The Father Drinks from His Beer Horn: Groom is Accepted

A young woman (mwiritu) who had willingly served a young man (mwanake) snuff for his nose or had agreed to go and tend his mother’s garden with him was officially engaged.

To go ahead with the marriage, she had to get blessings from her parents. So as to introduce the young man to her family, she would invite him to their homestead for a sumptuous meal which she had prepared.

During either the mid-day or evening meal, the bride would introduce the groom to her parents. They would ask him various questions in regard to his family background, his activities and where he lived and came from. (Then, as now, laziness was shunned and the parents did not want their daughter to go to a bad home).

The bride would thereafter offer her father a horn filled with Kikuyu brewed beer. If he accepted the young man, he would drink from the horn. If he did not accept the young man, he would pour the beer into the ground.

Once the father of the bride accepted the proposal, the young man would to home to his father with the good news. His family would meet up with the brides family on a particular day. If the grooms parents approved of their sons choice for a bride the marriage would go ahead.