Kit-Mikayi rocks

I wrote about this amazing place whilst I was in Kenya ... see blog  http://luolaughter.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-12-lets-hope-this-loads.html

I've since had the opportunity to visit Mr Google and Wikipedia, and find this about Kit-Mikayi:

"The legend behind Kit Mikayi, which in Luo dialect means "the stone of the first wife", is that: Long time ago, there was an old man by the name Ngeso who was in great love with the stone. Every day when he woke up in the morning, he could walk into the cave inside the stone and stay there the whole day, and this could force his wife to bring him breakfast and lunch everyday. The old man became passionately in love with this stone to the extent that when people asked his wife his whereabouts, she would answer that he has gone to his first wife (Mikayi) hence the stone of the first wife (Kit Mikayi).

"An explanation of the shape of this unique stone is that the structure represents the Luo cultural polygamous family which had the first wife’s house (Mikayi) built further in between on the right hand side was the second wife’s house (Nyachira) while the third wife’s house (Reru) was built on the left hand side of the homestead. This rock also is seen to have a nuclear family whereby the father (Ngeso) being the middle stone followed by the bulky Mikayi (first wife), then Nyachira (second wife) followed by Reru (third wife) and further in front they have the child which is representing Simba (which is the house for the first born boy in the homestead). From a long time, this stone has been a sacred place for the villagers to worship in times of trouble."

 

Pauls son Graham clambers over and crawls under the rocks ... so do I !   I daren't look up ... there are ENORMOUS over-hanging rocks poised on almost nothing at all, waiting to crash down.

As we climbed inside the rocks, we could hear this weird singing ... it seemed to come from the very rocks themselves, but we turned a corner, and there in a cave, dimly lit by a candle, was a lady singing prayers.   It is a popular local pilgrimage site for followers of the Legio Maria sect who come to the rock to pray and fast for several weeks at a time.

At last we had climbed out of the claustrophobic confining cracks and caves within the rocks, and almost at the top, we had a good view of the countryside over towards Bondo.   Of course, we had to go back to the base of the rocks through the same passages !   Next time, if ever, I'll make sure I have proper shoes or boots, rather than sandals.

Once back on the level, two ladies were waiting for some more shillingi, I suspect, and did an impromptu dance and song for us.   I joined them, much to their surprise and delight, and danced and wriggled like they did !   Much laughter, fun and hugs, and all thoughts of money were gone !  Fancy a mzungu lady doing such a thing !

There are other 'tors' with massive stones balanced like this one, all over this area.  You can judge the size by the roof of the house among the trees to the right of the rock !   Big, isn't it !