Ancient Gikuyu folk songs composers craftly embedded our culture into one harmonious montages; taking a popular folk song amongst young children, ‘Wakaratha’ as a case study you can see how our ancestors tried to preserve our way of life in a simple song.

This song depicts the life of hunters and how they did barter trade with the blacksmiths ‘aturi’ ; how they traded their meat for knives and other metal tools.

The song also brings into picture how rainmakers(Ethaga) were appeased with these tools makahuhe mbura riria riua riakana muno.

Also in the folk song we can learn how our forefathers reared livestock and how they used it for paying bride price; Kugura muka.

The songs wraps it reminding us till today one primary role of a woman in a Kikuyu homestead, to feed his family,
To utilize rains, ugimbi, mwere na muhia niwahandagwo(wahuthagirwo kugiikiya ucuru) most probably using tools bartered from the blacksmiths, it was a complex cycle laid out in a simple song

In a simple way the folk song shows how different aspects in the ancient Kikuyu culture were interrelated and crucial to each other from hunting, farming, mysticism and family life

Wakaratha
Wakaratha, ndurute migwi tukarathane

Nawandatha,
Nawandatha ni uguthinjirwo,
Ni uguthinjirwo,

Nacio Nyama,
Nacio nyama itwarirwo aturi
Itwarirwo aturi,

Nao aturi
Nao aturi mature tuhiū
Mature tuhiū

Natwo tuhiù,
Natwo tuhiù tuheo Ethaga
tuheo Ethaga

Nao Ethaga,
Nao Ethaga, makoirie mbura
Makoirie mbura

Nayo mbura,
Nayo mbura ikameria nyeki
Ikameria nyeki

Nayo nyeki,
Nayo nyeki ikarera njau
Ikarera njau

Nayo njau,
Nayo njau ikagura muka
Ikagura muka

Nake muka,
Nake muka agakiya ucuru
Agakiya ucuru

Naguo ucuru,
Naguo ucuru tugakundukia
Tugakundukia, hondo! hondo!