A Thematic and Historical Synthesis of Embu Oral Traditions

Abstract

Oral traditions, after years of intense debate about their usefulness and admissibility as sources of history, have now come to be accepted as sources of historical inquiry. While they remain largely underutilized, in the absence of any other sources, oral traditions can be very useful for historical reconstruction. This paper offers a thematic analysis, as well as a historical synthesis of oral traditions collected among the Embu of Kenya by H. S. K. Mwaniki in 1971. It shows that despite the inherent limitations in oral traditions, Embu oral traditions have greater historical value and significance. For easy analysis, Embu oral traditions have been packaged into traditions (themes) pertaining to genesis/origin, the economy and famine, time and space, and war. The importance of this study is to provide a thematic and historical synthesis of Embu oral traditions in the absence of any known analysis since they were collected in 1971. The study therefore offers a mere thematic and historical synthesis of this corpus of oral traditions.