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Gor Mahia: The Powerful Magician (Luo community)

Shujaa Stories2019

National Museums of Kenya

National Museums of Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya

Gor Mahia son to Ogada and grandson to Ogallo was a prominent Luo hero born in the late 18th century, who used magic and miraculous powers that he inherited from his grandfather to rule his people.

The waters shimmer as the orange twilight rays of the setting sun dance atop the waves of the great Lake Victoria. Luo fishermen on the beach sort the days catch as the pelican and the kingfisher fly above. This is where the great Gor Mahia was born. Here where the gentle breeze whistled through the papyrus reeds on swampy beaches of the lake.

Gor was raised as a normal child alongside his siblings. His birth name was Gor Obunga, inherited from his forefathers. Gor’s father was called Ogada Ogallo from Kanyamwa and his mother was Atoka Nyokado from Kanyada. Gor was the only son of Atoka in Ogada’s polygamous family.

It is said that it was difficult to distinguish whether Gor was a spirit or a human being. Legend has it that he inherited his supernatural powers from his grandfather Ogallo. Gor’s mother died early. One day, his grandfather summoned all the children of Ogada to bless them. Gor was only five years old.

A ceremonial bull was slaughtered and Ogallo started blessing each child with the meat from the bull. When it was Gor’s turn, Ogallo did something different, choosing instead to give him his mother’s ashes to bury in her hut. This experience became the origin of Gor’s powers. He became a mystery even to Ogallo who had blessed him. The miraculous things that he did earned him the name ‘Mahia’ meaning strange and lethal.

Growing up, Gor possessed magical powers as well as the powers of prophecy. His most notable prophecy was manifested in a vision where he saw ‘baby-like’ creatures, who were as unstoppable as locusts. With this, he travelled to Karungu to caution warriors against confronting these creatures, despite the fact that the warriors were famous for conquering all enemies. Gor warned them that should they attempt to do so, they would all be defeated because these creatures had sticks that spit fire-guns.

This was just but an ounce of the powers that Gor Mahia possessed. Most of his powers are shrouded in mystery to this day. The extent of his magic was so powerful that today herbalists visit his grave to partake of those powers. However, people are warned against picking leaves of the plants and even stones around his grave without permission from Gor’s living descendants. Any contact with Gor’s grave is rumoured to disturb his spirits and those who do so, are rumoured to fall sick and sometimes die.

Today, the great Gor Mahia is still celebrated in the form of Gor Mahia FC, a prominent football club in Kenya whose prowess has been unmatched. Indeed, the powers of Gor Mahia live on.

Bonus Information:
Wetlands have powers that seem magical – like Gor Mahia. Papyrus wetlands protect the shore from erosion and filter out silt and chemicals. They store carbon dioxide – one of the “greenhouse gases” that cause climate change. Papyrus swamps like Koguta Swamp, Yala Swamp Complex, Dunga Swamp, Sio Port Swamp are recognized as Key Biodiversity Areas. These wetlands provide habitats for birds like the Papyrus gonolek that live only in papyrus swamps.

Details

  • Title: Gor Mahia: The Powerful Magician (Luo community)
  • Creator: Shujaa Stories
  • Date Created: 2019
  • Location: Kenya
  • Rights: Shujaa Stories in collaboration with Nature Kenya and the National Museums of Kenya
  • Community: Luo
  • About Shujaa Stories: This is a Kenyan superhero display of the country’s pre-independence legends who fought for their communities’ land, freedom and spiritual well-being; and are revered by their communities to date. Conceptualized in 2017, the idea was the brain-child of Masidza Sande Galavu (1993-2020) who was a Creative Director and co-founder at Shujaa Stories and Tatu Creatives in Nairobi. ‘Shujaa’ is a Swahili word that means brave or courageous. It also refers to someone who is a hero. Shujaa Stories made its public debut with an exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum in 2018. It shined light on 28 of Kenya’s greatest heroes and heroines. Each story was coupled with a bonus text on conservation related to the heritage sites surrounding where these legends once lived. In 2020, supported by National Museums of Kenya and Google Arts and Culture, Shujaa Stories Ltd completed over 30 new shujaas that cut across the major and marginalized Kenyan communities. Kenya is rich in history and culture. Some of this richness has been brought out in our books, museums and in theatre. But there is one major section of our history that has been left out, especially to the younger generation of Kenyans, which are our pre-independence legendary heroes. Some of these heroes are known well beyond their communities due to the respect they managed to garner across the region. Many of them have a well-developed and sophisticated folklore which embodies their history, traditions, morals, worldview and wisdom. The design language chosen for the entire exhibition is animated illustrations that seek to bring out the superhero character of each shujaa.

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