Myth / Great Lakes Bantu Mythology

The sacred Umuko tree is said to have received the fallen demigod Ryangombe into its' branches after he was slain

During the great migration of the Bantu-speaking peoples from what is now Cameroon, a subgroup encountered the pastoralist Cushitic tribes in East Africa from whom they adopted the custom of cattle herding and milking. Equipped with iron/steel, staple crops from Southeast Asia such as yams and bananas, and now cattle, their clans settled down and established organized kingdoms along the Great Lakes, spanning Lake Albert in the north of modern Uganda to the southernmost shores of Lake Tanganyika along the coast of Tanzania in the western section of the Great Rift Valley. Migratory pressures from further downstream of the Nile brought an invasion of Cushitic tribes followed by Nilotic tribes that gave birth to new dynasties. The most notable of the Great Lakes kingdoms would became the modern states of Rwanda, Burundi, and the sub-national kingdom of Buganda which lent its name to the state of Uganda. Other important kingdoms include Bunyoro, Nkore, and Karagwe.

These diverse people found a common religion in the cult of the Bachwezi (called "Imandwa" in Rwanda-Burundi and Lubaale in Buganda), or "Lawgivers". This semi-mythical clan of rulers and sorcerers were worshiped as demi-gods and immortalized in legend. Some claim they came from the heavens, others say they migrated from the north, yet still some believe they came from under the earth. Whatever their origin the Bachwezi were considered mighty leaders who established a great kingdom which birthed the different kingdoms of the Great Lakes. After being offended by men or disgraced someway they disappeared either underground or to the islands of the Great Lakes themselves, sometimes they were said to have been defeated in battle by the Nilotic warriors called the Babito. Prior to the ascent of the Bachwezi some people believed there was a dynasty known as the Batembuzi who established society prior to the Bachwezi.

The world consisted of three levels to the Bantu of the lakes. In the middle was the earth which was a disk with tall plants and pillars to hold up the dome of heaven made of blue rock. The heaven clan lives a largely tranquil existence where death does not exist. Occasionally the Heaven clan provides earth with lifegiving rains. The Rwandans call the thunder god “Nkuba” who is characterized as ruler of heaven when not naming the supreme god Imana. Sometimes the thunder god is in the shape of a ram or a great bird. The Heaven clan is usually distinguished from humans by their peculiar physical features: sometimes they have tails, sometimes they shine with supernatural radiance, other times they are half-people as if split vertically. The underworld is a shadowy realm where nothing can grow and the inhabitants subsist on ashes. The landscape often figures into the mythos as volcanoes and lakes were seen as gateways between the earth and underworld.

Notable Bachwezi/Lubaale/Imandwa

The leader of the Bachwezi varies from region to region. From Rwanda southward the top deity is Ryangombe/Lyangombe (or Kiranga as he is called in Burundi) who is revered as a hunting god, slayer of monsters, god of cattle, sex god, and most importantly the center of the salvation cult. It was an egalitarian belief system, which preached that anyone initiated into his cult would awaken after death in a beautiful country where the inhabitants would enjoy the company of fellow initiates in drinking, smoking, and playing games to their heart's content. In the vicinity of Lake Victoria (Nalubaale, meaning “Lake of the gods”) and especially Buganda the deity Mukasa (or Mugasha) is the head of the Bachwezi. Mukasa is principally known as the kindly old god of the waters, in particular Lake Victoria. He is the great giver of prophecies and free of pretensions. Beloved by the peasantry as a bumpkin like themselves, Mukasa generously increases herds and children. Ndahura was the god of smallpox and king of the Bachwezi in Bunyoro. Wamara or Wamala was the son of Ndahura and enjoyed much more widespread worship from Bunyoro to the land of the Nyamwezi. Wamara was the god of plenty, especially cattle. Some in this area even considered Wamara to be the creator God. In Northern Buganda the primordial ancestor Kintu retained his status as sire of the line of Ganda kings but also above the other Bachwezi, he was thought to have brought cattle to the world. Other notable Bachwezi include Kagoro (god of lightning) and Irungu (god of the bush, hunting, dogs, and travelers). Nyabingi was a powerful goddess from Karagwe worshipped throughout the southern reaches of the Great Lakes. She was a patroness of women and powerful goddess of revenge.

