to the ancestors

136 Pages·2012·6.34 MB·English

BELIEFS IN ANCESTRAL SPIRITS: INTERPRETING
CONTEMPORARY ATTITUDES OF THE BAGANDA
TO THE ANCESTORS
by
Francis Xavier Mulambuzi
Submitted as the dissertation component in partial fulfilment of the
academic requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in
the Department of Religious Studies, University of
Natal.
January 1997
DECLARATION
This thesis represents my own original work. It has not been presented or submitted
in any form to any other University for purpose of a high degree. Where reference
has been made to the work of others, it is duly acknowledged in the text.
rt1~~
Francis Xavier Mulambuzi
MAP 1: UGANDA: Boundary with its neighbours and District
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BELGIAN
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BUHAYA STATES
TANGANYIKA
(TANZANIA)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
1
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter 1. Ancestors in Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
1.2 Some African views of Ancestors 6
1.3 Are Ancestors venerated or worshipped? 11
1.4 Conclusion .................................•......... 15
Chapter 2. Baganda beliefs in Ancestral spirits:
Hierarchy and Supernatural power 16
2.1 Introduction 16
2.2 Categories of Spirits in Baganda's Beliefs 16
2.3 The Ancestral Spirits 21
2.4 Hierarchy, and Power of Ancestors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.4.1 Kintu the Primordial Ancestor 24
2.4.2 The Royal Ancestors 25
2.4.3 Family Ancestors 28
2.5 The idea of Partial Re--incarnation and the Naming
ceremonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2.6 Ancestral possession and exorcism 33
2.7 Does everyone become an Ancestor in Buganda when s/he dies? . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.8 The Ancestral cult 38
2.9 Conclusion 39
2
Chapter 3. Ancestral rituals and observances 41
3.1 Introduction 41
3.2 Death and Funerary Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 45
3.2.1 Death and Burial Ceremonies of a King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3.2.2 Death and Burial Ceremonies of Ordinary Persons 49
3.2.3 The Period of Mourning 51
3.2.4 The Ceremony of Installing the Heir 52
3.2.5 Suicide and the Rituals that go along with It 60
3.3 The Meaning and Importance of the Hereditary Burial
grounds (Butaka) 61
3.4 Some Scholarly Interpretations of Baganda Ancestral activities 65
3.5 Conclusion 72
Chapter 4. The Effects of Christianity, Islam, and
Political Independence on Baganda beliefs in Ancestors 73
4.1 Introduction 73
4.2 Christianity in Relation to beliefs in Ancestors: the
place of Ancestors in the Christian context 74
4.3 The Impact of Islam on the Ancestral Cult 78
4.4 How the Royal cult was affected by political Independence 80
4.5 Can Christianity, Islam and the Ancestral Cult
live together in harmony? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4.6 Conclusion........................................... 86
Chapter 5. Discussion of Fieldwork f"mdings 88
5.1 Introduction ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
5.2 Interviews with people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
5.3 Comments on Fieldwork findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
5.4 Conclusion ..........................................
105
General Conclusion 107
APPENDIXES:
Appendix 1 113
Appendix 2 119
Appendix 3 121
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank all those who have supported me in one way or another through the
whole process of writing this thesis.
I am particularly grateful to my course supervisor, Patrick Maxwell for his unfailing
guidance, support and tolerance. During the many stages of my thesis' composition,
he read various sections a number of times, and offered suggestions and
improvements. Without his valuable help and concern I would not have finished this
thesis in time. I thank Douglas Dziva for all the assistance he gave me throughout the
whole period of writing this thesis.
I also thank Professor Jim Kiernan, for accepting to read my draft before submission.
He read the whole typescript and his comments and criticisms proved helpful.
I am indebted to Professor Ronald Nicolson for motivating me to pursue this course.
I am appreciative to my wife Grace, and the children for the patience they have
shown during the period when I have been away from home.
Last but not least, I am very thankful to the Reverend J. Leslie Houlden (Professor
Emeritus, King's College London) and The Friday Trust, LONDON, for providing
me with the funds I needed to carry out my studies at the University of Natal.
ABSTRACT
Ancestors represent a more enduring reality in the African world-view than deities,
other non-human spirits, or amulets and charms. This thesis argues that many
Baganda have beliefs in ancestors. Much ofthe knowledge on ancestors in Buganda
is still confined to oral tradition. It can be useful to have some material on the
ancestors in a written form. The time will come when those who know about the
subject will die and much of the information will disappear with them for ever.
Early European writers on Bagandapeopletouched the topic ofancestors only briefly
in their texts, without reaching great depth. The subject is given little space in their
works. Hence, they missed some major and dynamic aspects ofthe Baganda religion
and beliefs. Another point is that there are many changes that have taken place and
influencedBaganda'sbeliefs sincethesewritersproducedtheirworks. Byhighlighting
those changes, this thesis tries to give a clear picture ofwhat has transpired between
the period when those early writers wrote and today (1996), as far as such beliefs are
concerned. The early part of the thesis defines the word ancestor and other key
concepts. It gives a general analysis of ancestors in Africa. Then it moves on to
consider ancestors and the ancestral cult in Buganda. The thesis describes the earliest
accounts of the cult of ancestors in the pre-colonial period after which it looks at
ancestral observances. The effects of christianity, Islam, and political independence
on Baganda ancestral beliefs are discussed. The final stage of the study covers my
findings from fieldwork. This includes statements from some of the informants I
interviewed during fieldwork and my own conclusions regarding change and the
contemporary situation.
In this study, I have reflected on theperspectives ofrecent academic findings in order
tofacilitatecomprehensivedescriptions, analysis, discussion andcarefulinterpretation
of the beliefs under investigation. The ability of the Baganda people to retain their
traditional beliefs along with basic Christian, Muslim and modern beliefs has been
described and discussed.
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