Lmalasin are the large homemade containers in which the Samburu of Wamba, Kenya, have traditionally stored and fermented milk from their herds (cow being the most significant, but also goat, donkey, and camel). Each lmala is fitted with a lukupuri (lid over the vessel’s neck that also serves as a drinking cup).
Lmala is singular; lmalasin is plural. In its plural form, the word is the collective term for all wooden or gourd miking containers holding a minimum of two liters. Plastic containers, lepirra, are not currently included under the lmalasin rubric. A mala is smaller than two liters, and thus smaller than a lmala. Without a modifier, mala has the general meaning of “a small container.” To clarify which container is meant, there must be a modifier, such as mala naililoiri.
Every Samburu woman knew how to carve and decorate the different lmalasin. Specialist lmala producers once existed, so a typical lmalasin collection might include acquired pieces. The typical household collection reflected household dynamics, growing as the herds and family increased, and decreasing as the family itself matured — no need for so many lmala for infants if there were no infants. The collection also changed as herds declined.
The interior of each lmala is cleaned with fire before use, and then the container is used to ferment milk. (The video below shows how a Samburu woman cleans a lmala with burning botanicals and steam.) The botanicals used to cleanse the lmala interior will impart distinctive flavors, and also influence how long the milk will remain usable before becoming kong’u (rotten, bad).
While the word lmala is usually translated into English as “calabash,” only a few lmalasin are actually made from gourds. Most of the 20-plus milking containers used in the context of Samburu milk production are carved from wood by women. The majority of the different container types are reserved for use by specific genders or ages.
See the Introduction for a complete discussion of the lmala’s role in Samburu culture. My study also has some application to the milk cuisines of neighboring pastoralist cultures, such as the Pokot, the Rendille, and the Turkana.
Explore Samburu words for milk containers
The links below will take you to photos and in-depth descriptions of each type of lmala, including decoration and use. The containers are organized by basic type. Each group shares design elements and shapes of the lmala named in the heading.
Nklip group (round bottom)
All containers in this group are carved from wood and have a round bottom.
Nklip – distinguishing characteristics
lmala enkoriong – bride’s lmala, selected from her mother’s collection of nklip
lmala entare – small; useful for goats
lmala loolmuran – only used by murran (warriors)
lmala njongor – for milk used for blessings
lmala ntutua – made of woven tree roots
Nklip–naitu group
lmala naitu – for children and women
lmala enkoiting – for milking, drinking, or as a child’s lmala
lmala naitu elpayan – a husband’s naitu made by his wife when they are first married
lmala naitu nang’orchiereki – a smaller naitu for the measure of one collection of blood bled from a cow for mixing with milk to make kule njuloti and kule saroi
lmala naitu elayiok – a boy’s lmala carried when the cattle move away from the manyatta
Nairoshi-lkantir group
lmala nairoshi – for collecting milk; can be used by anyone
lmala lkantir – stays inside the house; stores milk for murran (warriors)
Nkirau group (gourds)
lmala nkirau – can be used by anyone except murran (warriors)
lmala nyatio – gourd for churning ngorno (butter)
lmala naililiori – carried by the best man in a wedding procession
Seenderi group (skin bottom)
lmala seenderi – stores milk for the elpayan (husband)
lmala nkodoos – collecting container for milk, meat, or butter
Soroor
lmala soroor – stores camel milk
Ngoiti (flat bottom)
lmala ngoiti – to collect blood from a cow
lmala nkerai – container for boys old enough to drink cow’s milk
Lmala Preparation and Decoration
These links will take you to words for making, ornamenting, and cleaning lmalasin (milk containers).
Making and decorating the lmalasin
kerarang’u – bleaching the lmala
ldupasoroi – wood for decorating the lmala
lkaria – ochre for decorating
lodo – blood for painting
loriesi’e – scraper for lmala preparation
lorise le oriong – tool for lmala preparation
lorise lu nochuaa – tool for lmala preparation
lpirra – plastic cup
ltuda – sewing needle
lukupuri – carved wooden cap or cup
lwierset – tool for lmala preparation
mparuai – thread
nbita – tool for making wood objects
nchoni – skin
raanita – skin straps
saasaa e atua – small grater for lmala interior
saasaa e oriong – long grater for lmala exterior
skirai – cowry shells used in lmala ornamentation
Cleaning the lmalasin
airr – process of cleaning the lmala after use
musuti – rag for the final stage of lmala preparation
sosian – stick used in lmala preparation
kichungi – sieve
XXX – Is there a word for the woven band? [Leave your remarks in Comments below]
XXX – Is there a word for the decorative stitching on the lmala? [Leave your remarks in Comments]
More
Use the following links to explore additional content collected through the Samburu Milk Project.
Introduction to the Samburu Milk Project
Dictionary Methodology and Acknowledgements
Stages of Milk Fermentation
Milk Taste and Texture Terms
Botanicals for Lmala Preparation
The Culture of Milk — Idioms and Expressions
Other Samburu Words
Milk, Music and Religion — scheduled completion in late 2025
Milking Songs — scheduled completion in late 2025
This is the draft manuscript of the Samburu Milk Project, © 2024 William Rubel.
Samburu Research 