The First Dog and the Kaya Spirit

When the Mijikenda first established their sacred kaya in the forest, a wild dog followed them. The dog was mangy and fearful, but it never left the perimeter of the settlement. The elders of the kaya debated what to do. Some wanted to chase it away, seeing it as a scavenger. But a wise diviner (mganga) said, "This dog is not a common animal. It is a spirit. It has come to offer us a pact." The diviner went to the edge of the forest and spoke to the dog. "If you wish to live with us, you must serve us. You must guard our homes at night and help us hunt. In return, we will give you a share of our food and a place by our fire. You will no longer be a wild thing, but one of the people." The dog, understanding, wagged its tail and followed the diviner into the center of the kaya. This was the first domestic dog. It had traded its wild freedom for the security and companionship of the human community, and its descendants became the loyal guardians of the Mijikenda people.