Ancestors represent a more enduring reality in the African world-view than deities,
other non-human spirits, or amulets and charms. This thesis argues that many
Baganda have beliefs in ancestors. Much of the knowledge on ancestors in Buganda
is still confined to oral tradition. It can be useful to have some material on the
ancestors in a written form. The time will come when those who know about the
subject will die and much of the information will disappear with them for ever.
Early European writers on Baganda people touched the topic of ancestors only briefly
in their texts, without reaching great depth. The subject is given little space in their
works. Hence, they missed some major and dynamic aspects of the Baganda religion
and beliefs. Another point is that there are many changes that have taken place and
influenced Baganda's beliefs since these writers produced their works. By highlighting
those changes, this thesis tries to give a clear picture of what has transpired between
the period when those early writers wrote and today (1996), as far as such beliefs are
concerned. The early part of the thesis defines the word ancestor and other key
concepts. It gives a general analysis of ancestors in Africa. Then it moves on to
consider ancestors and the ancestral cult in Buganda. The thesis describes the earliest
accounts of the cult of ancestors in the pre-colonial period after which it looks at
ancestral observances. The effects of christianity, Islam, and political independence
on Baganda ancestral beliefs are discussed. The final stage of the study covers my
findings from fieldwork. This includes statements from some of the informants I
interviewed during fieldwork and my own conclusions regarding change and the
contemporary situation.
In this study, I have reflected on the perspectives of recent academic findings in order
to facilitate comprehensive descriptions, analysis, discussion and careful interpretation
of the beliefs under investigation. The ability of the Baganda people to retain their
traditional beliefs along with basic Christian, Muslim and modern beliefs has been
described and discussed. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/5948 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Mulambuzi, Francis Xavier. |
| Contributors | Maxwell, P. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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