Tropes specific to Rwanda, Burundi, and theologically related peoples in Western Tanzania, Northeast DRC, and Southwest Uganda:

• Absurdly High-Stakes Game: Ryangombe lost the kingship of the Imandwa in a game of ikisoro, and won it back later with the help of his son.
• The Ace:
  • Binego was held by many to be superior to even his famous father.
  • Ruganzu Ndoli was the standard by which Rwandan kings held themselves to. Master of every skill any monarch could hope to learn.
• And I Must Scream: This was the alleged fate of people not initiated into Ryangombe’s cult after death. Their souls would be trapped in the volcano Mt. Nyirangongo where they would spend eternity breathing the noxious fumes and being burned by hot magma while they labored incessantly under the oppression of Lord Gongo on his plantations. It was guarded by Ryangombe’s warriors. Periodically Gongo and his fellow damned would attempt a jailbreak which was the reason for eruptions and earthquakes. A “lucky” few would occasionally escape and wander the earth as tormented evil spirits.
• And Now You Must Marry Me: In an odd “heroic” example Ryangombe tricked a maiden into marriage by asking her for milk after being invited to her home. He spat the milk in her face (the groom spitting milk on the bride was a traditional wedding custom in Rwanda) and that made it official.
• Animorphism: Ryangombe’s mother Kalimulore was said to be half-Hyena on her mother’s side, and could shapeshift into one when she became drunk. In other tellings she drank lion urine from a big tree knot and was made into a were-lion who transformed when very hungry or angry.
• Antagonistic Offspring: Mugasha's son Kagolo was still loyal to Wamara and pursued him to the desert after his dad stole Wamara's cattle.
• Anti-Hero: Binego was an extremely ruthless person, but admittedly most of his victims had it coming. He was still considered the protector of worshippers during ceremonies.
• Ax-Crazy: Binego lies between this trope and Sociopathic Hero. His name means “Kills in one blow”. As a kid he massacred his uncles and all their cattle. He slapped his own mother (filial sacrilege) for hesitating to lead him to his father. Even worse, he torments cattle and causes them all sorts of misfortune. On his journey to aid his dad he casually murders Hutus who mildly inconvenience him. One of his favorite boasts was "I am flayer, son of strength, I am the one who washes his hands with blood, I am the one with the red spear, I follow the thunderbolt of the clawed mother, I butcher for the vultures and behold the birds of prey are satisfied. "
• Badass Army: The Ibisumizi were Ruganzu Ndoli's personal guard. They were to Ruganzu Ndoli as the knights of the round table were to King Arthur or the paladins were to folkloric Charlemagne. They followed him faithfully into battle with men, monsters, wizards, and even the god Ryangombe.
• Badass Boast: One day Ryangombe and king Ruganzu argued over who had the most powerful warriors. So they assembled and began to boast against each other:
  • Binego said "I am lightning, I am the piss of thunder, I am not, I do not come from nowhere, I am not going anywhere".
  • Irungu said "I am not afraid of anything, I wear the testicles of my enemies around my neck, I break them into pieces".
  • When the other Chwezi (Mugasha, Kagoro, etc.) finished their boasts Ruganzu and his men conceded that Ryangombe has the strongest warriors.
• Bandit Clan:
  • After moving into exile in the bush, Ryangombe and his followers make their living as adventurers and brigands. Beholden to nobody save Ryangombe, they lived how they saw fit: theft, kidnapping, promiscuity, murder, drinking, gambling, sorcery, rape, hunting, and other lawless behaviors.
  • Wamala's first converts to Chwezi worship were a band of brigands and cattle rustlers.
• Batman Gambit: Queen Kanyagakecuru's home on Mt. Huye was hidden by enormous thorn bushes and guarded by massive snakes. Ruganzu Ndoli could not conquer this fortress by force, so instead he sent her a herd of goats as a peace offering. Kanyagakecuru was extremely arrogant and didn't stop to consider the implications of this. She just bragged about making the great king Ruganzu pay her tribute. Meanwhile the goats gobbled up the thorn bushes in record time, causing the snakes to seek out other foliage to live in. Ruganzu Ndoli's Ibisumizi sprang out and stormed Kanyagakecuru's house before she could even register what happened.
• The Beast Master: Irungu is the protector of wild game.
• Bestiality Is Depraved: A young man was herding his father's cattle when a she-hyena grabbed a calf and refused to let it go. The youth struggled to save the calf until the hyena grabbed him instead. The hyena demanded he make love to her or be eaten, so he mated with her. Their child was a little girl named Akarimurori. The girl would grow up into the mother of Ryangombe.
• Berserk Button: Cruelty to cattle, big time.
• Big Eater: Ryangombe devoured an entire Ox shortly after his birth. He later ate eleven cattle whole after recovering them from the bihindure.
• The Bluebeard: King Ruhinda of Mpororo married queen Nyabingi of Karagwe on the logic that they would rule as husband and wife over an even stronger country. After marrying, he betrayed her and launched a sudden coup. He and his followers burst into the palace, arrested her, and had her swiftly executed. Karagwe now belonged to Ruhinda.
