kikuyu cushitic dna

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The people of England may one day discover that the story of the Hebseds, the Ituĩka and their story too, since little is known of pre-Roman times. I just published a few minutes ago! They would probably show the greatest degree of variation with increased samplesize. I have ranked these East African results based on the amount of highest to lowest score for “Southeastern Bantu”. Kenya and were chased by joint Maasai and Gikuyu force to Tanzania. The generic name of Chuma would be Maina. I do not condone the misuse of my research for identity politics! Eventhough it seems that genetically speaking all of these groups are quite distinctive in their own right. The People of Lamu call themselves Amu. As already mentioned these components most likely represent ancient admixture from Cushitic speaking populations. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. No doubt “Southeastern Bantu” becomes the default “SSA” category for Horners because “Southeastern Bantu” represents the least genetically distant SSA cluster for Northeast Africans on AncestryDNA. The group average for Kikuyu however only being 0,4%. Also again the “Middle Eastern” and “European” scores being nearly equal. The alternative name Nyũmba ya Mũmbi translates to House of the Potter or Creator. As for Jangiri, "I believe" that if it came from Asia, it came far much earlier than any of the dates above. Many West African Muslim pilgrims deciding to settle in Sudan already from the 1800’s or perhaps even earlier. The priests of Amun were rich and influential, a situation he endeavored to change by decreeing that none should be worshiped but the sun God Aten whose rays were always shown holding the Ankh – symbol of life. How many foreign words, 'masquerading' as real Kikuyu words, joyride? He associated this animal to a ceremony of the Kikuyu similar to the Hebsed called Ituĩka in Kikuyu. The Benet can be found in North-eastern Uganda and apparently have been considered a marginalized population; I found a paper regarding their displacement from ancestral forests being chopped down. Nonetheless, I have had an interest in languages, myths of origins and Hieroglyphics for many years, which led to extensive reading. (4) Iregi – This means ‘rebels’ in Kikuyu. Even if one did not actually write on stone, the event would be so important that everyone would want to be associated with the ‘cutting and incising’. Compared with the first 3 Ugandan results above the major discrepancy lies in the astonishingly high socalled “Nigeria” score. As they sort of form a bridge between my East African survey group and my strictly North African survey group. Genetics explain population movements probably better than any other discpline. Did Akhenaten die soon after arrival and was interred? Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on January 06, 2016: I have never gone for the pilgrimages. Prossylink, it seems the hub serves to boost Kenya as well. However due to Swahili connections the socalled “Southeastern Bantu” amount is perhaps this time including genuine Bantu origins. While “Senegal” and “Mali” are quite minimal. Especially culturally so. A recent Nigerian connection seems farfetched though as it was not mentioned by this person himself. As mentioned by herself especially the 11% “Middle East” seems very noticeable. Makare, Hatshepsut’s other name meant ‘leopard’ and it would appear that these women were ‘her property.’ The Men probably took the interim name Mathaathi, before taking on the name Gĩkũyũ when Thothmes was in full power. The other Highland Bantus in East Africa are the Meru (Tanzanian), Segeju, Sonjo, Ikoma, Chagga, Gweno, Shashi, Zanaki and Nguruimi of Tanzania. declining gradient in “Africa North” scores, going from Morocco to Algeria and then Tunisia. They are all of the Benue-Congo language division of the Niger Congo family. For east and horn Africans it no longer says “middle east” instead “Ethiopia and Eritrea”. Those are assimilated South East Cushites. Some writers have associated them with clearing fields for cultivation but that cannot be true when other evidence that is shown below is taken into consideration. The European scores being reported are likely to represent a complex mixture of both recent (within a timespan of 500 years) as well as much more ancient ancestral connections and/or genetic similarities with in particular the Iberian Peninsula but also other parts of the Mediterranean (as measured by socalled “Italy/Greece”). They claim to have always existed in the Mount Kenya area, a proposition