There is an uncanny resemblance between a goatskin and the map of Kenya. You may recall Christmases of days gone by, when our fathers slaughtered the festive goat. A day after the feasting, the skin was spreadeagled in the sun to dry, held to the ground by sharpened sticks. This process allowed it to dry out without folding and also made it easy to scrape off the meat, ligaments and fat.