X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - OUR MYTHS

Monday

“Nangakambilla akwa khumuwanda kwe tsofu” is a lifelong adage called lusiimo among Baakyisu people, also known as Bagisu. It stands for, "one who does not heed advice learns the hard way." Well, this and many other provers form the wisdom that has transcended ages across generations. There are simple ones like Kamakyesi kamatiini bulwaaye - lack of knowledge is sickness, Umukaamani akama mumatsukhu - a greedy person at a slaughter house ends up being given lungs, Indekhelo’mali inamukobosa - hunger will always drive a child back home. But there are also those proverbs that are hard to crack, like Kameelu kappa khububambi - What it means, Abuneri knows and has promised to interpret it for us one day.

Tuesday

And just like all other African natives, we have our myths; superstitions are rife and deeply held beliefs. Some of these beliefs bear testimony, and we have seen them manifest. For example, when a grasshopper lands on you, it is a signal that you’re going to receive visitors and this is true. Abuneri says that it was the way nature communicated with people back in the days when there were no phones. So when we asked why some of these things do not work anymore, he told us: “Why should nature duplicate roles that can now be played by mobile phones and letters? Back in the days, we had no such inventions, and nature knew that we needed to communicate, so it came in handy. Having established other means, nature has to retract. This is not a myth, it is a reality. I, for one, being that I do not have a phone, when a grasshopper lands on my shirt, I do not wait, I immediately start preparing for the visitor.”

Wednesday

By coincidence, before he could not even complete the sentence, a grasshopper called Nambarara flew toward Abuneri but did not land on him; instead, it landed on the handle of the chair he was sitting. Abuneri immediately proclaimed that he would be getting visitors today and summoned his grandson, Wokape to find where their mother's cock is and make sure he keeps it under lock. At the point when Wokape was chasing the cock, Maayi Umukatsa, who is Abuneri's first wife returned from the well carrying a jerrycan of water. Even at her advanced age, Umukatsa can comfortably balance a 20‑liter jerrycan of water on her head while casually carrying kyimisyebebe (pumpkin leaves). Since our childhood, we have always known her as Umukatsa, and none amongst us knows her real name.

Thursday

It is normal for women to be called by their clan name, and no mention is made of their real names. So, in our village, we have Umukatsa, Umusoba, Umuyobo, Umuddadiri, Umuganda, Umunambutye, and so on. There is a story of one woman we call Mayi'Umuganda because she had come to the village speaking only Luganda. Later, when her people came to collect the dowry, we were surprised that none of her relatives could speak Luganda. It was then that we learnt that she was actually an Ateso and not a Muganda. But Umuganda took hold and we have never changed.

Friday

When Umukatsa found Wokape chasing the cock around, she wanted to know the reason. "Kukah told me," he threw the words, running past her trying to reach the chicken which was by now losing momentum and almost giving up. Umukatsa hurriedly put the jerrycan and the vegetables down, ready to calmly confront her husband.

"Papa webasiya" is a respectful manner in which women address their husbands, and therefore she needed an explanation. With a bit of incoherence, Abuneri could not satisfactorily prove to his wife that they needed to prepare for unknown visitors just because a grasshopper had landed on a chair he was seated on. 

"Nature works in such a way that it is only and only when the grasshopper lands on your shirt/blouse or anywhere above your waist that it means you’re going to receive visitors. And since when did we start slaughtering chicken before the visitors have reached the homestead? What if it is a visitor bringing bad news, like to announce a death?" Umukatsa r
eminded her husband.

"My wife, the instincts tell me that we are getting visitors, and it may even be Mukhwasi, your younger brother," Abuneri tried to convince Umukatsa, who did not seem ready to be convinced.

"What if he is conveying bad news?"

"But you know very well, since time immemorial, that if anyone had died back at your home, the owl would have visited us in the night for it’s the owl that announces a death in our area. So, take heart. Let Wokape get the cock and keep it indoors so that when the visitors come, we shall not have to bother the boy."

Saturday

Among the Bakyisu, when an owl hoots around your house at night, it is an announcement that someone in the household or related to the household has died. It is one way nature communicates with the people. There is another bird called Wududu, the angel of death, and when it lands on your house, a person in the household dies.

Sunday

That is how nature communicates with us!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - THE JUDGEMENT DAY?

A dark cloud hangs over the village as we gather in response to the summons for the meeting. One of its kind. It is not everyday that we have so many people from different clans gather in this place; the gathering shows the importance of the matter. 