I have dispelled with the facts above. With narrative history, one has to go wild with imaginations - without fear. If we were to say that the core of the people who call themselves Jews came from Palestine, would we be wrong? The males paint their legs halfway with white chalk instead of ochre. Myths cannot be relied on entirely for historical accuracy. It implies that the generation sided with his actions. For many East Africans “Cameroon/Congo” will often be a more closer proxy of their genuine Bantu lineage most likely (see also this page). In case you are interested in reading more in-depth discussions about East African genetics I would recommend the Anthrogenica forum which has several members who are quite well-read in this subject. This should be helpful to determine how reliable/predictive the various African AncestryDNA regions might be and also how they should be interpreted. However Ethiopia as a whole should display a much greater range of genetic diversity. Although other theories might also be valid (such as an early split-off of Bantu migrations from Nigeria). See also: My North African survey group is still rather limited in number but does cover all countries right now. This seems more likely since the Nigerian affinity is so exclusively substantial without any accompanying traces of Cameroon/Congo/Togo/Benin clusters that we’ve observed with others of Bantu descent. It may be as ancient as the Kikuyu forefathers. Noteworthy “Mali” score, the second-highest in my survey. Undoubtedly this region will correlate strongly with genuine Arab or rather West Asian origins. The Kisii, in their folklore give a family tree that indicates that Muntu bagat a long lineage that includes a man called Mugikoyo (Mu- Gikuyu). A cycle of nine names was used to identify each ruling generation and since it was a fixed cycle, the generation in waiting knew in advance what their name was. Back to the coincidences, I had collected after comparing the cultures between the divide - what was I to do with them? Atleast according to AncestryDNA’s reference panel (version 2) . All depending on your own family history and especially the population history of the ethnic group you belong to. The women were called the Angui (an archaic Bantu word for leopard). Unless guided by wishful thinking or delusional ideology it is advisable to be very mindful of “false positives”. One man paints his face green, another with white, yellow or even blue. That they are Bantus and therefore have some origin in Congo Basin. This means that Gĩkũyũ the leader, died within the reign of this generation and was buried in the Mount Kenya area. As it seems to indicate some shift to the west for this person’s ancestral background. Plus tell me how. The order to Abraham was at a very early stage in history though and the Gikuyu should probably also claim him culturally as do the Jews, Muslims and Christians. When my siblings and I were young, my father used to tell us we originated from Misri (Egypt) and we would laugh at him. Thank you for your hub. The one thing I will commend you about is going beyond the narratives of colonial history to offer explanations of who we are as Africans -- whether its you area of concern - The Kikuyu or others-- you are trendsetter in this regard. Their tradition states that they came from Egypt and their Ancestor was Muntu, also called Kintu. Again testimony of how native North African lineage is still persistent among modernday North Africans, despite extensive Arabization. In Conclusion, Drabbo, I hoped to show that the ancient Hebsed festival was carried on by the Kikuyu as the ‘Ituika’ and served the same purpose. the more i read this.... the more i get convinced that there is need to research more.... thanks kariuki we are getting educated. As mentioned by herself especially the 11% “Middle East” seems very noticeable. Given both colonial history and the very unfortunate events taking place in more recent times of course pointing out this differentiation (in spite of commonalities as well!) 7. & Kershaw G., 1965, The Central Tribes of the North-Eastern Bantu, (including the Embu, Meru, Mbere, Chuka. