IDNO

N.19237.ROS

Description

Distant view of the ‘Royal Spear-bearers’ (top left hand corner) and the ‘Sacred Pathway’ - made of grass mats. To the right there is a crowd of Banyoro? people looking towards the Royal spear-bearers - the women appear to be seated, wearing printed cloth wrappers, while the men appear to stand wearing bark-cloth? or kanzus (white tunics).

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Bunyoro; Hoima

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 C30/192/ 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. 210, with the caption: "Bunyoro: New Moon Ceremonies. The King advancing along the sacred pathway, preceded by spear-bearers.”
Similar images 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. 129, Plate XVII, with the caption: "People assembling in the Royal enclosure for the New Moon festival” and p. 144, Plate XVIII, with the captions: "Drums being carried for the New Moon ceremony” and "Drummers awaiting the signal to begin the dance at the New Moon festival” and p. 145, Plate XIX, "The New Moon dance begins”.
For a detailed description of the New Moon festival, please see: 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. 107 - 110.). [ED 8/10/2007]

Context: "New Moon Ceremonies: When the New Moon was due, a watch was kept for it from the top of a mound in front of a gate of the royal enclosure. Here a priest stood with a drummer, and round them were the royal bandsmen with drums, flutes, and other wind instruments. Hundreds of people assembled around the mound.
When the moon appeared, Bamuroga, the principal chief and head of the Sacred Guild, went to the king and said "You have outlived the moon and your people are a fighting people and rejoice with you. May you conquer.” The king went to the door of the throne room where he pronounced a blessing on the country, after which he sent word to the priest that the band should strike up and the festivities begin. For seven days the bands played, and dancing and rejoicing went on in the royal enclosure; then everyone adjourned to the enclosure of the king’s mother for a day, and that to the chief medicine man for another day, making nine days in all. Inside the royal enclosure in front of the king, any man might dance, but no woman who was not of royal blood; women of pastoral or agricultural families had to dance outside. The royal bands had to play continuously during this time except for a short rest between six and seven o’clock in the morning, when they snatched a little sleep. One or two at a time retired for food or rest, but the music might not cease” (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. 107 - 108). [ED 11/10/2007]

Context: "On one of the seven days there was usually a solemn procession to the courtyard of the seventh sacred hut, the courtyard where the King herded the cows. On this occasion the King gave his decision on any important matter, or pronounced judgment on any chief who had offended. The pronouncing of sentence on any member of the Sacred Guild was a most impressive act, surpassing in gravity any of the other ceremonies. Crowds gathered outside the throne room to see the king pass on his way to the place of judgment, and the royal-standard bearers awaited his appearance. The Royal standards were rather curious. Three of them were spears with long leaf shaped blades, and the fourth was an instrument rather like a two-pronged rake, on the prongs of which were hung a bag of seeds and a bundle of tinder for torch-making. These standards were held aloft until the King emerged from the throne-room, when the spear-bearers walked backwards before him to the door of the first hut, where they lined up to allow him to pass. A chief of the Guild preceded the King, also walking backwards” (Roscoe, J., 1922. The Soul of Central Africa: An Account of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition. (London: Cassell and Co.)), p. 210.). [ED 18/9/2007]
Three men carried the Royal spears, called Mahere, Kaizireijo, and Mutasimbulwa (Roscoe, 1924, p.109). There was also a fourth man, named Olukandula, who carried a kind of ‘two-toothed rake’ (Roscoe 1923: 109). According to Roscoe, these emblems were especially significant to the Banyoro because ‘they were to show that the people were once in bondage in Bukedi on the east of the Nile and had to cultivate the earth’ (Roscoe 1923: 109). [ED 18/9/2007]

Context: Roscoe’s perspective on spending time in the King’s old capital, Hoima: "Here too I had the exceptional opportunity of seeing old times brought, as it were, to life again, for the King was good enough to arrange and carry out for my benefit a week’s pageant, so that I was able to follow the milk customs and the new moon ceremonies as they were actually performed.” (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. ix). [ED 11/10/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 29/1/2008]