The sombre mood is worsened by the incidents of the last 2 months where there is a notable disregard for the laws of the land. Mutenyo from Bawabuyi circumcised all his children in the hospital, worst of all, he circumcised them in the “year of girls”. According to traditional, circumcision among Bakyiisu is supposed to be conducted in even years and the odd years are always referred to as the year of the girls. Mutenyo, in defiance of tradition decided to circumcise all his 4 boys in the year of girls. He took them to hospital in what we refer to as Lubaawo.

Tuesday

Secondly, once a lucrative custom, now Bumakoki is being disregarded. Bumakoki is a bond created when boys are circumcised in the same year. Those who share the year of circumcision refer to each other as Makoki.

“We don’t know what will become of our children” Walyaula rested his chin on his isoonyi as he used his toes to scribble into the ground. “Even the respect for the elders seems to be waning. We truly don’t know what will become of their future.”

Wednesday

“How can I expect anything good of Mutenyo’s children after what happened? I am told that even one of them joined their father to humiliate Mungasa who had gone to demand Bumakoki.”

When a boy is circumcised, his fathers circumcision mates - Bamakoki are entitled entitled to a token. A Makoki will camp in the home and must not talk to anyone until he is handed his token which may be in form of chicken or a goat. It is after the token is handed over that Makoki can then talk to the members of the homestead. It is said that when Makoki is not given a befitting token, he has the power to cast a spell on the boy’s incision wound. He can even cast a spell on the boy’s manhood. But in a bizaare event was Khaukha who cast a spell on Mwelu and the foreskin returned to the penis.

Mwelu had to undergo circumcision twice.

That is how powerful Makoki is!

Thursday

The meeting began as if it had not begun. Everyone just realized that Mungasa was speaking and we had to give him our attention.

“………….become people who deny their roots, we are at risk of losing our identity. When we lose our identity, we risk losing direction and when we lose direction, what shall follow?” He rhetorically asked. As if to answer himself, “We shall lose ourselves. We appreciate that we belong to different religions but no religion should tell you to discard your identity. To discredit your tribe and abandon the ways of your people is the same as abandoning self”

As he spoke, you would feel a deep expression of genuine concern in his voice and the body language. 

When Mungasa paused to breathe, you could see that somehow, the concern has been transmitted like electricity to the hearts of all other elders around. Even us, the children dared not talk.

Generally, that is how our gatherings begin before erupting into chaos that precedes judgement.

Friday

“How can Mutenyo, the heir of Khatoko, who was handed the spirits of Bawabuyi abandon the ways of his ancestors and the clan not bring him to order?” Mungasa’s deep voice reverberated as he turned around to scan his audience.

You would think that a person speaking was of big stature. But on the contrary, Mungasa is a short man of small build. He walks with a limp and he tells us that he sustained it while running away from Amin people who came searching for men who had participated in a football game organised by Maumbe Mukhwana who was actively recruiting rebels for FRONASA.

Back to the meeting, audience was already swayed, the people were convinced that something is wrong. But what would they do about it? Gone are days! We would now have matched to Mutenyo's home and brought it to order, but we cannot do that anymore. The last time we tried to confiscate Mukyelo's land and transfer his inheritance, we all recall what happened

Mungasa continued, “As I sit, I challenge this gathering to come up with a solution to this problem. If we don’t, we shall be judged as a generation that destroyed the tribe. isse nababoleye”, he chimed as he took his seat besides Walyaula.

Surprisingly, even after Mungasa’s passionate appeal, there was no other comment on Mutenyo’s issues because we have gathered for some other case which seems to be more important than Mungasa being denied Bumakoki by Mutenyo, moreover during the "girl’s year". From the loud silent “response” to Mungasa’s concern, you could feel that his was regarded as a complaint about not being given a token by Mutenyo and not a general concern for the tribe. 

Saturday

All the attention now turned to Sakwa’s issue. It started with Mzei Wepukhulu telling us the lineage of Banambutye and how they directly descended from Wabuyi. Today, Sakwa is not accused of sleeping with an under age Agnes. Sakwa is accused of using Agnes to shed off his boyhood in a ritual known as khukhala kumulindi and worst of all, he did it at a funeral which under normal circumstances would be referred to us khusaala umuffu (replacing the dead).

Before the hearing started, we looked forward to an excruciatingly protracted case, one which would lead to counter-accusations, arguments and maybe permanent enmity between the two families or clans. Everyone was surprised when Sakwa's family acknowledged what had happened, apologised and asked that they be allowed to marry Agnes. It was agreeable. But as a precaution, it was decided that two goats should be slaughtered to appease the ancestors (khuwossa bakuka). 