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on April 21, 2012: Patkay, it is unfortunate that we cannot recover those secrets. I find your work not only excellent and most helpful, it is also ‘fortuitous’ for those of us searching for our past. Hata mimi nasema Karibu sana sana ( I second Emannuel's view and also welcome you to Kenya). Secondly, to hide him from his enemies they adopted the women from eygpt as part of kikuyus and he gave him the title Gikuyu. But “Cameroon/Congo” is practically absent in the Tutsi results while it is a prominent component for the most likely Hutu result (38%). Many of them (but not all!) The highest “Africa North” score I have seen among Libyans (37%) is actually pretty decent when compared with the Moroccan group average of 41%. I rather like the 'Liverpool' example of what not to use as evidence of a migration. The Word Arathi – Star gazer, has three morphs: A (a prefix to turn a word into plural); Ra (probably the sun God Ra): Thi (archaic form for the word ‘go.’ This form is still in use by the Akamba. However this component might very well  have been inherited  through both parents or even all 4 grandparents. Ions, V., 1973. These results being reported for nobody less than Lupita when she was a guest on the Finding Your Roots TV show! So much is embeded in custom, folklore and the language itself that get material out is a bit like Archaeology. I have no idea how one can prove that the Kikuyu as a group with a common culture have not existed longer than1500 years old, without archeological backing among other evidence. Also noteworthy that sofar several Kenyans did too receive both “Africa North” and “Middle East” scores. I know that you put a lot of time researching it. This was in an effort to forget their tribulations in Egypt. Also a few textual changes have been made (see this link for original version). At times even as primary region which clearly does not make sense when Ancestry also introduced a new “Eastern Africa” region! I have concluded that this is a representation of all the different races that escaped from Egypt but lived together as ‘Kikuyu.’ An early writer on the Kikuyu noted that the Kikuyu are a mixture of many races. The undergarment aprons sticking from the skirts of a noble from Punt and a soldier from Egypt are similar to the apron on the right that was worn by Kikuyu women as an under-garment (mwengu.). The result below shows the lowest amount for “Southeastern Bantu” sofar, reported for an ethnic Somali. The Kikuyu admit to having incorporated the ‘Athi’ (a pigmy race), the Ndorobo and Maasai. The Swahili of course are known for their distinctive history involving trading connections and intermarriage among various people from not only across Eastern & Central Africa but also the Middle East, South Asia and even Southeast Asia. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on August 17, 2017: Hi ThussaysNanaMarie, I am happy you enjoyed my hub. The Maasai, for example, tend to be about ~50% Cushitic, the Datog even exceed that percentage while various other populations such as the Kikuyu in Kenya and countless other Bantu speaking groups in Southeast Africa also have Cushitic admixture all owed to a South Cushitic … I highly suspect that the 18 samples being used for the socalled “Southeastern Bantu” region are actually consisting of 3 subsets of Bantu-speaking people. As will also be the case for all other results shown on this page. If the Angoi, the first lot in Egypt went through a period of 'Gu-chiara' - to give birth(the root of the generation 'chyera'), then there was a lot of carrying babies in the Ngoi - so the Angoi clan was essentially a breeding group (women in a harem?). Very interesting given your background! Prior to joining Hubpages, I had tried writing in forums on Egyptology where the idea of connecting Bantus or even Nilotes to ancient Egypt was not tolerated. A group of youths (both male and female) initiated into adulthood in a specific year was given a name that reminded them of a major event in that year, such as famine or the first time the aeroplane was cited. The concept of a people belonging to the sycamore is ancient and there exists a story in hieroglyphics os 'Sanehat, son of the sycamore.'. The name Manduti also means the ugly ones. I’m kikuyu with all four grand parents ancestry known as kikuyu. The Kikuyu Language: vocabulary and conversation practice, http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/treegoddess.htm, Akhenaten’s Grandmother and the Kikuyu. This title for the ruler’s house was initiated by Akhenaten, who was the Gikũyũ of Kikuyu migration from Egypt. