experiences of the people. They are the guardians of
the sacred power of Mount Cameroon.
Molefi Kete AsanteSeealsoMountains and Hills
Further Readings
DeLancey, M. W., & DeLancey, M. D. (2000).Historical
Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon(3rd ed.).
Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Derrick, J. (1990).Colonial Elitism in Cameroon:The
Case of the Duala in the 1930s.Introduction to the
History of Cameroon in the Nineteenth and
Twentieth Centuries. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Fanso, V. G. (1989).Cameroon History and Colleges:
Vol. 1 .From Prehistoric Times to the Nineteenth
Century. Hong Kong: Macmillan.
Werner, A. (1933).Myths and Legends of the Bantu.
London: Harrap.
MOUNTKENYA
Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and
the second highest in Africa after Kilimanjaro, lies
just south of the equator in central Kenya, approxi-
mately 95 miles (150 kilometers) from Nairobi. It is
variably referred to as “The Mountain of Mystery,”
“The Place of Light,” or “Mountain of Brightness.”
It is also sometimes denoted as the “Mountain of
Whiteness” because of its snow-capped peaks.
Mount Kenya National Park has been designated as
a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization World Heritage Site. The Gikuyu (or
Kikuyu—the British spelling of the word) of Kenya
have a beautiful creation story that incorporates how
Kere-Nyaga or Kirinyaga, the extinct volcano com-
monly called Mount Kenya, came to be. After a brief
discussion of the sacred character of mountains
around the world, this entry describes that creation
myth and the continuing importance of the myth and
the mountain in Gikuyu religious belief.
Symbolic MountainsMountains have long been regarded as sacred and
mystical stations. Perhaps it is their proximity to
the firmament and its life-sustaining rain clouds
that has inspired such awe and reverence in the
hearts of many people around the world from time
immemorial. This is no exception in the African
tradition. For instance, the Bavenda and Shona
revere the Matoba (or Matopa) mountains as a
divine manifestation of God, while both the Ga
and the Tumbuka recognize divinities of the hills.
The Akamba, for their part, attest to seeing “fires
of the spirit” on the hillsides in the dark of night.
Be it Mount Sinai in the Judeo-Christian faith,
Mount Arafat in the Islamic tradition, Mount Fuji
within the Shinto system of belief, or Mount
Kailas in Hindu and Buddhist teachings, for
example, mountains are considered by many
around the world to represent the pinnacle of
spiritual liberation and elevation.The Gikuyu Myth
According to the Gikuyu creation myth, in the
beginning, Mogai (God), the “Divider of the
Universe and Lord of Nature,” summoned
Gikuyu, the founder of his ethnic group, and gave
him his share of the land, replete with rivers, rain,
forests, vegetation, and diverse animals. At the
same time, the Mogai (sometimes spelledNgaior
Mungai) made a gargantuan mountain, Kere-
Nyaga, which is said to be his chief Earthly
dwelling—although he is said to also occupy the
four other lesser, sacred mountains visible from
Gikuyu land. Some say that he inhabits the sky
just beyond the mountain and that he frequently
visits the Earth to mete out blessings and punish-
ment. Above all, however, Mogai was known to
regularly inspect and admire his creation—the
beautiful, bountiful Earth.
Legend has it that on the day of creation,
Mogai took Gikuyu to the top of Kere-Nyaga,
with its panoramic view, and pointed out a place
called Mokorwe wa Gathanga, a locale said to be
the geographic center of Kenya and where there
was a profusion of mogumo—sometimes called
motamoyo,Mikoyo, orMokoyo—(wild fig) trees.
God commanded that Gikuyu should build his
homestead there. Mogai then told Gikuyu that
whenever he was in need, he should make a sacri-
fice a under a mikoyo (fig) tree and raise his hands
toward Kere-naya and Mogai, the Lord of Nature,
would come to his assistance.Mount Kenya 431