Wife inheritance was one of the key contributors to polygamy of the polygyny type (embalikha) among the Bukusu. The following cultural practice best described via the Bukusu words mukha rarao omutiti obeya busa, is still commonly practiced. Thus, it’s cultural importance is not lost on us.
For a father to take his son’s woman, an elaborate sacred ceremony kukona mwikhokho was performed. But what if a son wanted to take his father’s wife? Under which circumstances was this allowed to take place?
Mukha Rarao Omutiti Obeya Orie? When does one marry his father’s small wife?
We answer all your questions mukha rarao omutiti obeya busa. Translated to mean: Your father’s small wife, you can marry.
In the event of your father’s early death
Picture a polygamous household whose patriarch prolifically sires children. In such situations, without doubt the abundance not alien to Wele ensures that it comes a point where the old man and his elder children from the ‘big’ houses are both nursing and naming babies after each other. In such scenarios, often the younger wife of the patriarch is of the same age-set as his elder children.
Moreover, even if the patriarch’s young khalinjola is older than his children from the ‘bigger’ houses, another peculiar scenario played out. As a matter of fact, the old man’s younger children by his young wife are often of the same age-set as some of his grandchildren. This is to say that if it happens that the patriarch went to be with the ancestors, a young brood would be left orphaned and vulnerable.
When the old man can’t keep up
Another scenario where one married his father’s small wife was when the patriarch was way advanced in age and his ‘small wife’ still had ‘hot blood’ coursing through her veins. The patriarch not wishing for his young wife begin eating rats, would decide to keep her need for sexual satisfaction within.
It is in such situations that any of his other sons from his ‘bigger houses, could step in and marry their young mothers thus fulfilling the tradition of mukha rarao omutiti obeya busa.
No questions asked. The son fills the shoes of his father in every possible way a man can in his home. Including but not limited to raising his younger step siblings as his own. And in the event this act of ‘playing daddy’ by the son resulted in more children, these children would be raised as his own. However, the children born of the second relationship between the young wife and step son would be known by the patriarch’s name.
The intention of this tradition was to ensure that children wouldn’t lack. The younger man, with energy to provide for both the children and their mother, ensured they wouldn’t be disadvantaged by the passing on of their father. Furthermore, the Bukusu say: Nobaya likhanga obayilamo chingokho. When you raise a guinea fowl, raise it among the chicken. Meaning, raising children this way had other advantages.
Key among them was that this genetic diversity ensured survival. For example, if a witch cast a spell on the progeny of the deceased patriarch, the children sired by the son with the woman who is technically his step mom would be spared.
When The Father Okays It
I’m not sure how it happened. Maybe an old man might do it during kith and kin gather around his death bed khulinda a’moyo. Maybe it’s earlier as seen above when the old man ran out of steam. Either way, the end result was that the old man would consent to one of his sons taking his younger wife as his own.
However, a son taking his father’s woman when he is alive without his consent was considered a taboo that attracted a curse.
Was There A Ceremony before one conducting the Mukha Rarao Omutiti Obeya busa ritual?
Short answer: No! All that was needed was for the patriarch to give his direction for the son to take his step mother. The lady would also give her consent to the patriarch. Chances are that the young wife would even participate in choosing her preferred suitor.