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on June 16, 2012: davidlaw2, thanks for compliment. I have merely shown that when a Pharaoh was in flight, a lot of people were displaced and some may have found their way to Mount Kenya. See also chart 2. Slightly more “Middle East” than “Southeastern Bantu” in this breakdown. II, (6 vol., 1894- 1925), 19. The term Kikuyu is derived from the Swahili form of the word Gĩkũyũ. Take note of the Trace Regions, not only the 4% “Mali” but also especially the 3% “South Central Hunter-Gatherers” is very fascinating. Whether these people changed their tribe name or not, the people, their culture and their language remained more less the same for thousands of years. However this person also mentions a rather recent ancestral connection with Ethiopia on her father’s side. Therefore it is inevitable that a single AncestryDNA region will often not suffice. Here are my results: 57% Africa Southeastern Bantu According to traditions, the Ethaga clan of the Kikuyu either came from or represents the Chagga. 41 votes, 56 comments. Examples of these crops are cassava, maize and tobacco, which were unknown outside the Americas before the Spanish conquests, and subsequent Portuguese presence at the East African Coast. With regards to using reference like 'bantu', 'hamite' etc - unfortunately for lack of better terms we stuck with these archaic anthropological terms-- the only reason I would use them is many people will immediately understand who i am talking about. It stems from a deep fascination with African history as well as its many connections with the Afro-Diaspora. Eurasian Origins of Berbers and modern North Africans. For more details see: Impressive score for “Southeastern Bantu”. As most of them mention a complex history of interaction with neighbouring pastoral groups who were often Nilotic. The verb 'Canga' ( roam about) which is often doubled into 'cangacanga' gives us the noun Jangiri. Take note of the Trace Regions, not only the 8% “Senegal” but also the 4% “South Central Hunter-Gatherers” is very fascinating. “Southeastern Bantu” peaks among Ugandans & Tanzanians, “Cameroon/Congo” will at times also be reported with high amounts. These lines represent water – the waters of the Nile, Lake Tana and river Tana in Kenya. On this page I will be posting the AncestryDNA results for North and East Africans with confirmed ethnic background(s). I would be disappointed with myself if I was to mislead my readers. It is the second highest such score i have seen among 12 Kenyan results. Having superior iron weaponry, it is likely that a lot of evil was committed by those arriving with the technology. A relatively high “Africa North” score combined with the highest “Senegal” score among my Algerian survey participants. Basically, they have some Cushitic origins, even though they now speak a Bantu language (the same language at the Hutu). See also this insightful article: These results above belong to a person who also made an excellent video sharing her results (regrettably it cannot be seen anymore). Cagnolo, C., 1933, The Akikuyu, Their customs, Traditions and Folklore, Mission Printing school, Nyeri. Not be surprised if my ancestry had a mix cause my mother is kikuyu and told me one of her ancestors had mixed features and curly hair, can’t wait till I do my test. There actually is another result showing an equal amount (which is relatively quite big too! Both ethnic groups being located in western Tanzania, directly bordering Ruanda and Burundi. Unlike for Afro-Diasporans in the Americas these results can therefore be verified with known genealogy. Interesting but also rather atypical to see “Southeastern Bantu” appear as biggest secondary African region. For example, ituika for the Kikuyu is just a mirror image of nduiko for the Embu and ntuiko for the Chuka. I have visited them,but try to google search for Gumbiek and you will find them. If for instance I discover that the ‘Olive tree’ was sacred 'female tree' to both the Kikuyu and the ancient Egyptians, what further analysis is needed? This is the earliest period in the collective memory of the Kikuyu. Obviously given their Ugandan background, it will be genetic similarity to the Kenyan subset which is causing these extraordinary breakdowns. Tribes in Kenya. And I would But these studies for the related Comorians should be quite relevant: Just as a reminder one should always distinguish between the language Swahili and the actual Swahili ethnicity. See for example the finer distinctions I was able to make for Kenya, Ruanda/Burundi and Somalia. The Meru who had a confederacy with the Kikuyu say. Basically what I am saying is that you cannot make bio-genetic conclusions based on language and culture -- and also bio-genetically identical populations do not necessarily belong to the same language or cultural group. Thanks!“. As i argue on this blog continiously the country name labeling of AncestryDNA’s regions is not to be taken too literally but it can still be insightful if just considered as a proxy of something in your DNA which is uncommon among my Kikuyu samples sofar. Three out 24 Moroccans had “Mali” as biggest secondary African region. 