Batooro and their culture
Batooro and their culture: The Babiito dynasty, which dates back to the 14th century, is in charge of the Toro Kingdom. In 1822, Prince Kaboyo Olimi I Kasunsunkwanzi of Bunyoro Kingdom assumed control of the southern portion of his father’s kingdom and established what is now known as Toro, according to Charles Muhanga, one of the historians of the Toro kingdom.
Toro was one of the four kingdoms recognized by the constitution by the time Uganda gained independence from Britain. But President Apollo Milton Obote dissolved kingdoms and deprives kings of their authority in 1967. Civil conflicts, political upheaval, and civil unrest of the 1970s and early 1980s exacerbated the situation. Omukama Patrick Kaboyo Olimi III was compelled to go into exile during this time.
Kaboyo resumed his position after President Yoweri Museveni restored kingdoms and changed the Constitution in 1993. Like other monarchs, he did not restore all of his pre-1966 power. Although they lacked political power, kings were cultural leaders who played a crucial role in galvanizing the nation’s social, economic, and cultural revival. Additionally, he was forbidden from engaging in political activities.
The Tooro Kingdom is made up of the following administrative districts as of December 2014: Kabarole District, Kamwenge District, Kyegegwa District, and Kyenjojo District. According to the national population census conducted in 2002, the combined population of those four districts was approximately one million.
The social composition of the Batooro people
Instead of using caste, the Batooro community has always been divided along the lines of “economic activity.” The Bahuma and the Bairu were the two classes that could be distinguished. The Bairu were the ones who tilled the soil, and the Bahuma kept cattle. Because one class supplied the necessary milk, meat, and butter, and the other class supplied the necessary food items, the two classes coexisted harmoniously.
The demarcation line is becoming increasingly hazy today. Under the uniting authority of the Omukama (king), who ruled them until 1967, the Batooro have always regarded themselves as a single people. The kings are acknowledged as the cultural leaders of their tribes by the Ugandan constitution.
The genealogy and family relationships of the Batooro people
The Batooro tribe automatically adopts every Mutooro child born. There are no rigorous rites of passage, unlike some other Ugandan tribes, save from the customary naming ceremonies that occur at a relatively young age. For the benefit of our Western friends, it is necessary to explain the somewhat unusual Batooro kid naming system.
Each Mutooro child has a unique “last name”! This has a very straightforward explanation. Kitooro names must have a purpose; they must express something about the circumstances or state of affairs at the time of the child’s birth.
An important event that was happening at the time of the child’s birth may be reflected in the name. Twins and the children that follow them have conventional names. The elders of the family pick the names for the new baby informally while enjoying a nice meal and some local beer.
For male babies, this occurs at four days of age, whereas for female babies, it occurs at three days. The custom of giving a kid a religious name in addition to their traditional name began in the late 19th century with the arrival of Islam and Christianity.
The religious name may be an Arabic name for Muslims or an English or French name for Christians, but the tribe name is always in the tribal language. Among Christians, Bible names are highly favored. It would be incorrect to assign a general “family” name to all of the children born into a family because situations and experiences are constantly changing and different for each child.
Our acquaintances from the West might wonder, “How does one know one’s blood relations?” The answer is straightforward: via one’s clan. Our blood relationships and ancestry are established by the clan system. To prevent inbreeding, this is crucial and treated extremely carefully. A Mutooro is not allowed to marry someone from their own clan or their mother’s clan.
Even distant cousins who are several times removed are subject to this prohibition. Our royal family has historically been exempt from this taboo; they have been known to defy convention and marry within their own or their mother’s clans in an attempt to preserve their true blue bloodlines. All Mutooro children inherit their father’s clan. To avoid breaking a taboo, “girl meets boy” must reveal their clans and their mothers’ clans right away.
The Batooro and Banyoro people’s pet names and empaako
Empaako is a particular name for affection, respect, appreciation, etc. that is exclusive to the Toro, Bunyoro, and one or two tribes in Tanzania and Congo. Each mutooro child is given one of the ten “empaako” names in addition to the name that the rest of the world will know them by. Abbala, Abbooki, Abwooli, Acaali, Adyeeri, Akiiki, Amooti, Apuuli, Araali, Ateenyi, and Atwooki are the names of the Empaako.
