IDNO

N.19299.ROS

Description

The King resting on his way back from the Sacred Court, after the ‘New Moon ceremony’, which is part of the New Moon festival. The King is probably the man to the right standing on a mat of "grass stems tied together” (Roscoe, 1922, p. 207) wearing bark cloth wrapped around the body and the monkey-skin beard (attached to the crown characteristic of both the King and the Sacred Guild) is just visible in the frame of the image. A member of the Sacred Guild stands in the centre of the foreground, identifiable by bark cloth and crown with monkey-skin. Between the King and member of the Sacred Guild (to the right), there is a Banyoro? man seated on the grass mat with white beads? around his neck. On both sides of the image are fences made from elephant grass. In the foreground a man dressed in white; a kanzu (white tunic)? sits watching the crowd in the background. In the background a group of people appear to be approaching the King; many dressed in dark-coloured bark cloths.

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 C30/252/ 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., 1923. The Bakitara (or Banyoro): The First Part of the Report of The Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), p. 177, with the caption: "New Moon Ceremonies. King resting on his return procession through the seven huts.” [ED 5/10/2007]
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 18/2/2008]

Context: "The king of Bunyoro was most helpful and spent hours of his time recounting what he remembered of the court as it was in his father’s day. He also procured for me those men who had the most intimate knowledge of the customs of the country, and he arranged a week’s pageant of the ceremonies of old, thus enabling me to secure photographs which I could not otherwise have obtained.” (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 18/2/2008]

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 pronounces judgment on any chief who had offended. The pronouncing of sentence on any member of the Sacred Guild was an impressive act, surpassing in gravity any of the other ceremonies. Crowds gathered outside the throne-room to see the king start on his way to the place of judgment, and the Royal standard-bearers waited his appearance. The Royal standards were rather curious. Three of them were spears with 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. The 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. Both he and the King wore their official robes and the crown with the long beard of monkey-skin which marked the member of the Sacred Guild. The robe consisted of a large sheet of bark-cloth wrapped round the body, and a person dressed in this robe and crown presented the most peculiar appearance.
The first hut through which the King passed was the queen’s reception-room, and there the queen, with any of her sisters who wised to be present at the ceremonies, sat to await the king. As he entered they all stood up, and he passed slowly along, each in turn, headed by the queen, greeting him in silence by placing her right hand on his shoulder palm downwards and then turning it palm upwards and touching his palm above the elbow with the tips of her fingers. He passed in this manner through the hut, and so on to the next, which was usually empty. His followers passed round the huts and did not enter them.
In the meantime the chiefs of the Sacred Guild assembled in their places in the last of the courtyards, which they entered by a special gateway. Their entrance was carefully guarded, and none but members of the Guild could pass the guard. When the king reached this last courtyard he took his place under a canopy against one of the fences, where a rug was spread for him to stand on. The chiefs of the Sacred Guild, each wearing his crown, which differed from all the others and was the mark of his special office or rank, stood on one side, while the culprit to be judged stood apart at the far end of the court, awaiting the king’s command to come forward.
When all was ready the king gave the sign for the man to be brought before him, and he came forward supported by one of his companions. His nervousness and terror were often so extreme that he was unable to walk alone, and his companion had to hold him up to keep his trembling legs from giving way under him. He approached the king, who did not employ many words to inform the anxious offender of his fate. If the verdict was pardon, he extended his two hands together and allowed the man to kiss them; if the hands were withheld it mattered little what the king said; he might even tell the man he was forgiven and might go free, but if he withheld his hands the doom of the culprit was sealed and death was sure to follow. Sometimes he sank down fainting and was carried off the death, or he was led away and speared. The king marched back to the throne-room, and the dancing went forward again as if nothing had happened.” (Roscoe, J., 1922. The Soul of Central Africa: An Account of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition. (London: Cassell and Co.), p. 212.). [ED 18/2/2008]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 8/10/2007]