500 people by year 1600 would suggest the Kikuyu were just a clan of another tribe. For the last person it is even primary! The latter three are classified as Kikuyu by this researcher due to their common origins. I believe that the HGDP database was used by Ancestry.com to underpin their “Southeastern Bantu” region. so what would be the the ' core'in this case? Kikuyu language is agglutinative. Despite some variation actually these results are quite similar. While also a person from Burundi (most likely Hutu) and another Tanzanian scored in a similar range (38%). Africa presents the most complex genetic picture of any continent, with a time depth for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages >100,000 years. As already explained this is because of an absence of Nilotic and/or Cushitic samples among the reference populations used by AncestryDNA. 4. Which is the second biggest amount in my survey, only a western Tanzanian (Ha & Hangaza) scoring higher (49%). Naturally these are only a few individual results to go by (the Tanzanian Ha/Hangaza results might also be relevant). It was understandable that Hatshepsut, as the first female Pharaoh in Egypt, had given her captives and servants such freedom as was not available to their lot before. If you are in one of these countries you can have your DNA analyzed. We can see therefore, that through the lunar month, they arrived at a year that was similar to the Egyptian year of 360 days. The collective associated with 'kikuyuness' in antecedant times did not go beyond bonds of kinship and geographical proximity. Also interestingly this person appears to be half Jewish. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on August 11, 2017: Am happy that you, Juliet Njau , found my research useful. Terrace, Edward L. B., and Fischer Henry. However for (northern) Sudan in fact more recent ancestral connection with West Africa might also be valid due to the Hadj route to Mecca passing through Sudan. This happened also with the Maasai, who at times fought among themselves. Which demonstrate that the continental breakdown beyond Africa is also of importance in some cases. I just found your website and I really enjoy seeing other results. As I said in the previous comment, I have not implied that others did not come from Egypt. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on May 27, 2012: Thanks robie2. (part 3), Spreadsheet featuring African AncestryDNA results. Several DNA studies have described these more appropriately labeled West-Eurasian ancestral components among Africans already. Similar to Horners and Ugandans their group average is around 0%. I don’t think the issue of numbers here should make any difference to the subject of this article. Most still say that the location has not been identified. Consisting of no less than 135 AncestryDNA results of  North & East African persons! I suggest that this growth took place after the fortunes of a small captive group changed for the better. Also a category called “Eastern Bantu” has been created. “Africa North”) is rather minimal, compared with the previous results. Kenya is a land of great diversity in its people and cultures. On another note, I am wondering what you have found out in your research connecting Mt. I have shown above, that it was possible to have a people called the Kikuyu 3500 years ago but not 5000 years ago. I must say, I might have had some doubts if I hadn't had concrete proof in the form of my own DNA results to corroborate your findings. Also interesting in this regard is that 23andme has recently introduced a new “Sudanese” category. At least not for all nationalities I have been surveying. Aside from this study from 2011: Y-chromosomal variation in Sub-Saharan Africa: insights into the history of Niger-Congo groups. This result is very special as it belongs to a person with family origins from the southern parts of Tunisia and representing a minority of fellow Tunisians who are of predominant Sub Saharan African (SSA) backgrounds. I like your use of the word 'meaty'- Comments do get chunky here and you might like to keep coming back. Before that, the Kikuyu had lived in isolation for more than one thousand years, with little interaction with the outside world. This island is the only place in the world where a species of cat resembling Bast of ancient Egypt is to be found. Very illuminating these 3 (partially) Tanzanian results shown above. The labeling of this region may be referring to