The Omukama (king) alone is entitled to the twelfth one, Okaali. Because it is not used to greet the Omukama on a daily basis, Okaali is extremely precious. It is employed when the Omukama is elevated to the status of our gods by our tradition.
We refer to our ruler as Okaali when we “worship” him. The only mutooro with two empaako names is the Omukama. He takes the empaako Amooti after becoming the Omukama, regardless of what his previous empaako was. This is the one we use every day to welcome him. We welcome him as Okaali during specific, customary ceremonies and rituals.
Unlike kitooro names, which often have a kitooro meaning and convey a message, empaako names have no significance in rutooro since they are not truly kitooro names. When the Luo invaded Bunyoro from the north, they brought them there. They have been given unique meanings and incorporated into the language; for example, Akiiki is known as “Rukiikura mahaanga” (savior of nations).
Ateenyi is the mythical serpent of the River Muziizi, Abwooli is the cat, and so on. The empaako is used to express affection, respect, and admiration. Children use the empaako instead of their parents’ true names. Referring to one’s parents by their “real” names is regarded as disrespectful, even if it indicates a lack of upbringing. Batooro utilize the empaako to welcome one another, such as “Oraire ota, Amooti?” Amooti, good morning. In this case, the empaako is Amooti. One will frequently hear a conversation like this:
“Yaawe empaako?” “Which empaako are you?”
“Kandi eyaawe adyeeri?” “What’s yours, Adyeeri?”
They greet one another after determining each other’s empaako. Our intimate friends, family, and occasionally significant community members want us to be aware of their empaako. To be ignorant of it is rude! In order to greet someone without having to ask them their empaako, one occasionally tries to ask them while the friend, relative, significant other, etc. is not listening. Adults can use the empaako Apuuli to refer to young male children whose empaako they are unfamiliar with. Young female children may also be subject to the empaako Abwooli.
OYO ATTAINS KINGDOM
The Crown Prince had to take the throne as a young boy after King Kaboyo’s tragic death in 1995.
The ceremony to transfer authority to Oyo started at midnight on September 12, 1995, one week after his father’s funeral. They featured a fictitious conflict between the royal army and the rebel prince’s enemy forces at the palace gate (Mugabante). Oyo’s claim to the throne was put to the test. The gods were summoned by Nyarwa, the prince who had enthroned the monarch, to kill Oyo if he was not descended from royalty. Oyo was allowed to play the Bachwezi royal drums, the Nyalebe and Kajumba, after passing the test.
The blood of a white bull, Rutale, and a white cock were then used to bless Oyo. Amidst a joyous audience, he was crowned the new monarch of Toro. His first meal as king was millet bread (oburo) and milk. He ate while perched on a virgin’s lap. Following the feast, he swore loyalty to the crown while sitting on a leopard skin that had been stretched out on the floor.
Oyo was too young to comprehend the rites at the time, so they were to be repeated over the weekend. Three regents were appointed to assist the young king in carrying out his responsibilities and to prepare him for leadership. They were Rev. Mgr. Thomas Kisembo, Rev. Can. James Rabwoni, and John Katuramu, Toro’s prime minister at the time. They were tasked with managing the kingdom’s affairs until Oyo became eighteen.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, his aunt Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya, and his mother Best Kemigisa were all chosen guardians at the moment of King Oyo’s coronation.
Libyan Linkage
Muamar Gaddafi, the president of Libya, was close to the royal family. King Oyo named him a special advisor in 2001. Gaddafi was proclaimed a defender of the kingdom when he attended the ceremonies of Oyo’s sixth anniversary later that year.
Gaddafi was kind to the royal family, and the royals visited Tripoli frequently. He provided the $200,000 needed to renovate the palace.
Getting Married
The Batooro placed a high value on marriage, and a man was not considered whole until he was married.
In the past, a couple’s parents would arrange their marriage.
A middleman known as Kirangabuko, who is employed by the boy family, was involved in marriage negotiations. The girl and her family became the subject of his inquiry. The girls’ aptitude for household tasks is fascinating. He would counsel the boy’s parents against the selected female if he discovered that she was unruly or indolent.
