The Epic of Gor Mahia: The Luo Epic

The Epic of Gor Mahia is a narrative in beautiful verse, revolving around Gor Mahia who pools all heroic resources to change the life of his community and later manages the rather tricky transitional period between the old order and the new colonial dispensation. Repeted to have been blessed by the ancestors, Gor Mahia comes of age in the politically hostile and morally decadent chiefdom of Kanyamwa. He goes into exile to avoid being murdered by his powerful half-brothers, after which stint he returns, armed with ruses, leadership skills and moral authority to rescue his people from defeat by their one-time tenants, the Kwabwai. Having consolidated power and restored the pride of his people, Gor Mahia faces a more formidable enemy: colonialism sweeps through the Great Lakes region of Africa and Gor has to carve a role for himself. He becomes a colonial paramount chief, but with a difference; he maintain his essence as the cultural head and chief of the people while at the same time submitting to the political power of the new masters. It is this paradox that puts him in conflict with fellow chiefs and a rather unique relationship with the white man. The colonialists, unable to put one label upon Gor Mahia, variously call him an actor, a wizard, a magician and a prophet:

The white man wrote down about Gor,
This is a wizard, pure and simple
A genius too, he could be:
Probably, no man has ever been so many things;
Probably, no man has ever been so many men
And certainly no man has ever had affinity
With so many ages, races and species (p. 138).

One strand that runs through Gor Mahia s life is the series of contests, with rivals and enemies, including death, in which he emerges as the champion. The contests start with pre-colonial rivals and build up to a climax during World War II when Gor Mahia takes the gun and symbolically shows the white man his way out of Africa, across the seas. Heroism, especially in bad times, is Gor Mahia s second nature.
The Epic of Gor Mahia, is a landmark in the literary landscape of East Africa. It is also a portrayal of the Luo and by extension, the African culture, consciousness and physical landscape through the ideal personality of an historical individual. Philosophy, politics and dialogue between Europe and Africa are strewn throughout its pages. Above all, the epic is a full artistic expression integrating narrative, drama, music, dance and ritual. It surely is a must read for anyone interested in the foundation and culmination of African literature.

What others have said about it
The publication of The Epic of Gor Mahia by Adrian Onyando is a cultural event of enormous significance for East Africa. It brings to light the fact that in this region, too, the epic this folklore category with the most highly organised structure thrived, giving expression to a people s creative genius. After this wonder of a text we may begin re-examining the long prevailing view that Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali is the apex of all known African epics, a classical example of the genre PROF. EMILIA ILIEVA, EGERTON UNIVERSITY

Onyando might be the first author to have so many books published in one year. Yet quantity is not the author s hallmark; quality is. SUNDAY NATION
Re-reading Adrian Onyando s new revised edition of The Epic of Gor Mahia is a refreshing experience that reminds us acutely of Walter Benjamin s postulations on the relationship between the epic form and historiography (The Story-Teller and Artisan Cultures). Significantly, Onyando is neither a writer of history nor is he a historian concerned with facts and models, but is a teller of historical events through the muse-derived chronicler, Adega Ny Olando...Only by virtue of comprehension memory can epic writing absorb the course of events on one hand and, with the passing of these, make its peace with the power of death on the other. Benjamin Odhoji, Kenyatta University