Clans in Rwanda
Clans in Rwanda: Known as the “land of the thousand hills,” Rwanda is a nation with a rich cultural past. Following the horrific Rwandan murder, which claimed over a million people in just 100 days, the most populous nation in East Africa outlawed discussions concerning ethnicity. Despite its tiny size, Rwanda is home to more than 20 distinct clans, each with its own unique configuration. A group of individuals who share legendary forebears are referred to as clans. Another name for it is a social category division of individuals with similar heritage. The clan may be multi-ethnic, meaning that separate tribes have clans that are similar to both, and people may share a totem. Particularly in Rwanda, certain clans are linked to ancient mythological beginnings. The clans of Rwanda are quite varied and comprise the three tribes that currently inhabit the country, in contrast to the other neighboring countries. The clams that emerged under the general term “Banyrwanda” were not restricted by geographic location or genealogical lineages. Kingdoms then emerged from a conglomeration of clans. The family level was the first in the system of government, followed by the clan level.
It’s critical to recognize that prior to independence, Rwandans coexisted. The Germans, Rwanda‘s first invaders, discovered a highly developed social structure with all Rwandans divided into clans and a king at the top of the administrative hierarchy, backed by strong chiefs. “Ubwoko” was the name given to these clans. The search for a suitable term to more accurately characterize the various groupings began with the arrival of the Belgians with identity cards. Ubwoko means race, clan, family, ethnic group, type, or category in Kinyarwanda. These distinctions cannot be adequately described by specific terms. What is known, though, is that Ubwoko was associated with a clan by Rwandans both before and during colonial times.
These clans had distinct totems and came from all around the nation. The Abazigaba, for instance, were found in Nduga, Gisaka, Bwisha, Norway, Mubari, Bufumbira, Rukiga, and other locations, and they used a leopard as their totem.
The Abanyiginya, Abega, Abagesera, Ababanda, Abasinga, Abasindi, Abazigaba, Abashambo, Abongera, Abatsobe, Abungura, Abacyaba, Abahinda, Abashingwe, Abasita, Abarihira, Abakono, and Abenegitore are the 20 distinct clans into which Rwandans were divided. The subclass of clans is further subdivided into lineage entities (Umuryango) and sub-clans (Amashangya), which are further subdivided into a nucleus of families and, ultimately, a community or civilization. In addition to helping to solve communal issues, the society also made a significant contribution to fostering harmony among the many individuals. Belonging to a certain clan was very important in pre-colonial Rwandan society since it affected one’s social standing and place in the social hierarchy.
TOTEMS AND CLANS.
The totems of each clan were aware of the animals. They had animal identities.
The crested crane (Umusambi) is Abanyiginya.
Clan Abega. Frog (Igikeri)
clan Abazigaba…. Leopard (Ingwe)
Inyamanza’s Abagesera clan, aka Wagtail
The Abasinga Eagle (Sakabaka)
Abacyaba, or Impyisi, a hen
Ababanda(Igikona) Crow
The past Rwandan kings belonged to the Abanyiginya clan. On the other hand, sources give conflicting details regarding its genesis. The Rwandan kingdom was established during the 15th and 17th centuries, according to many of them. Although there were some internal conflicts among the royal house’s members in 1896, the Abanyiginya dynasty, also called the Nyiginya dynasty, ruled from the country’s founding until the early 1960s, when it became the Republic of Rwanda.
The names, physiognomy, and language of the Abanyigiginya clans do not identify them. She emphasized that everyone in Rwanda has the same name and speaks the same language, Kinyarwanda. Members of the Abanyiginya clan share the same physiognomy as other Tutsis and are members of the Tutsi ethnic group, she continued.