• Brutish Bulls: Ryangombe was slain by a cape buffalo of extraordinary size and toughness. Sometimes it is a shapeshifted Nagishya and other times it is merely her familiar.
• Carry a Big Stick: Binego wielded two great iron clubs into battle.
• Cassandra Truth: Wamala told his brothers that he spoke to the one true God "Muswezi". They called him insane and sent him away from Nkore to Karagwe.
• Casting a Shadow: Ryangombe enveloped Ruganzu Ndoli's men in darkness in a show of power during their confrontation.
• Church Militant: A holy war was fought between the followers of Wamara against the worshippers of the Hinda god Lugaba led by king Ndagala. The battle came to a draw as the basatila (sages of the Hinda) were equally matched with Wamara. From that point onward the Hinda worshippers of Lugaba and the worshippers of the Chwezi lived in mutual segregation.
• Cute Monster Girl: Nyagishya is one of the Bihindure. In some tellings she is hairy like a beast even in human form, and in all tellings she has no breasts. Ryangombe found her hot anyway.
• Demonization: Wamara is regarded as evil by the Hinda. They call him "Mushishya" or the destroyer.
• Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: The Bachwezi once beat up death itself and sent him running back to his master in the underworld.
• Dishing Out Dirt: Ruganzu Ndoli threw his spear through a mountain and created a tunnel for his army to sneak through unseen.
• Dreaming of Things to Come: The chief Hinda sage was sent a dream by their god Lugaba where the entire country would be obliterated. He was instructed to sacrifice a ram to Lugaba and smear the blood on all his devotees. He was told to then gather the herds and evacuate all the Hinda.
• Driven to Suicide: When Ryangombe was killed by the cape buffalo, his followers were distraught. In the very tragic endings his siblings, his mother, and his companions all either threw themselves onto the horns of the buffalo or hanged themselves or fell on their own weapons.
• Earn Your Title: Binego is sometimes called Rukarabankaba or "the one who washes his hands in blood".
• Enfant Terrible: In classic Sub-Saharan African fashion, Ryangombe spoke before he was born and came out of the womb physically and mentally capable as an adult.
• Evil Uncle: Mpumutimuchuni in versions where he is Babinga's brother and Ryangombe's uncle.
• Extreme Libido:
  • Ryangombe.
  • His son Binego is no slouch in this area either.
  • The sorceress and Ryangombe's wife Nyirantakitamuheneka was always horny and lured Bujinja into bed with help from her magic.
• Fair-Weather Friend: Mugasha, Ryangombe, and Lubinga freaked out when they heard the Hinda prophecy of doom and abandoned their boss Wamara. Mugasha stole 600 cows from him, put them on boats, and hid them on an island on Lake Victoria. Ryangombe stole his magnificent hunting dogs.
• Fisher King:
  • After Ryangombe murdered his son Bujinja, his country turned barren. His cattle died off and his orchards shriveled up.
  • When Ruganzu Ndoli had the throne of Rwanda stolen from him, the land quickly turned barren. People, plants, and animals could not reproduce. It became so hot that smoke came from the horns of the cattle. Ruganzu was given seeds of different staple crops by his aunt Nyabunyana while he was in exile in the kingdom of Ndorwa. While fleeing assassins he ate the seeds and later pooped them out when he returned to Rwanda. Immediately the land blossomed with greenery and new life.
• Flaming Sword: Ryangombe wielded one. He used it to cut off the peak of Mount Nyiragongo and cast down Gongo into the inferno.
• Ghastly Ghost: The Bazimu are considered almost invariably evil. They are distinguished from the benevolent ancestor spirits. The Imandwa were mostly worshipped for protection against ghosts and their hauntings.
• God Is Displeased: Lugaba punished Wamara and his followers for denying him, with an apocalyptic flood. Only one man survived to tell Wamara what happened. Then the earth itself opened and devoured Wamara himself alongside the few survivors. The great Mutasila of the Hinda people returned to see the aftermath.
• God of the Dead: Laboha was the god of death for the Hima.
• God of Evil: The Hima god of evil was Rutwa.
• God of Fire: Muliro is the Hima god of fire and subject of Wamara.
• God of Good: Kasana was the Hima god of goodness, who inspires the heart of man to be good and kind.
• The Great Flood: Lugaba sent a flood to kill Wamara and his followers.
• The Great Serpent: Queen Nyagakecuru of Mt. Huye guarded her home with a gigantic snake monster. The creature decimated any army that approached. In other tellings they were multiple and venomous.
• The Heretic: Wamala was kicked out of Karagwe by king Ndagala for preaching the word of Kachwezi. Ndagala called him a blasphemer against the Hinda supreme god Lugaba.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Ruganzu Ndoli had a faithful pack of dogs who followed him everywhere, on hunts and in battle.
• Heroic Host:
  • Nyabingi returns every few generations and possesses people to fight against tyranny and evil.
  • Ritual possession is a central element of the Imandwa religion, the gods speak to worshippers through possessed dancers.
• The High Queen: Nyabingi was once the queen of Karagwe. She was held in very high regard by her subjects for her wisdom, fairness, and beauty.
• "Just So" Story: The impressions on Ngarama rock are said to be the footprints of Ruganzu Ndoli and his dogs.
• Kill It Through Its Stomach: The Baziba say Ryangombe swallowed the bihindure named Ntangaire, and was carved open through his stomach by the wily monster, killing him.