the southeast of Africa. Keep up the good work. I highly suspect that the AGO of Kikuyu (seers and diviners) and the ago in Long Ago in English are related etymologically. Highest “Africa North” score among my Algerian survey participants. The plague that followed white settlers and Railway working coolies is estimated to have decimated 25% of the Kikuyu in some areas and more that 50% in others. Hello Daniel, as described on this page the labeling of ancestral regions in DNA testing is not always to be taken too literally. Punt still exists today as an Independent state in a part of Somalia and Incense is still produced in somalia in significant quantities. Cagngolo (the Akikuyu). But the actual balance being determined by geographical location, ethnic background and possibly also recent migrations. If the sycamore was the ‘Sun’, then the Olive was the ‘Moon.’ This generation gave birth to Ndemi. We say Karibu (Swahili for welcome). Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on June 21, 2012: You are right Kibera. The use of the word Choka - ‘return,’ implies that the Kikuyu had arrived at ancestral lands, from where they had been uprooted in the first place. Instead practically half of his ancestry seems to fall more in line with the samples being used for the “Cameroon/Congo” region. 3. In particular when taking into account the ethnic background of the third result for which I have most details. Crucial to the formation of Kikuyu was movement of Bantu's to the kenya highlands area and possibly parts of northern Tanzania - many groups had not arrived in the area then. This person is on the lower range when it comes to “Southeastern Bantu” scores for ethnic Somali within my survey. These results confirm those you have posted above. He is recorded to have ruled between 1504-1450 BC. Giles, F. J., 1970, Ikhnaton: Legend and History, Hutchinson, London. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on August 25, 2012: At least I am letting the world know what I have found out. The 'A-Gikuyu' in historical terms are a very recent population -- probably not more than 1500 years. 12% North African (part 1), Did Ancestry kill their African breakdown? At one time, the consolata fathers had to evacuate to Mbiri station because Bowes who had crowned himself the King of Wakikuyu had embarked on his own punitive missions as a result of which no white man was safe from Kikuyu reprisals. Even when as expected “Southeastern Bantu” is primary. Emmanuel Kariuki (author) from Nairobi, Kenya on September 14, 2012: Thanks for your comment. It is likely a corruption of Akhenaten or his former city, Akhetaten. It is not a borrowed word as some people imply. About the Luhya and their connection to the Kikuyu, I have another article that includes the kisii. The Kikuyu are classified linguistically as Highland Bantus together with the Kamba, Kuria and Gusii, Embu, Tharaka, and Meru of Kenya. The root in Mwangi is “Angi” which corresponds with “Ankh” inTutankhamen. Chuma (pronounced as ‘shuma’ in Kikuyu) means Iron in both Kikuyu and Swahili, which was introduced by the group that had been previously lost. I read many papers that I also do not agree with. Possibly this can be attributed to her tribe? Highest “Africa North” score among my 5 Tunisian survey participants. Actually the Ugandan person of Aringa/Kakwa descent also receives Pygmy scores when performing other DNA tests, but it is likely to be much more ancient for him. Today's Egyptologists lump all Sub-sahara locations as 'Nubia' - misleading to say the least because it gives the impression that it is still a remote part of southern Egypt. Sometimes therefore also called the Swahili Coast. This is very very and indeed great. An Olive tree is called mutamaiyu in Kikuyu. Bantus in East Africa have to some degree cushitic ancestry. Similar to the Ugandan result posted earlier I am guessing this result is mainly caused by the lack of fitting samples within AncestryDNA’s Reference Panel to describe ancient DNA shared with people living in currentday Chad/northern Nigeria. Remember there is a group in Zambia called the Lemba who’s DNA has been found to have a Jewish ‘Rabbi’ genotype. Gikũyũ's entire household, according to some interpretations constituted the tenth clan. For example the Iraqw are classified as «Bantus» yet they score E1b1b moresaw than Kikuyu’s due to Iraqw being of South Cushitic descend. To Mwaura, Kikuyu is indeed a Bantu language, which is closely related to Meru, Embu, Kamba, Gusii, Kuria and Maragoli. and u-ra for rain? As can be seen in the above chart taken from my Diaspora Comparison survey.