IDNO

N.19498.ROS

Description

Royal spears? decorated with feathers?, metal? and beads? in an interior with a white screen in the background. The spear to the left is spade-shaped, decorated with strips of metal?, the other four? are divided into sets of two and each set appears to have a shield attached. These sets are decorated with feathers?, beads? and cloth?.

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Bunyoro; Hoima

Cultural Affliation

Banyoro (Bakitara)

Named Person

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 C31/120/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C31/ by the cataloguer.
Previously stored on Shelf 4, in group of 4 wooden boxes numbered 180.

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: According to Roscoe, on one of the days of the New Moon Ceremony "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” (Roscoe, J., 1922. The Soul of Central Africa: An Account of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition. (London: Cassell and Co.), p. 210). Amongst these, three carried the Royal spears. These men were named Mahere, Kaizireijo and Mutasimbulwa (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. 109). There was also a fourth man, named Olukandula who "carried a kind of two-toothed rake” (Roscoe, 1923, p. 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, p. 109). Following which, he wrote: "These men walked backwards before the King as far as the Queen’s reception room and then went round by the courtyards of the huts as the King went through the huts and met him as he came out to the Queen’s reception room and then went through the huts and met him again at the last courtyard. Here they stood with their emblems till the king set out on his return journey, when they went round the outside of the huts again and met him as he came out of the queen’s reception room” (Roscoe, 1923, p. 109). [ED 9/10/2007]

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 8/10/2007]