• Like a Son to Me: In some tales Binego is not Ryangombe's son by blood, but a dear young friend instead.
• Lost Food Grievance: Ryangombe stole honey from the beehives of his blood brother Katanazi. Katanazi was so angry he set the forest where Ryangombe and his companions lived on fire and killed them all.
• Mad Oracle: Wamala in tales where he actually is a prophet.
• Making a Splash: Ruganzu Ndoli threw his magic spear into a rock and created a fresh water spring for his thirsty army.
• Maligned Mixed Marriage: One of Wamala's wives was a Hinda princess. When she heard of the Musatila's (chief Hinda priest)prophecy she panicked and rejoined her tribe.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Akarimurori is Kinyarwanda for "What happened in a hidden place", a reference to her father's liaison with the she-hyena.
  • Ryangombe literally means "Ox-Eater".
• Meaningful Rename:
  • Wamala changed his name to Wamara when he entered the court of Ndagala in Karagwe. It means "he who saves".
  • The Mutasila of the Hinda returned to Wamara's country to survey the destruction caused by Lugaba's divine wrath. He had to climb a mountain to fully witness the scale of the desolation. The land was covered in white ashes. He christened the country "Rwanda", meaning "Lamentation without end" in Sumbwa.
• Messianic Archetype: While not exactly a paragon of morality by modern standards or even by ancient Rwandan standards either, the parallels between Ryangombe and Jesus Christ were not lost on the first christian missionaries in the region. His cult offered hope of paradise for all people regardless of their status as Hutu or Tutsi or Twa, male or female. Ryangombe represented a form of social defiance against the rigid and hierarchal feudalism of society at the time.
• Never Accepted in His Hometown: Wamala was a rebel against king Ndagala of Karagwe, which made him unpopular. Then he became the prophet of Muswezi (or "Kachwezi" meaning "the spitter") which made him even more unpopular.
• Obfuscating Insanity: In the age of the great king Ruhinda's son Ndagala, the demigod Wamala rebelled against him and spent 20 years living in the forest pretending to be insane. He claimed "Muswezi" sent him a vision telling him to build a religion.
• Offing the Offspring: Ryangombe had forbidden his son Bujinja from visiting the kraal of his wife Nyirantakitamuheneka, who was a powerful sorceress. Bujinja could not resist her temptations and fell into bed with her. In a jealous rage Ryangombe stabbed Bujinja in the throat with a spear.
• Our Giants Are Bigger: Nyangara was a giant wizard who was fought by Ruganzu Ndoli.
• Our Monsters Are Weird: Insibikas are monsters that vaguely resemble hyenas or wild dogs. They eject fire from their mouths and anuses to attack. When they look dormant, they are actually wide awake. And when they are stirring they are actually fast asleep. Insibikas have the power to shapeshift.
• Our Werebeasts Are Different: Bihindure (singular: Hindure)are a class of shapeshifters who feed on human flesh, especially at night. They take the form of jackals, leopards, and hyenas to accomplish their gruesome deeds. Ryangombe fought and killed a particularly large one named Ntubugezi.
• Parental Incest: Binego has sex with his own mother in different legends.
• Plot-Relevant Age-Up: All over the place. In Binego’s case he went from baby to man in less than a week in time to help Ryangombe keep his throne.
• Power Trio: Lubale was a trio of three stone gods who protect the home according to the Hima.
• Rain of Something Unusual: Ruganzu Ndoli milked the sky to feed the people of Rwanda.
• Really Gets Around: Ryangombe “I enjoy the mother and daughter at the same time”, “The elbow who can’t go a night without a nubile girl”, and “The sword that cannot spend a night without flesh”.
• Rock Monster: Legend tells of a living boulder which moved at night causing trouble until Ruganzu Ndori commanded it to stop
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Gongo and his minions are still sealed in Mount Nyiragongo. But sometimes an eruption happens and the spirits trapped there make a mad dash to escape, sometimes successfully.
• Sex God:
  • Literally and figuratively. Ryangombe's lust and sexual prowess was seemingly endless. Men worshipped him for virility.
  • Kagoro Kakachubya controls libido.
• Sweet Polly Oliver: Ndabaga was a young woman who disguised herself as a boy so she could join the king's army and fight in place of her elderly father.
• The Usurper: Mpumutimuchuni was one of Babinga's followers who took the rightful throne away from prince Ryangombe.
• Vengeful Ghost: Nyabingi haunted and terrorized her ex-husband Ruhinda until the end of his days for her betrayal and murder. The entire kingdom suffered tragedies and catastrophes as divine punishment from Nyabingi. It culminated in the conquest of the entire Ndorwa region by the kingdom of Rwanda.
• Walking the Earth: Ryangombe is a vagrant god with no permanent home. He and his followers wander the bush without cattle or crops, living off the land. He was cursed to walk the earth after murdering his own son.
• Weather Manipulation: When Ryangombe and Ruganzu Ndoli tested each other's might, Ryangombe enveloped Ruganzu's warriors in a thick fog and stormclouds.
• You Killed My Father: Some say that the young sorceress Nyagishya who killed Ryangombe was none other than the daughter of Mpumutimuchuni.

