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Uganda Local Religions
Roughly 19 percent of Ugandans professed belief in
local
religions in the late 1980s. In Uganda as in other
countries,
religion serves social and political purposes, as well as
individual needs. An important social function of religion
is
reinforcing group solidarity by providing elements
necessary for
society's survival--remembrances of the ancestors, means
of
settling disputes, and recognition of individual
achievement.
Another social function of religion is helping people cope
with
negative aspects of life--pain, suffering, and defeat--by
providing an explanation of their causes. Religious
beliefs and
practices also serve political aims, especially by
bolstering the
authority of temporal rulers and at other times by
allowing new
leaders to mobilize political opposition and implement
political
change.
Among Bantu-speaking societies in southern Uganda, many
local
religions include beliefs in a creator God, usually known
as Ntu
or a variant of that term (e.g., Muntu). Most religions
involve
beliefs in ancestral and other spirits, and people offer
prayers
and sacrifices to symbolize respect for the dead and to
maintain
proper relationships among the living. An important
example of
this religious attitude is found in western Uganda among
members
of the Mbandwa religion and related belief systems
throughout the
region. Mbandwa mediators act on behalf of other
believers, using
trance or hypnosis and offering sacrifice and prayer to
beseech
the spirit world on behalf of the living. In Bunyoro, for
example, the ancestral spirits, who protect those who pray
to
them, are believed to be the early mythical rulers, the
Chwezi.
As a result, the Mbandwa religion in these areas is
sometimes
called the Chwezi religion.
Ancestors are also important in the lives of the
Lugbara
people of northwestern Uganda. Ancestors communicate with
the
living, influence their luck, and can be appeased by those
in
authority. A lineage elder is said to "own" an ancestral
shrine,
and this ownership serves to reinforce his power to
communicate
with the ancestors. The elder can invoke a curse on a
relative,
and people with illnesses often consult diviners to
interpret the
conditions of their lives and determine which elder might
have
caused the illness.
More secular functions of religion are evident in the
Ganda
belief system, which reinforces the institution of
kingship. The
kabaka is not considered to be the descendant of
gods, but
his skill as a leader is judged in part by his ability to
defend
his people from spiritual danger. Most spiritual beings
are
considered to be the source of misfortune, rather than
good
fortune--forces to be placated. A good kabaka is
one who
can defend his kingdom from divine retribution. Important
gods in
the Ganda pantheon include Kibuka and Nende, the gods of
war;
Mukasa, the god of children and fertility; a number of
gods of
the elements--rain, lightning, earthquake, and drought;
gods of
plague and smallpox; and a god of hunting. Sacrifices to
appease
these deities include food, animals, and, at times in the
past,
human beings.
Religion in the Tepeth society in northeastern Uganda
also
reinforces political values. Authority is concentrated in
the
hands of a small group of priests and clan elders. They
admit men
whom they judge to be most capable to a cult known as Sor.
Sor
initiates make sacrifices to enhance fertility, ensure
adequate
rainfall, and avoid disease. Men also become members of a
society
of mediums, who are highly respected, or priests, who are
also
respected but less so. Women receive spiritual
communications
regarding social ills, such as crime, but are believed to
be
incapable of seeing the spirits that communicate with
them.
Mediums, priests, and others--including women--are allowed
to
perform rituals that symbolize their spiritual and social
prestige.
Religion overlaps with politics in many other areas of
life.
Ancestors and their agents on earth often support
authority
systems by punishing transgressions against elders.
Killing or
striking senior kin is sometimes sufficient to destroy a
descent
group. The transgressor can avert this tragedy by engaging
a
spiritual healer and paying the prescribed penalty.
Illness is
often interpreted as a penalty for flouting the authority
of an
elder. Illness and a wide variety of misfortunes provide
opportunities for individuals to examine their own actions
and
relationships, admit their weaknesses to a respected
leader, and
compensate those who otherwise might become their enemies.
This
pattern of behavior--both political and
religious--contributes to
stability in many societies.
Data as of December 1990
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