Kasubi Tombs

Today, January 20, our African culture and tradition class took a visit to the Kasubi tombs in Kasubi. This is the place where four kings are buried. It seemed like the drive to get there was longer than the tour itself. I think maybe just because of the abundance of early morning traffic which slowed us down.
When we walked in, our tour guide, Fred, who had a very good informing voice, stopped us to describe a little about what we were going to see. As we walked through into the courtyard, it was explained to us that this is where the first king had lived. The tin-roofed huts along the side were designated for all 84 of his wives. And today, the symbolic widows of the king still reside. But, because there are so many, they are on rotation – every 30 days a new family of widows comes to live and keep the tradition.
I really respected their drive to keep the tradition. They still keep this small burning hut lit on the inside out of a ritual of respect. The symbolic widows still wear the boarding outfits with the big shoulders and teach the children how to weave just as their ancestors did. When we crossed the courtyard in to the biggest hut in the world, Fred made us all take off our shoes. As we walked into the gigantic hut, and onto the beautifully colored straw mats, our attention was drawn to a stuffed leopard which served as King Mutesa’s pet. Then, we were asked to “sit as Baganda” with our feet facing away from the tombs, in respect to the kings. So much information was then provided such as the acceptance of Christianity by King Mutesa and how he wrote a letter inviting the Christian missionaries to introduce their beliefs to the people of Buganda. Also, we learned how the kings are said to have disappeared into the forest instead of saying that they have died, how King Mutesa stopped the tradition of beheading the deceased person, how exactly the kings were buried and many other small, interesting facts.
I really enjoyed my time there because I was able to put the information that was given into the picture of what I had already learned. Having some background of the culture was most definitely helpful in understanding the architecture and traditions. All of the things learned today just added more color to my tapestry of African culture. Everyday, a new piece of the puzzle is fixed into place and everyday I can see the African history and culture more clearly.