Tropes specific to the Nyoro, Ankole, Haya, and other theologically related peoples in Uganda and Kenya:

• Abhorrent Admirer: Mukasa for Lyanyaibungo. She was a princess and daughter of god-king Wamara. He was an unkempt and crass hillbilly fisherman from the north. When Mukasa proposed to her she spat, and said she’d rather marry her own brother.
• Adaptational Villainy: Kintu was a huge prick in Bunyoro tales.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Isimbwa (or Simbu) left heaven for partly this reason.
• Beak Attack: Lightning birds would do this to unfortunate people, assuming they didn’t vaporize them in a fiery blaze.
• Bolt of Divine Retribution: Anyone struck down by lightning was thought to have offended Kagoro.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Kagoro was chosen to be king of the Bachwezi once by Ryangombe, so Mukasa retaliated with bad behavior. Kagoro punished Mukasa with exile underwater. Mukasa hit back by casting a drought over the kingdom. Kagoro hit back by letting his cattle eat Mukasa’s magic swamp grass. So Mukasa demanded Kagoro’s cow. So Kagoro had Mukasa’s son killed. Mukasa called down a great storm of hail and buried Kagoro under it, then demanded his sister as a bride. Mukasa cooked a terrible goat dish that smelled so bad it killed the girl. Kagoro escaped from his coffin of hailstones and learned his sister was dead, so he attempted to kill himself. Too bad he was immortal.

Tropes specific to Buganda:

• Achilles' Heel: Kibuka’s was his shadow.
• The Al Mighty Dollar: Considering nearly every god was associated with the welfare of cattle and cattle were the ultimate manifestation of wealth, most of them sit here by default. Mukasa in particular stands out as a giver of wealth, it was thought that he provided women with twins which were a great omen of material success.
• Artifactof Death: The shield of Kibuka caused everyone in possession of it to die of terrible illness, so the Bunyoro warriors wisely sent it back to Buganda.
• Body Horror: Rufu or death crawled inside of a girl’s vagina to hide from the Bachwezi after getting his ass kicked.

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