Kigango funerary post (Giryama).
Kenya.
Wood, height: 130.5 cm / 190 cm / 206.5 cm / 145 cm.
Private collection.
Despite a considerable amount of confusion found in literature, the vigango
(kigango) of the Giryama are not necessarily gravemakers. Occasionally these
figures are placed on grave sites, but not usually. Their role is to provide a new
body or home for the spirit of the deceased, rather than indicate the physical
location of the remains; further they are generally only erected if the spirit of the
deceased indicates discontent with its lack of a body by appearing in the dreams
of a living relative. Only erected when the spirit is about to be forgotten, these
wooden bodies only have a limited period of use.
The four examples here have carefully carved heads, as opposed to many
other vigangoheads which are two-dimensional, barely resemeble human
features, if at all, sometimes being carved with geometric patterns. Two of them
have incised triangles, which may be indicative of human ribs, as well as
common circular decorations. The other two are mainly incised with less
common rectangular forms, one being more unusual than the other in that the
notches serve as part of the pattern rather than a termination.