Kenyan Books

BOOK TITLE: CHIKE KOD KWECHE MAG LUO (LUO RULES AND DOGMAS) The African people are blessed with diverse traditional cultures distinct from each other. The Luo people had their cultural values and beliefs defining their moral standards of existing cordially with one another. These are now fading away with modern behaviors creeping in and overtaking the cultural values with devastating effects on the millennial generation. To safeguard some of these traditional values before they reach the route of extinction, I thought I would start documenting some of these valuable Luo beliefs and traditions. This book, written in Luo language, whose title can be best translated as ‘Luo Rules and Dogmas’ describes some of the ways Luo ancestors or forefathers managed to give their homesteads good and healthy living environment and their children disciplined/principled as they followed the traditional practices to the latter. The 10-chapter book has Chapter 1 of the pre-amble and encompasses in Ch.2 the traditional practices that were observed during the construction of a homestead. In Ch.3 are the practices that ensured that the home was well protected; Ch.4 the ceremonies that would be performed to bring blessings to the new homestead; and Ch. 5 ensuring the homestead was food secure. It goes on to describe in Ch.6 the different calamities that would befall the community and their remedy or how to manage such, like morbidity, mortality, and war. Ch.7 details the customary beliefs that every member of a homestead must adhere to, to prevent any evil spell in the family. Ch.8 describes the different ancestral spirits and their healing powers as well as superpowers. Ch.9 gives a brief on how Luo ancestors ensured the prosperity of the homestead was protected. Finally, Ch.10 gives the proverbs and their meanings that our forefathers used when warning wayward people to toe the line if they wanted to maintain peace in the homestead. Proverbs were words of wisdom and a means that the ancestors used to teach young people without having to narrate long sentences. Knowledge is power and the power is in sharing and Knowledge shared is knowledge squared. I have shared what I gathered from those who can still remember the Luo traditions so I may also get feedback from readers and know more. Only the knowledgeable seek to know more. Have a great reading