Sunday

“As usual, a goat has to pay for a man's wrongs” a comment that got us laughing.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - A FUNERAL, ITS RITES, AND THE DRAMA

Monday

It has been a while since we witnessed an inter-clan cultural meeting to decide a case between two clans, especially such a complicated matter that is deeply engraved in our customs as Bakyisu. For the record, people from the south are Bakyisu or Bakisu if one hails from Bududa and Manafa. Our siblings from the north are Bagisu. But even among them, there are some Bakyisu who migrated from the south and settled in present-day Bunambutye of Bulambuli. Therefore, when a complicated matter like the prevailing one arises, all Banambutye are summoned, including Wepukhulu from Bulambuli. Surprisingly, the majority of Bafukhula in this meeting are those from Bududa. Therefore, Walyaula, who is the area head, has to cede his seat to Mukhama in this particular case.

Tuesday

So what is the matter?

Wednesday

You remember the burial of Nalyaka where Wekoye stopped the rain? Well, it is our custom that when a person dies and is buried, the whole village condoles with the family for at least three more days after burial. From the moment a villager dies, or is said to have died, the whole village suspends digging until the rites are performed. After burial, we count three days and if the deceased is head of the family,  the widow and/or the children have their heads shaved clean, a goat is slaughtered, and among the customs, there is one important one called “khuwamba kyimiini,” which literally means taking to the hoe because kumwiini is the wooden hoe handle whose plural becomes kimiini. Therefore, until the third day and the kimiini feast is celebrated, the entire village hangs around the family, condoling with them and giving all the necessary support. The entire village literally takes over the affairs of the bereaved family until the kimiini feast. Everyone brings with them the food that feeds the village while they stay the three days.

Thursday

At night, we spend much of our time by the bonfire, but some wise people prepare a sleeping place out of banana leaves (kamasatsa). You can easily prepare and arrange your sleeping place during the day so that when nighttime comes, you slowly sneak in. 

Mabonga prepared his very well during the day. 

In the wake of the night, when he wanted to sleep, staggered to his spot only to find that it has been invaded and there were two people inside - a girl and man. He called out to them to vacate his place so that he could sleep. The couple inside just laughed and told him off. “I am giving you five minutes. Let me go and have one more sip of Nabalayo’s ingurre.” Ingurre is how some people call that local vodka. It is brewed and supplied by Nabalayo. Sometimes we refer to her by a Luganda name, Bituli biingi—we don’t know what it means, but that is it. 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Mabonga warned as he staggered away.

Friday

A few hours later, what started as a small fire blossomed into a flame that engulfed many surrounding banana-leaf-made structures that had been erected to house the people. And fire from banana leaves can spread so fast, but luckily the leaves cannot sustain a fire for long. Therefore, the injuries were minor save for Sakwa whose clothes were burnt. The other inconvenience was that many people were smoked out of their hiding places where they had sought refuge from the night’s chill. The fire started from the shelter which was being claimed by Mabonga, and when the it started, Sakwa and Agnes jumped out naked. They were saved the shame by the cover of darkness but still, that bright light from the burning banana leaves was enough to treat us to the spectacle. What we saw, we live to tell!

Saturday

“My daughter is too young to be sleeping around with that man,” Agnes’ father fumed after learning of what had transpired. “But who set the shelters on fire, if not Mabonga, your own son who is Agnes’ elder brother? After doing it, he vanished.” Talk is that Mabonga set the shelter on fire to punish the couple that had taken over his sleeping place not knowing that the fire could easily spread to other shelters. But some people could not believe that Mabonga, in his drunken state, the last time he was seen could pull off such an act, let alone be able to vanish. 

“Where is he then? He is the only person we cannot account for. So he is guilty of this, and his family must be held accountable,” Wakauna vibrated. “Let us go slow on this. Let everyone find where to sleep, and then in the morning, we shall know where to start. Meanwhile, Sakwa should be taken to the RC’s place for the act for protection until after this function when we shall be ready to handle this matter.” When Mzei Walyaula speaks, no one can cross his word. Therefore, we obliged.

Sunday

However. as the women went back to the house (where most were sleeping) to resume their night sleep, one of them realized that on the mat where the late Nalyaka had been placed before burial, there was someone sleeping and snoring loudly, covered in the same sheets the deceased had been laid on. Outrightly, knowing that she had come face to face with a ghost, the woman fainted. That was before the men were summoned to check only to realize that Mabonga, who was being accused of setting other people’s shelter on fire, had comfortably chosen to sleep in the most unexpected place.

As we sit here waiting for the Banambutye elders to arrive for the case to be heard, it is not Mabonga but rather Sakwa who is being accused of sleeping with Mabonga’s unmarried sister and yet this was his first act since circumcision. 

“How can you do that to someone’s daughter when you know that custom forbids you from marrying her?”

