18/03/2025
The Story of Kapsogomo and the Warning of the Bird !
Long ago, near what is now Lake Bogoria, there lived a prosperous people whose wealth was measured in cattle. Their milk was so abundant that they poured it into wells beside their homesteads, swimming on it and competing to see who could store the most. The land was fertile, the people proud, and the livestock flourished.
But in their prosperity, they forgot something essential: kindness.
One evening, as the villagers feasted and admired their overflowing wells of milk, a weary traveler arrived at the village. His clothes were torn, his feet covered in dust, and his stomach empty from days of hunger. He went from homestead to homestead, begging for food and shelter.
But despite their wealth, the villagers refused him.
"We have no room for beggars," they sneered. Some, in a cruel mockery, threw him a "barue" the placenta of a cow something so shameful that it was more insult than gift.
With no fire to cook it, the traveler was sent from house to house, burdened with the weight of rejection.
At last, he reached the home of a humble family, Kapsogomo.
Unlike the others, Kapsogomo did not turn the traveler away.
They saw the burden he carried the shameful remains of mockery and were horrified. They took him in, washed him clean, fed him, and gave him a place to rest.
That night, something strange happened.
As the village fell into deep sleep, a bird appeared near the homestead of Kapsogomo. Its voice cut through the silence of the night, repeating an urgent warning:
"Kapsaraka, ou Karoon! Kapsaraka, ou Karoon! Kapsaraka, ou Karoon!"
The words carried a heavy message:
“Kapsaraka, move out tomorrow morning! Kapsaraka, move out tomorrow morning!”
The family awoke, startled by the bird’s cry. They stepped outside, feeling an unsettling stillness in the air. The sky churned, the stars flickered, and the ground felt strangely alive beneath their feet.
They knew this was no ordinary bird this was a warning from the unseen forces that governed the world.
But why did the bird call out to Kapsaraka instead of Kapsogomo?
It is believed that Kapsaraki, Kapsogomo, and Kamare were brothers, bound by blood but known by different names in different places. Among the Endorois, the family was always referred to as Kapsaraki, not Kapsogomo.
The bird, knowing the ancestral name, addressed Kapsaraka, urging him and his people to flee.
As dawn approached, the family heeded the warning. They gathered their belongings and fled toward the hills.
With each step they took, the earth behind them cracked. As they climbed higher, they turned to see their village and at that moment, the land gave way.
The ground split open, swallowing the wells of milk, the homes, and the proud villagers who had refused the traveler. Water rushed in from beneath the earth, filling the massive crater left behind.
By the time the sun rose, the village was gone.
A vast, steaming lake had taken its place Lake Bogoria.
For generations, the elders spoke of a sacred sign hidden beneath the waters. They pointed to Tolokta or Toloita, the central pole of the main house, which they claimed still stood in the middle of the lake, marking the lost village.
Even today, the Endorois remember this story well. They call the family Kapsaraki, preserving the name spoken by the bird on that fateful night.
Though the village disappeared, its spirit never fully left.
To this day, those who visit Lake Bogoria at dusk say they hear strange sounds the jingling of cattle bells, the soft murmur of voices, and the distant whistles of ghostly herders. Some say the spirits of the lost villagers still wander the shores, tending to livestock that no longer exist.
And so, the legend of Kapsogomo and Kapsaraka lives on a warning that wealth without compassion brings destruction, and that those who listen to the voices of nature will always find a path to survival.
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