IDNO

N.19223.ROS

Description

Two Royal milk pots on a table in an interior in the Royal enclosure.

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Bunyoro

Cultural Affliation

Banyoro (Bakitara)

Named Person

Andereya Bisereko Duhaga II (b. 1882 - d. 1924)

Photographer

?Roscoe, John R.

Collector / Expedition

Roscoe, John R. [Mackie Ethnological Expedition, Uganda, 1919 - 1920]

Date

1919 - 1920

Collection Name

Roscoe Collection

Source

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

This negative was kept in an envelope marked C30/173/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C30/ by the cataloguer.
Previously stored on Shelf 4, in group of 4 wooden boxes numbered 180.

Publication: Similar image published in Roscoe, J., 1922. The Soul of Central Africa: An Account of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition. (London: Cassell and Co.), p. 144, with the caption: "Bunyoro: The Royal Milk-pots and Churn”. [ED 12/10/2007] Similar image also published in Roscoe, J., 1923. The Bakitara (or Banyoro): The First Part of the Report of The Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p. 64, with the caption: "Milk-pots hanging in the dairy full of milk”. [ED 12/10/2007]

Context: "The milk-pots were handed over to the dairy-maid, another wife of the king, bearing the official title of Omuwesengisa or Munyuwisa, who was purified and smeared with white clay in the same manner as the milk-maids, and had always to be a virgin. She had to be in constant attendance in the dairy to give the king milk whenever he desired to drink.
The holder of this office had complete charge of the milk-pots of the king, and no one but she might handle them. She had to wash and dry them before the morning milking; and after the morning milk had been drunk she had to wash them, dry them in the sun, and later fumigate them, a process which was called Kuwitira and was performed over a pottery furnace in which a particular kind of grass was burned. The fire was brought from the king’s fire and the fetching and carrying of fire and water might be done by servants, but only the dairy-maid might touch the pots.
When she received the pots from the milk maid, she put them on a special platform, and prepared everything for the king’s meal. Then, coming into the throne room, she knelt at the foot of the throne and said, "Luhango lutahiri” (The milk pot has come). When she retired, the king rose and went to the dairy, and the door-keep called "ahaha,” and raising his arms added, "Araka kora Mukama atahiri” (Take heed and be silent, the king has gone to drink). During the milking there had been silence in the neighbourhood of the cows, and those who did not wish to stay had gone outside, but when the king had to drink there had to be absolute quietness within the enclosure. The people knelt down and covered their faces, and even to cough or clear the throat was forbidden on pain of instant death.
In the middle of the dairy there stood a stool (Kaizirokera) covered with nine white cow-skin rugs, which was under the care of chief Kasuli, who had to put it ready and then leave, for only the dairy-maid might be present when the king drank. The king took his seat on this stool and the dairy-maid, purified and whitened like the others, knelt by him and handed him first a sponge, Kikaraha, on a handle, with which he wiped his hands, and then another sponge, Kyahamingazi , which was kept covered and with which he wiped his lips. The milk-pot was in the stand, Kikajo, which stood by the stool. The dairy-maid removed the cover of the pot, wiped its rim with a leaf sponge which lay on the lid, and handed the pot to the king. While she drank she held the cover before her eyes so that she could not see him and waved a fly-whisk, Kihungyo, to keep flies off him. As she might not look at him she had to let her know by making a sound with his lips, or by tapping on the side of the pot with his finger-nail, when he was finished. She took the pot from him and if he required a second , she wiped its rims as before and handed it to him. When he had finished, she handed him the mouth-sponge, with which he wiped his lips before rising to return to the throne-room. As he seated himself on the throne he made a noise in his throat and the door-keeper, hearing this, called "Mukama omusika orugirama” (The King has drunk and returned), whereupon the people might rise from their knees.” (Roscoe, J., 1923. The Bakitara (or Banyoro): The First Part of the Report of The Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). pp. 98 - 99.). [ED 12/10/2007]
This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 12/10/2007]