He would start talks with her parents if she passed the test. “Sir, I come for you to build a home for me,” he would say to the girl’s father. I want you to be a member of my clan. I’ve come to ask for a wife, the home’s builder. In response, the girl’s father would say, “I don’t have any children.”
According to the Kirangabuko, there was a girl living on the property. As a result, the girl’s father would ask him to give her a name. To express his appreciation, the kirangabuko would bow down if the father agreed. After then, the girl’s parents would be visited by the boy’s family to discuss the bride price. They sold regional beer.
The bride price was calculated in cows. Between the Bairu and the Bahuma, it differed. It varied between six and twenty cows for the Bahuma. The upper limit for the Bairu was eight cows. To receive the bride price, a separate ritual known as enjugano/omukaaga was performed. Partying was a part of it. Bark fabric and skins for the bride’s wedding attire would thereafter be sent by the boy’s relatives.
The wedding ceremony, which was a three-day feast, came next. At 6:00 p.m., the girl would be carried from her parents’ house by strong, young men from the groom’s household. She would sit on her parents’ laps as part of a ritual before departing. This practice was called okubukara. After that, she would be carried all the way to the boy’s dwelling.
She would first be carried on the boy’s parents’ laps upon arrival. To bless and welcome her into her new family, they then gave her a maiden name and doused her with endembeezi, a herbal mixture diluted with water.
In a custom called as okucwa amagita, the bride and groom would share a bed before the feast began. If the girl was a virgin, her aunt (Isenkati) would receive a gift of a goat or cow as a token of appreciation for rearing her daughter well. Her aunt was given a sheep with a piece of bark cloth with a hole in it if she wasn’t a virgin.
After that, the guests were given food, beer, smoking pipes, and coffee beans. The bride’s friends and family would visit her new home on the third day and give her presents from their homes. Harusiika was the term used to describe the bride’s confinement for a few days. The girl would then be brought out and initiated into the art of cooking and housekeeping in a lavish ceremony.
The bride money would be reimbursed in the case of a divorce. However, if the lady had children, she would keep a portion of the bride’s fortune.
The economics of Batooro
Millet, sorghum, bananas, sweat potatoes, peas, and vegetables were among the crops that the Bairu grew. The Bahuma raised cattle for their meat, milk, and hides. Blacksmithing and other commercial pursuits were added to these. Axes, knives, arrowheads, spears, and hoes were all made by the blacksmiths.
In addition, they had potters who made pots for sauces, beer, and water, among other household items. The women were adept weavers and created a variety of basketry, including harvesting baskets, winnowing trays, dish baskets, bags, and other baskets for domestic tasks.
The men hunted wild animals, cleared bushes, and built dwellings. Hunting and building houses were examples of community activities. The Batooro constructed round dwellings with roofs thatched with grass.
The political setup
The Babiito dynasty was the dominant clan in Bunyoro, and the monarch had to be descended from them. An army and a system of leaders supported him. But during wartime, all physically fit men were asked to defend Toro.
Drums, spears, wooden spoons, chairs, crowns, beads, axes, and knives were all part of the chiefly attire.
When Toro was still a part of Bunyoro, there was a political education school in the county of Mwenge. To acquire the skill of governance, the kings’ sons traveled to Mwenge. The king’s sons and daughters had private tutors.
Mwenge continued to operate after Toro separated from Bunyoro.
Brotherhood Blood
In a ritual known as omukago, the Batooro customarily exchanged blood to strengthen their bonds with one another. Coffee berries, a fresh bark cloth, a knife, two fig tree branches, and ejubwa grass were the ceremony’s primary elements.
One individual slashes his skin beneath his navel at the ceremony’s culmination, scoops out his blood with a coffee bean, and feeds it to his friend. The friend follows suit. The two biological brothers would swear to act like true brothers.
“Brothers fight and shave each other,” they tell one another. They assist and beat one another. Your stomach will become larger if you lie to me. You won’t send me away when I come to you when I’m ill. You won’t abandon me after I’m nude. I won’t go hungry when I visit your house. Neither our offspring nor our clans will harm one another.