The Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara: The Kubandwa Religion

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Before the arrival of Christianity and Islam, the religion of Kubandwa was an East African spirit possession faith practiced by many groups in the great lakes region. It is still practiced today to a much smaller degree and has a terrible/unfair reputation of witchcraft like other indigenous african religions. In this episode, I discuss what the religion must’ve looked like in Pre-colonial Bunyoro. We will talk about what it actually is, what it meant to people and how followers became mediums.

References

John H. Beattie, Initiation into the Cwezi Spirit possession cult in Bunyoro (African Studies, Vol 16, Issue 3, 1957)

John H. Beattie, John Middleton, "Spirit Mediumship and Society in Africa "( London: Routledge Library Editions, 1969)

Yk Bamunoba, "Diviners for the Abagabe", (Uganda Journal Vol 29, Issue 1, 1965)

Shane Doyle, "Cwezi Kubandwa Debate: Gender, Hegemony and Pre-Colonial Religion in Bunyoro, Western Uganda", Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 77, No. 4 (Cambridge University Press Africa: 2007)

Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, "Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear "(Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016)

Cecilia Pennacini, "Religious mobility and body language in Kubandwa possession cults", (Journal of Eastern African Studies Vol 3 No 2 , 2009)

Paul Van Thiel, "Some Preliminary Notes On The Music Of The Cwezi Cult In Ankole" (Western Uganda) (African Music, Vol. 5, No. 3 (1973/1974))

Music

Ankole, West Uganda

• Ekitaaguriro - Iru
• Reeba, mandwa - Hima    
• Ebizooba - Hima

Sound of Africa Series

• Okuturukya Omukama
• Ntajamerwa

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