Basoga People and Their Culture in Uganda Part 2

Do you need free information about Basoga Language, Busoga kingdom,Busoga land Ownership and Economy in Uganda?. On this site we will guide you to all you may need to know anout the culture of these people (basoga)

The Basoga were also under the influence of the Luo rulers of Bunyoro As a result, the Basoga followed some of the Luo customs.

For example, at puberty they used to extract the sixth teeth in the lower jaw as initiation adulthood likethe Alur of West and the Joluo of western Kenya. Even some of their ceremonies especially those regarding death, tended to resemble those of the Luo.

Learn about the land ownership and the economy of basoga

In Busoga, each clan had land and the Mutaka (clan head) was responsible for the clan’s land. This land could not pass ownership from one clan to another nor could a member be granted land by the clan head be deprived of it.

There was plenty of land in spite of the population. Any member could get land by simply asking the clan head for it.A non clan member could be allowed to cultivate land but only as a Mugiha (tenant).The land could be taken from him could it be required by any member of the clan to which it belonged. They were settled agriculturalists and they were quite rich in food and cattle.

Basoga traditional death and burial rites

A CHIEF

Whenever an important chief was sick, very few people were allowed to come near him.

His death was first kept a secret until all his wives, cattle, hoes, ivory, and male slaves had been secured.

Thereafter, the official announcement was made early in the morning by a Mujwa (funeral officer).

It was then that the chief’s wives, herdsmen, and people wept and kissed the corpse.

No work of any kind could be done, not even visiting or cooking could be done. If there happened to be any other dead people, their burials had to wait until the chief’s funeral rites were completed.

It was taboo any cock to crow during the period. No one shaved until the rites were over.

The older wives of the chief were gathered and kept in the death hut for seven days supporting the body of the dead chief across their feet. For these days, they were not supposed to touch food of any kind.

Basoga traditional burial rituals

The chief was buried in the hut of his first wife. He was buried with some objects his body facing towards their supposed direction of origin.

Most Basoga bury their dead facing northward because they believe that they came from Bunyoro.

The chief’s grave was deep indeed about ten meters.

Before burial, the corpse was washed all over by the wives. A new barkcloth was hung across the doorway of the hut.

The corpse was smeared with butter and a large colored bead was tied around the neck.

In Bugabula, a piece of flayed cowhide was taken from a cow sacrificed to the dead and laid upon the forehead of the corpse.

Other presents like beads, wires or bracelets were also tied on the arms and legs of the corpse. The body was then carried to the burial hut by the Bwagwa and put in the grave but no earth was put in yet.

A bullock was tied to the doorway of the hut and dedicated to the dead chief. The ceremony was extended to inaugurate an heir.

Tradition burial of a childless man

A young man was treated like an old man. If he was unmarried, a widower, or married but without children, a broom was placed on the grave and he was ordered not to come back in the following words. “Go straight away and never return to earth, you childless one”. His name was despised in the society and care was taken not to give it to another person for fear that he also might become childless.




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