Culture, Change and Continuity in Riddle and Riddle Perfomance among the Kipsigis, Kenya

Abstract

This paper interrogates contemporary riddles and riddle performance in the Kipsigis community. It illustrates the ways in which past-colonial social changes have influenced Kipsigis riddles. Review of related literature reveals that the question of change and continuity in riddles and riddle performance has not received much attention in the corpus of the genre. The paper is based on the theoretical stipulation that privileges cultural circulation and appropriation o/‘fragments from other cultures and genres in the process of cultural production as opposed to the assumption that culture is stable and its constituent elements functions to maintain its stability. Data was collected flom the Kipsigis respondents aged eight years and above, sampled from Kapsorok, Chepyegon, Barn’gorar and Kaplelartet locations in Soin Division of Kericho County, Kenya. These areas are appreciably rich in oral traditions because most oral genres are still being lively performed Participant observation method was used to collect riddles, while interviews were used for data about the culture and historical background of the community against which the changes were assessed. We conclude that formation of riddles is dependent on the cultural context both in the past and at the present. Thus new figures of speech in contemporary Kipsigis riddles reflect change in Kipsigis perspective of life during and after the colonial era.