Introduction
Lake Mutanda is a lava dammed lake found
in south western Uganda, it is part of chain belt of other lakes like Lake Murehe,
Lake Chahafi, Lake Burera, lake Ruhondo, lake Kayumbu and lake Kivu all of
Virunga massive. Throughout history all cultures have different ways in which
they handle their departed and their final resting places (tombs). Those who
leave this world to the next are considered or have been considered to separate
from us in body but to remain with or among us in spirit. In African
traditional society it was considered that, our departed forefathers lived
among us and that our lives may be affected by the way we relate to them. It is
in respect of these and other beliefs that the burial practices and places
among different nations, tribes (nationalities), families, clans and classes have always varied. For example, the way
and place or location the ‘family-head’ was/is buried is not the way or place a
child in the family who died would be buried. A commoner would be buried in a
different manner/location from a leader or a ruler/prophet (umuhanuuzi, umuraguzi). It is in this
respect that, in the days past, the ABAHINZA,
our rulers in the pre-aristocratic era were not buried with commoners in
communal cemeteries but in selected caves on chosen islands. In the case of the
Bagyesera-Bahinza, such an island, the resting places of the former cultural
leaders, were and are still the “ibirwa
by’Abahinza” in Lake Mutanda.
World Wide Examples and Practices.
The way our people could bury their
departed rulers in special places is not unique in world history. As a matter
of fact, it is proof that our civilisation was at par with the other
civilisations the world over, only varied by climatic or environmental
conditions and technological advances. The ancient Egyptians had the pyramids
for their pharaohs; the English have Castles, Cathedrals/Minsters and Abbeys
e.g. the Westminster Abbey, Glastonbury Abbey, etc as final resting places for
their departed Royals. The Baganda have Mausolea (mausoleums)
called ‘Amasiro’, for each of their
Ssekabakas – departed kings e.g. at Wamala, the Kasubi tombs (for Kings since
Mutesa I). The Mayas had the ‘Mayan temples’ in Central America [e.g. in
today’s Guatemala, and Honduras] and in Mexico.
The Scots buried their kings on the isle (island) called Iona. In fact, not
only are many
of the kings of Scotland interred there but also are those of Ireland. Even
those of the Vikings [Scandinavian war farers] were buried on Iona island- the
final resting place of Shakespeare’s
legendary Macbeth. The Greeks have Tatoi Palace near Athens, the Swedes
-Uppsala Cathedral among others. The Japanese have the "Mozu- Kofungun" (collections of ‘tumuli’:
one- a tumulus or royal burial mould]. In other words, the list of examples of
preserved and respected resting places for ancient and modern leaders is
endless and worldwide.
Common, Universal Thread
The most important and common thing
regarding the above types of heritage is that they are preserved and respected,
both by those that relate to them directly and by foreigners. Every stakeholder
respects and benefits from such rich tradition.
The Lake Mutanda ancient
rulers/prophets (Abahinza) archipelago:
History and Status.
When one talks of the burial places of
the Bahinza, one does not mean an island or just two. There are many islands on
Lake Mutanda, each used for a given purpose in the culture and religious
customs and traditions that fore-fathers ordained them to be. In English, “an
archipelago” literally means ‘ibirwa
by’Abahinza’ or islands traditionally used for cultural-religious purposes,
like the Iona archipelago in Scotland or the ‘Tumuli’ in Japan.
The island called ‘Ichangushu’
and the most important of the isles in the archipelago was used and is the main
burial place of the Bahinza. This is
where the cave(s) housing the skeletons being dismembered by ‘foreign grave
robbers’ today, is located. The bodies had to have been mummified and preserved
in bull-hides, never to decompose. It is believed that, these traditional
rulers/prophets played many roles like, giving birth, giving blessings,
managing spells ie drought, putting magic in fighting and hunting weapons i.e.
spears, bow and arrows, shield etc. they were also great architects.
Departed
ancient leaders (abahinza) at Inchangushu burial cave.
The other important isle is ‘Nyirandagura
Island’ for the burial of female Bahinza
Royalty. The interring of a Muhinza princess was like marrying her off into
another world because, like in ‘pharaohnic’ Egypt, they were considered to be
proceeding to live a new life in the later world. So, here, one finds not only
female skeletons but also female skill-tools and paraphernalia e.g. home-chore
tools like imyuuko (bread-forming
wooden, paddle-shaped tools), traditional
head-ribbons (singular-urugori), onion-shaped clothes-storage,
weaved containers (inkangara) that
bridal gifts clothing, creams and perfumes were packed in, inyereri wrist bangles (imiringa), leg bangles (inyereri), beads (imikako, ibinigyi), etc.
Departed ancient princesses and hero
women (even those who could bear twins and more)
The Island of ‘the barren’, also called
‘akarwa
k’ababi’, (2nd
smallest island)... literally, the island of the unfortunate or ‘bad ones’, is the resting place of women
that never bore children during their marriage (a sad but true historical
fact). Here, local, traditional priests have been using it as a banishing place
for bad spirits and demons.
Preservation of the dead;
Old techniques.
Mummified the bodies of the Bahinza
were preserved in special ways before being carried to their final resting
places [the usage of fresh/wet calf-hides plus special herbal formulations is
mentioned in folklore and local mythology]. The techniques used in this unique
type of mummification should be studied by taking a closer look at the remains
of these forefathers, before they finally disappear due to human disturbance or
to damage by the elements of the weather or still, due to human intervention
and environmental degradation now on high occurrence. The wisdom and techniques
used to maintain these human remains for so many years in a hot, humid,
tropical rain environment should be of interest to all scientists world over.
Otherwise we shall lose these important methods and remains forever, yet this
would be vital for future generation. Only this way can we preserve what
remains of past heritage.
Buhungiro Island
literally means (taking refuge), ancient leaders and some whites could take refuge
during civil wars/conflicts, the area on eastern side of this island can
accommodate around three dug out boats.
Ancient leaders took asylum inside a cave of buhungiro island
The other place, called ‘Mushungero’ [Bushungero
in ancient parlance), is in reality not an island but a peninsular extending to
the mainland at Mukozi village, below the colonial post of Kashingye (to the
North-East) from where that one beholds a magnificent panorama of unrivalled beauty that
includes not only the whole of Lake Mutanda, her islands and banks (inkengero) but also the central and
southern parts of Kisoro District, on to the borders between Rwanda and Uganda
and then between Uganda and the Congo, bound by the famous Bwindi impenetrable
National Park to the north-west and Mgahinga National park to the south west.
It was traditionally settled by the Kavumu family of the Barunga sub-clan (Umuryango) of the Bagyesera clan. The
current guardians of the place (the Gisimba- Ruvamwabo families) are
descendants of ancient Bahinza.
It is the beauty of
Mushungyero that earned it the honour of being chosen as the resting or holiday
resort of the British Colonial Governors from Entebbe and who made it an annual
ritual to swim in bilharzia-free, cool waters of Lake Mutanda.
Unfortunately, some of the remains started being stolen since 1990’s,although
these burial caves are managed by the community that claim for preserving this
heritage beauty, flora and fauna for
hundreds of years, without foreign prompting.
By
Bishubeho Louis
