I am breaking away from lion news to write about something different – a Samburu wedding!
Jeremiah Letoole, one of the Ewaso Lion Scouts took his 1-month leave in July to prepare for his wedding towards the end of the month. Jeremiah was marrying a beautiful young bride named Miriam and the wedding date was set for the 26th in a remote village in Samburu District, called Ndikir, where Miriam’s family comes from.
We set off from Echo Lima camp at 5 am on the 25th of July heading for Wamba. Wamba is a small town near the Mathews Ranges in the heart of Samburu District. Gypsy was full of camping gear, food, jerricans (plastic containers) of water and sacks of sugar for the wedding.
We arrived in Wamba town at 7 30 am and bought more sugar, tea-leaves and tobacco for the wedding. It is customary in Samburu tradition that the groom arrive at the bride’s village laden with gifts. In most cases the gifts comprise of sugar and tea leaves. By the end of our shopping, Gypsy had 100 kgs of sugar inside and lots more!
We left Wamba at around 11 am after all the shopping was done, and took the main road towards Maralal. Near a small village called Nkaroni, we met Jeremiah’s father who showed us the way to Miriam’s “manyatta” (village). It really was in the middle of nowhere as we finally arrived after driving through luggas and thick bush.
We set up a small camp near the family home and this would be our base for the next 3 days. I hung out with all the women of the village in their house drinking tea (with lots and lots of sugar!) and watching them prepare and talk about the wedding. We were surrounded by children and it was a relaxed scene that evening. The warriors (Jeremiah, Raphael and Paul) were all getting ready; putting on their beads, “shukas” (cloths) and red ochre mixed with goat fat over their bodies. It was fascinating to watch. Raphael was Jeremiah’s best man and Paul was assisting him.
Jeremiah putting red ochre
Putting on my beads with the help of Naramat, Jeremiah’s sister
Raphael and Jeremiah during the evening of the 25th
Early the next morning the wedding events started. Raphael, had a huge role to play during the wedding. It was his duty to make sure that everything was in order; the elders were kept happy and that all Jeremiah’s responsibilities were carried out. Miriam’s mother removed Raph and Jeremiah’s shoes and they had to walk barefoot for the whole day. They spent the day giving sheep and cows to the family, collecting wood and bushes for the wedding house and chatting to the elders. They had to present 4 various pieces of meat to Miriam’s mother after a long bull skinning process. The women, warriors and elders danced in the afternoon as the sun was setting.
Miriam, the bride
Marking the cows
In the evening, the elders cleared away an area where the wedding house would be built. They blessed the site as the women were making the house sticks and preparing to put it all together. It was fascinating to watch the house being built. After 2 hours and 7 women working, there it was – the wedding house. Everyone was drinking tea, meat was being roasted and it was a typical village scene. More blessings, dances and the wedding day ended at midnight with the elders giving the married couple advice on their future.
Building the house
The finished house
Another early start on the 27th. As the sun came up, we all congregated in the wedding village. Raph and Jeremiah were given their shoes back (goat skin sandals) and Miriam started to pack her belongings. More tea for everyone as I packed up our little camp. By 10 am, we had everything placed outside Gypsy ready to be packed. I was carrying the entire wedding party in the car plus the wedding house! It is customary that the house be transported to the groom’s home and set up in his family manyatta. Paul did a fantastic packing job and we managed to squeeze 7 people, plus all the gear and the iron sheets, skins and sticks for the house inside Gypsy. We were quite a sight as we left our home for the last few days and made our way back to Wamba.
A full Gypsy
As I drove into Wamba town, people stopped and stared at the wedding procession. Everyone was fascinated by Gypsy and the group. I did some shopping for camp and managed to squeeze it in the car and we left for West Gate at around 2 pm. At 5 pm, we drove into Jeremiah’s village manyatta to be greeted by his entire family and more tea. We were all exhausted as I drove back to Echo Lima camp arriving at around 6 pm.
It had been a brilliant experience. Not only the entire wedding but also living in a manyatta and experiencing a true Samburu lifestyle. I hope to return to this remote manyatta in a few months time to present the wedding album to the family. I really am looking forward to going back.