History Myth / GreatLakesBantuMythology

* FairWeatherFriend: Mugasha, Ryangombe, and Lubinga freaked out when they heard the Hinda prophecy of doom and abandoned their boss Wamara. They stole 600 cows from him, put them on boats, and hid them on an island on Lake Victoria.

* BeakAttack: Lightning birds would this to unfortunate people assuming they didn’t vaporize them in a fiery blaze.

* * ArtifactofDeath: The shield of Kibuka caused everyone in possession of it to die of terrible illness, so the Bunyoro warriors wisely sent it back to Buganda.

* ArtifactofDeath: The shield of Kibuka caused everyone in possession of it to die of terrible illness, so the Bunyoro warriors wisely sent it back to Buganda.

* BatmanGambit: Queen Kanyagakecuru's home on Mt. Huye was hidden by enormous thorn bushes and guarded by massive snakes. Ruganzu Ndoli could not conquer this fortress by force, so instead he sent her a herd of goats as a peace offering. Kanyagakecuru was extremely arrogant and didn't stop to consider the implications of this. She just bragged about making the great king Ruganzu pay her tribute. Meanwhile the goats gobbled up the thorn bushes in record time. Ruganzu Ndoli's Ibisumizi sprang out and stormed Kanyagakecuru's house before she could even register what happened.

* SweetPollyOlliver: Ndabaga was a young woman who disguised herself as a boy so she could join the king's army and fight in place of her elderly father.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Mukasa for Lyanyaibungo. She was a princess and daughter of god-king Wamara. He was an unkempt and crass hillbilly fisherman from the north. When Mukasa proposed to her she spat, and said she’d rather marry her own brother.

* AchillesHeel: Kibuka’s was his shadow.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Kintu was a huge prick in Bunyoro tales.
* TheAlMightyDollar: Considering nearly every god was associated with the welfare of cattle and cattle were the ultimate manifestation of wealth, most of them sit here by default. Mukasa in particular stands out as a giver of wealth, it was thought that he provided women with twins which were a great omen of material success.
* AlloftheotherReindeer: Isimbwa (or Simbu) left heaven for partly this reason.

* BeakAttack: Lightning birds would this to unfortunate people assuming they didn’t vaporize them in a fiery blaze

* BodyHorror: Rufu or death crawled inside of a girl’s vagina to hide from the Ba-Chwezi after getting his ass kicked
* BoltofDivineRetribution: Anyone struck down by lightning was thought to have offended Kagoro.

* OurWerebeastsAreDifferent: Bihindure are a class of shapeshifters who feed on human flesh, especially at night. They take the form of jackals, leopards, and hyenas to accomplish their gruesome deeds. Ryangombe fought and killed a particularly large one named Ntubugezi.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Kagoro was chosen to be king of the Ba-Chwezi once by Ryangombe, so Mukasa retaliated with bad behavior. Kagoro punished Mukasa with exile underwater. Mukasa hit back by casting a drought over the kingdom. Kagoro hit back by letting his cattle eat Mukasa’s magic swamp grass. So Mukasa demanded Kagoro’s cow. So Kagoro had Mukasa’s son killed. Mukasa called down a great storm of hail and buried Kagoro under it, then demanded his sister as a bride. Mukasa cooked a terrible goat dish that smelled so bad it killed the girl. Kagoro escaped from his coffin of hailstones and learned his sister was dead, so he attempted to kill himself. Too bad he was immortal.

* ProudWarriorRace: In a world where cattle mean everything, men would do anything for them. It transformed their culture into this.

!! Tropes specific to the Nyoro, Ankole, and other theologically related peoples in Uganda and Kenya:

!! Tropes specific to Buganda:

!! Tropes

* YouKilledMyFather: Some say that the young sorceress Nyagishya who killed Ryangombe was none other than the daughter of Mpumutimuchuni.

These diverse people found a common religion in the cult of the Bachwezi, or "Lawgivers". This semi-mythical clan of rulers and sorcerers were worshiped as demi-gods and immortalized in legend. Some claim they came from the heavens, others say they migrated from the north, yet still some believe they came from under the earth. Whatever their origin the Bachwezi were considered mighty leaders who established a great kingdom which birthed the different kingdoms of the Great Lakes. After being offended by men or disgraced someway they disappeared either underground or to the islands of the Great Lakes themselves, sometimes they were said to have been defeated in battle by the Nilotic warriors called the Babito. Prior to the ascent of the Bachwezi some people believed there was a dynasty known as the Batembuzi who established society prior to the Bachwezi.