In our culture, the first act of sex after circumcision is a ritual by itself. The boy cannot perform it with a virgin girl; the boy cannot marry the girl with whom he does it and after the act, the girl is said to suddenly becomes pale, and no jelly can make her attractive anymore; that is why it is advisable to look out for an adult woman -
it is called khukhala kumulindi.

Till then, we shall keep you posted!

X-FILES FROM THE VILLAGE - MYTHS OF RAINMAKERS

Monday

Throughout the year, the rains have been erratic and rather unpredictable. Even Walyaula, who could predict the season with precision, has made mistakes on several occasions. The village seems to be losing confidence, and lately, we have stopped consulting him.

It has been known for ages that our rain comes from the southern side. Once we see the clouds forming from Namwenula side towards our direction, we are sure that it is going to rain. Many times, we spread millet out on the big rock for drying as we head to school, with confidence that if we see the cloud from that side, we must rush and help with putting back the millet into the storage (shirara). But if the cloud comes from Namwalye, that is not our rain, and we shall never bother.

 

Tuesday

Just like all the surrounding villages, ours also has rain stoppers. We call them Bachimba, and their title borders on a witch. Indeed, when referring to their act, it is khubirisa ifula, which translates as deflecting rain. When we face a prolonged drought, it is always suspected that someone is stopping the rain, and in some cases, it takes a traditional rite and a few beatings to salvage the situation. It is not uncommon for that custom to precede heavy rains. But these days, things seem to be changing. Who does not remember the shame our elders faced when they beat up Waswaka up to three times, and it never rained?

Wednesday

Surprisingly, each one of us has ever been trained on how to deflect rain to another area, and on most occasions, we have done it as a collective effort to stop rain from disrupting a function like a burial or wedding. But all this is done in good faith. How else would Father Kuroonya have stopped Masaba's wedding to allow his father to perform the tradition that stops the rain that was threatening to disrupt his son's holy church wedding ceremony?

However, some people like Khaukha are known to deflect rain at the time when we need it most. It is why he is called a witch. So, everyone is wondering why Khaukha, who is always accused of being umuchimba, cannot stop the current rain that has become a menace at this moment.

 

Thursday

Everyone is worried that the burial shall be disrupted by rain. Under such circumstances, we normally ask the head of the family or the clan to perform the rituals to hold back the rain, at least until the burial is done. In stopping or holding back the rain, the most common tools to use are the hoe, ash, a mortar and pestle (shiwili ni kumutsungilo). And in circumstances like where someone has died, you throw their (the deceased's) cloth onto the roof of their house, and the rain shall be blocked until the funeral rites are done. But of recent, nature has become stubborn and less obedient. We don't know if it will heed our commands.

As the priest stands up to preach, Wekoye is summoned to urgently rush behind their father's likubili. He is being summoned for the very important purpose, being that he is his father's heir. Nasila brings Late Nalyaka's floral dress and hands it to their brother, Wekoye.

Friday

Meanwhile, the clouds hovering over our heads, playfully chasing each other, signal the approach of the mother of rains that has characterised this period. Even the priest's voice does not sound firm as he says away his godly words, to which no one is paying attention, save for some of his choir members. All people's hopes are now hideously in Wekoye's next course of action, which will save the funeral from disruption by the rain, and especially this important session of the scripture.

"This rain cannot be stopped, not even by the god the priest is talking about," says Khaukha the witch. Those who hear look at him with envious eyes, knowing how his skill can come in handy. But Paulina, who is known for speaking without mincing words, loudly asks why Khaukha cannot put to good his witchery, causing a frenzy of laughter. The priest is able to suppress his laughter with "Alleluia," which goes unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Wekoye, when done with the hoe, sprinkles ash around it. All eyes are on him; the mood is tense. Surprisingly, people have hope and faith in the rituals he is performing, including the religious chaps. "Isn't it said that God helps those who help themselves?" the choir leader whispers to her neighbor.

Saturday

They then bring him a mortar and its pestle.

Sunday

As soon as Wekoye throws Nalyaka's dress to the roof, the first drops of rain come and hit harder. Everyone starts scampering for any shelter they can locate, under the trees, banana plants while the priest and his team press farther into the house shed. The problem is that a body, once brought out, cannot be taken back into the house. That is a taboo. But there is a simple shelter to protect it from direct rain. The priest looks farther for a better place under the roof, lest the holy book and the holy clothes get rained on.

To everyone's surprise, however, the rain does not last a minute. A rushing wind comes momentarily, and with it, the rain stops. But we realise that it has just been pushed to the neighbouring village.

The priest asks us to clap in appreciation for this deliverance, to which we oblige. Only that we cannot tell which god it is that we are clapping for!