingdom and freedom or identity under the leader who is appointed by the God. This is a clear similarity in both the stories that leaders of both the stories have a strong mythological and spiritual backing. Both the stories admit the importance of the women in the society, one by establishing a matriarchic society and the second by giving importance to the mother of the hero. Every society in history has faced the tide of time by setting their own grounds and creating their own foundations. Here the basis is clearly given by the leaders of the society and the rules are to follow in the event of time. We need to closely analyze why such need was required at all. In the initial years of the formation of a society, when even a leader has not taken over the charge, there is a strong need to bind people together. The binding comes from very basic to very complex factors that are provided at the time of establishment. In such situation, spiritual connection easily establishes the very first base. A common identity is created and this is how the seeds of a nation are sowed. Today we see people coming together for the fight of a common cause such as boundaries, flags, cultures etc. The beginning of these can be traced in the stories such as mentioned above. The point of contradiction in both the stories comes from the stage at which the events occur in society. In facing Mt. Kenya the story tells us about the formation of the society right from its beginning and how later on it takes various turns. However in the story of Sundiata the kingdom of his father is already established. The revolt in the Gikuyu story comes from within the society and from the males of the society whose fight is for their own status. In the Sundiata story the feud rises from within the family of the king and stems from the jealousies and insecurities of the family members. Although it is a race for power in both the societies, one comes as a cry for rights while other comes from the insecurity. The Mali society was set, had its own foundation and kingdoms already in place. Sundiata really did not really have to start from the basics, wherein the Gikuyu fight right from the beginning. The example of sorcerer proves the advancement of the Mali society. Even if we study the revolt of the males in the Gikuyu it is more out of the necessity of finding its place in the society. Although indigenously planned it still shows the very basic and primal nature of it. Taking advantage of the inevitable natural cycle the revolt is planned and executed. In case of Mali society the fight is clearly for the power and the feud between two clans, two kingdoms, and even two brothers. The outcome in the war of the Mali tribe is satisfactory and leads to further development of the society. The king who later proved to be one of the greatest in the history turned the course of the history of the Malis. He helped them prosper, gave them stability and created the route or way for future kings. The Gikuyu revolt is changing hands of power from one gender to another. It clearly results into the final suppressing of women in the society rather than uplifting them. Both the stories help one understand the finer nuances of human nature. What however appeals more to the reader is the ancient struggle of humans to establish themselves and find their roots, which has continued even today. Read More