* AxeCrazy: Binego lies between this trope and SociopathicHero. His name means “Kills in one blow”. As a kid he massacred his uncles and all their cattle. He slapped his own mother (filial sacrilege) for hesitating to lead him to his father. Even worse, he torments cattle and causes them all sorts of misfortune. On his journey to aid his dad he casually murders Hutus who mildly inconvenience him. One of his favorite boasts was "I am flayer, son of strength, I am the one who washes his hands with blood, I am the one with the red spear, I follow the thunderbolt of the clawed mother, I cut up for the vultures and behold the birds of prey are satisfied. "

* AxeCrazy: Binego lies between this trope and SociopathicHero. His name means “Kills in one blow”. As a kid he massacred his uncles and all their cattle. He slapped his own mother (filial sacrilege) for hesitating to lead him to his father. Even worse, he torments cattle and causes them all sorts of misfortune. On his journey to aid his dad he casually murders strangers who mildly inconvenience him. One of his favorite boasts was "I am flayer, son of strength, I am the one who washes his hands with blood, I am the one with the red spear, I follow the thunderbolt of the clawed mother, I cut up for the vultures and behold the birds of prey are satisfied. "

The leader of the Bachwezi varies from region to region. From Rwanda southward the top deity is '''Ryangombe/Lyangombe''' (or '''Kiranga''' as he is called in Burundi) who is revered as a hunting god, slayer of monsters, god of cattle, and most importantly the center of the salvation cult. It was an egalitarian belief system, which preached that anyone initiated into his cult would awaken after death in a beautiful country where the inhabitants would enjoy the company of fellow initiates in drinking, smoking, and playing games to their heart's content. In the vicinity of Lake Victoria (Nalubaale, meaning “Lake of the gods”) and especially Buganda the deity '''Mukasa''' (or '''Mugasha''') is the head of the Bachwezi. Mukasa is principally known as the kindly old god of the waters, in particular Lake Victoria. He is the great giver of prophecies and free of pretensions. Beloved by the peasantry as a bumpkin like themselves, Mukasa generously increases herds and children. '''Ndahura''' was the god of smallpox and king of the Bachwezi in Bunyoro. '''Wamara''' or '''Wamala''' was the son of Ndahura and enjoyed much more widespread worship from Bunyoro to the land of the Nyamwezi. Wamara was the god of plenty, especially cattle. Some in this area even considered Wamara to be the creator God. In Northern Buganda the primordial ancestor '''Kintu''' retained his status as sire of the line of Ganda kings but also above the other Bachwezi, he was thought to have brought cattle to the world. Other notable Bachwezi include '''Kagoro''' (god of lightning) and '''Irungu''' (god of the bush, hunting, dogs, and travelers). '''Nyabingi''' was a powerful goddess from Karagwe worshipped throughout the southern reaches of the Great Lakes. She was a patroness of women and powerful goddess of revenge.

* EvilUncle:

* RockMonster: Legend tells of a living boulder which moved at night causing trouble until Ruganzu Ndori commanded it to stop

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: The Ba-Chwezi once beat up death itself and sent him running back to his master in the underworld

The leader of the Bachwezi varies from region to region. From Rwanda southward the top deity is '''Ryangombe/Lyangombe''' (or '''Kiranga''' as he is called in Burundi) who is revered as a hunting god, slayer of monsters, god of cattle, and most importantly the center of the salvation cult. It was an egalitarian belief system, which preached that anyone initiated into his cult would awaken after death in a beautiful country where the inhabitants would enjoy the company of fellow initiates in drinking, smoking, and playing games to their heart's content. In the vicinity of Lake Victoria (Nalubaale, meaning “Lake of the gods”) and especially Buganda the deity '''Mukasa''' (or '''Mugasha''') is the head of the Bachwezi. Mukasa is principally known as the kindly old god of the waters, in particular Lake Victoria. He is the great giver of prophecies and free of pretensions. Beloved by the peasantry as a bumpkin like themselves, Mukasa generously increases herds and children. '''Ndahura''' was the god of smallpox and king of the Bachwezi in Bunyoro. '''Wamara''' or '''Wamala''' was the son of Ndahura and enjoyed much more widespread worship from Bunyoro to the land of the Nyamwezi. Wamara was the god of plenty, especially cattle. Some in this area even considered Wamara to be the creator God. In Northern Buganda the primordial ancestor '''Kintu''' retained his status as sire of the line of Ganda kings but also above the other Bachwezi, he was thought to have brought cattle to the world. Other notable Bachwezi include '''Kagoro''' (god of lightning) and '''Irungu''' (god of the bush, hunting, dogs, and travelers).

