Post by Kiarani on Feb 19, 2017 20:37:26 GMT 4
orvillejenkins.com/profiles/rendille.html
The Rendille do not have a myth of creation, and a variety of stories exist regarding their origins. What all these stories have in common is that some individuals, who were wandering around, met others and they then joined forces against common threats; "…the various segments frequently suggest that they originally became members of the Samburu or Rendille through migrating from some other tribe" (Beaman 1981, 66). This is further supported by the fact that various sections claim links with different groups surrounding Rendille (Spencer 1973, 149).
Linguistic evidence shows a high degree of similarity between the Rendille and Somali languages. This evidence indicates that the ancestors of the Rendille were part of the same people and speaking the same "Somaloid" or Proto-Somali language with the ancestors of the Somali, Sakuye and Gabbra people. This people were already organized round a complex camel culture at that time. This included an extensive ritual calendar, based on dual lunar and solar calendars involving ceremonies for the well-being of camels and humans.
This leads to the conclusion that the roots of Rendille culture were brought to the region of Lake Turkana by people migrating westward from the homeland of the Proto-Somali before the Cushitic Rendille/Somali came into contact with Nilotes such as the Samburu. Fleming (1965:443-447) dates that contact to the late first millennium BC. This places the origins of the Rendille people as a linguistic and cultural group at the end of the first millennium BC, several hundred years before the advent of Islam.
Their long-standing alliance with the Samburu developed in this area of their ancient residence and unrelated to any alleged association with the Somali or Islam. They continue to resist Islam to this day, despite Somali legends that the Rendille abandoned Islam earlier.
The 16th century Oromo expansion brought great disruption to these Somaloid peoples causing migrations south and westward from their southern Ethiopia and Somalia homes. These peoples were further separated when some groups of them developed ritual kinship arrangements with Oromo (Borana) peoples for protection. The Rendille were the southernmost of these Somaloid peoples and maintained their own culture and language more intact.
Their first contact with outside world is not well known, but the following may be said:
On 25 March 1907, Charles Hurlburt and John Stauffacher embarked on a one-month round trip from Rumuruti and back to survey the Rendille and Samburu peoples. Hurlburt was the director of Africa Inland Mission, and Stauffacher was a missionary with the same mission. On a dangerous and eventful journey on foot, they finally made contact with the Rendille after six days and spent several more days surveying the country (Stauffacher 1977, 56-61). This event took place over one hundred years ago! It was to take many more years before Africa Inland Mission (and indeed any other mission, Protestant or Catholic) was able to start work amongst the Rendille.
The Rendille had superficial contact from time to time with the explorers and hunters who came to northern Kenya for ivory and adventure. With the colonisation of the country, the British colonial government obviously had dealings with Rendille, but according to their records they found them to be extremely uncooperative regarding any interference from outside.
Western specialists living and working amongst the Rendille have also experienced a similar standoffish reception. One couple of linguists report that their first attempts at approaching their villages were met by women throwing stones at them.
Linguistic evidence shows a high degree of similarity between the Rendille and Somali languages. This evidence indicates that the ancestors of the Rendille were part of the same people and speaking the same "Somaloid" or Proto-Somali language with the ancestors of the Somali, Sakuye and Gabbra people. This people were already organized round a complex camel culture at that time. This included an extensive ritual calendar, based on dual lunar and solar calendars involving ceremonies for the well-being of camels and humans.
This leads to the conclusion that the roots of Rendille culture were brought to the region of Lake Turkana by people migrating westward from the homeland of the Proto-Somali before the Cushitic Rendille/Somali came into contact with Nilotes such as the Samburu. Fleming (1965:443-447) dates that contact to the late first millennium BC. This places the origins of the Rendille people as a linguistic and cultural group at the end of the first millennium BC, several hundred years before the advent of Islam.
Their long-standing alliance with the Samburu developed in this area of their ancient residence and unrelated to any alleged association with the Somali or Islam. They continue to resist Islam to this day, despite Somali legends that the Rendille abandoned Islam earlier.
The 16th century Oromo expansion brought great disruption to these Somaloid peoples causing migrations south and westward from their southern Ethiopia and Somalia homes. These peoples were further separated when some groups of them developed ritual kinship arrangements with Oromo (Borana) peoples for protection. The Rendille were the southernmost of these Somaloid peoples and maintained their own culture and language more intact.
Their first contact with outside world is not well known, but the following may be said:
On 25 March 1907, Charles Hurlburt and John Stauffacher embarked on a one-month round trip from Rumuruti and back to survey the Rendille and Samburu peoples. Hurlburt was the director of Africa Inland Mission, and Stauffacher was a missionary with the same mission. On a dangerous and eventful journey on foot, they finally made contact with the Rendille after six days and spent several more days surveying the country (Stauffacher 1977, 56-61). This event took place over one hundred years ago! It was to take many more years before Africa Inland Mission (and indeed any other mission, Protestant or Catholic) was able to start work amongst the Rendille.
The Rendille had superficial contact from time to time with the explorers and hunters who came to northern Kenya for ivory and adventure. With the colonisation of the country, the British colonial government obviously had dealings with Rendille, but according to their records they found them to be extremely uncooperative regarding any interference from outside.
Western specialists living and working amongst the Rendille have also experienced a similar standoffish reception. One couple of linguists report that their first attempts at approaching their villages were met by women throwing stones at them.
