Batembuzi
Encyclopedia
The Batembuzi were a medieval civilisation in the Lake Victoria-Nyanza
region in Eastern Africa
. They are credited by mythology
and oral tradition
to be the originators of the Empire of Kitara
.
, Toro, Ankole
, Rwanda
and Karagwe
. They are considered as demi-gods – superhumans with divine creative power who did not die but merely disappeared into the underworld
. The founder of the Batembuzi dynasty is said to have been Ruhanga
, also considered the to be the creator
.
According to a Uganda Travel Guide, the traditional lineage of Batembuzi kings is;
Isaza is considered the last of the Batembuzi dynasty, however the Bachwezi dynasty are said to descend from Isaza. Before he descended into the underworld he is said to have impregnated Nyamate, the daughter of Nyamiyonga, king of the underworld. As a result Nyamate gave birth to Isimbwa, who became the father of Ndahura, the first Mukhwezi of the Bachwezi.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
region in Eastern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. They are credited by mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
to be the originators of the Empire of Kitara
Empire of Kitara
The Empire of Kitara is a strong part of oral tradition in the area of the Great Lakes of Africa, including the modern countries of Uganda, northern Tanzania, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi...
.
Mythology
The Batembuzi are known in oral traditions from BunyoroBunyoro
Bunyoro is a kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in East Africa from the 16th to the 19th century. It is ruled by the Omukama of Bunyoro...
, Toro, Ankole
Ankole
Ankole, also referred to as Nkore, is one of four traditional kingdoms in Uganda. The kingdom is located in the southwestern Uganda, east of Lake Edward. It was ruled by a monarch known as The Mugabe or Omugabe of Ankole. The kingdom was formally abolished in 1967 by the government of President...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Karagwe
Karagwe
Karagwe is one of the 6 districts of the Kagera Region of Tanzania. It is bordered to the North by Uganda, to the East by the Bukoba Rural District, to the Southeast by the Muleba District, to the South by the Ngara District and to the West by Rwanda, which is divided by the River Kagera.According...
. They are considered as demi-gods – superhumans with divine creative power who did not die but merely disappeared into the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
. The founder of the Batembuzi dynasty is said to have been Ruhanga
Ruhanga
Ruhanga features in Bantu mythology as the remote creator and sky-God, recognised among the Bahuma, the Nyoro, the Tooro, the Chiga, the Bambwa, the Banyoro, and the Ankore. The Bahuma further recognise him as the arbiter of life, sickness, and death...
, also considered the to be the creator
Creator deity
A creator deity is a deity responsible for the creation of the world . In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator deity, while polytheistic traditions may or may not have creator deities...
.
According to a Uganda Travel Guide, the traditional lineage of Batembuzi kings is;
- Ruhanga, the creator
- Nkya, brother of Ruhanga
- Kakama, son of Nkya
- Bada, son of Kakama
- Ngonzaki, son of Bada
- Isaza, son of Ngonzaki
Isaza is considered the last of the Batembuzi dynasty, however the Bachwezi dynasty are said to descend from Isaza. Before he descended into the underworld he is said to have impregnated Nyamate, the daughter of Nyamiyonga, king of the underworld. As a result Nyamate gave birth to Isimbwa, who became the father of Ndahura, the first Mukhwezi of the Bachwezi.