! Notable Bachwezi/Lubaale/Imandwa

The leader of the Bachwezi varies from region to region. From Rwanda southward the top deity is '''Ryangombe/Lyangombe''' (or '''Kiranga''' as he is called in Burundi) who is revered as a hunting god, slayer of monsters, god of cattle, and most importantly the center of the salvation cult. It was an egalitarian belief system, which preached that anyone initiated into his cult would awaken after death in a beautiful country where the inhabitants would enjoy the company of fellow initiates in drinking, smoking, and playing games to their heart's content. In the vicinity of Lake Victoria (Nalubaale, meaning “Lake of the gods”) and especially Buganda the deity '''Mukasa''' (or '''Mugasha''') is the head of the Bachwezi. Mukasa is principally known as the kindly old god of the waters, in particular Lake Victoria. He is the great giver of prophecies and free of pretensions. Beloved by the peasantry as a bumpkin like themselves, Mukasa generously increases herds and children. Ndahura was the god of smallpox and king of the Ba-Chwezi in Bunyoro. '''Wamara''' or '''Wamala''' was the son of Ndahura and enjoyed much more widespread worship from Bunyoro to the land of the Nyamwezi. Wamara was the god of plenty, especially cattle. Some in this area even considered Wamara to be the creator God. In Northern Buganda the primordial ancestor '''Kintu''' retained his status as sire of the line of Ganda kings but also above the other Bachwezi, he was thought to have brought cattle to the world. Other notable Bachwezi include '''Kagoro''' (god of lightning) and '''Irungu''' (god of the bush, hunting, dogs, and travelers).

! Notable Bachwezi

The leader of the Bachwezi varies from region to region. From Rwanda southward the top deity is Ryangombe/Lyangombe (or Kiranga as he is called in Burundi) who is revered as a hunting god, slayer of monsters, cattle, and most importantly the center of the salvation cult. It was an egalitarian belief system, which preached that anyone initiated into his cult would awaken after death in a beautiful country where the inhabitants would enjoy the company of fellow initiates in drinking, smoking, and playing games to their heart's content. In the vicinity of Lake Victoria (Nalubaale, meaning “Lake of the gods”) and especially Buganda the deity Mukasa (or Mugasha) is the head of the Bachwezi. Mukasa is principally known as the kindly old god of the waters, in particular Lake Victoria. He is the great giver of prophecies and free of pretensions. Beloved by the peasantry as a bumpkin like themselves, Mukasa generously increases herds and children. Ndahura was the god of smallpox and king of the Ba-Chwezi in Bunyoro. Wamara or Wamala was the son of Ndahura and enjoyed much more widespread worship from Bunyoro to the land of the Nyamwezi. Wamara was the god of plenty, especially cattle. Some in this area even considered Wamara to be the creator God. In Northern Buganda the primordial ancestor Kintu retained his status as sire of the line of Ganda kings but also above the other Bachwezi, he was thought to have brought cattle to the world. Other notable Ba-Chwezi include Kagoro (god of lightning) and Irungu (god of the bush, hunting, dogs, and travelers).

These diverse people found a common religion in the cult of the Ba-Chwezi, or "Lawgivers". This semi-mythical clan of rulers and sorcerers were worshiped as demi-gods and immortalized in legend. Some claim they came from the heavens, others say they migrated from the north, yet still some believe they came from under the earth. Whatever their origin the Ba-Chwezi were considered mighty leaders who established a great kingdom which birthed the different kingdoms of the Great Lakes. After being offended by men or disgraced someway they disappeared either underground or to the islands of the Great Lakes themselves, sometimes they were said to have been defeated in battle by the Nilotic warriors called the Ba-Bito. Prior to the ascent of the Ba-Chwezi some people believed there was a dynasty known as the Ba-Tembuzi who established society prior to the Ba-Chwezi.

The leader of the Ba-Chwezi varies from region to region. From Rwanda southward the top deity is Ryangombe/Lyangombe (or Kiranga as he is called in Burundi) who is revered as a hunting god, slayer of monsters, cattle, and most importantly the center of the salvation cult. It was an egalitarian belief system, which preached that anyone initiated into his cult would awaken after death in a beautiful country where the inhabitants would enjoy the company of fellow initiates in drinking, smoking, and playing games to their heart's content. In the vicinity of Lake Victoria (Nalubaale, meaning “Lake of the gods”) and especially Buganda the deity Mukasa (or Mugasha) is the head of the Ba-Chwezi. Mukasa is principally known as the kindly old god of the waters, in particular Lake Victoria. He is the great giver of prophecies and free of pretensions. Beloved by the peasantry as a bumpkin like themselves, Mukasa generously increases herds and children. Ndahura was the god of smallpox and king of the Ba-Chwezi in Bunyoro. Wamara or Wamala was the son of Ndahura and enjoyed much more widespread worship from Bunyoro to the land of the Nyamwezi. Wamara was the god of plenty, especially cattle. Some in this area even considered Wamara to be the creator God. In Northern Buganda the primordial ancestor Kintu retained his status as sire of the line of Ganda kings but also above the other Bachwezi, he was thought to have brought cattle to the world. Other notable Ba-Chwezi include Kagoro (god of lightning) and Irungu (god of the bush, hunting, dogs, and travelers).

[[caption-width-right:350: The sacred Umuko tree is said to have receieved the fallen demigod Ryangombe into its' branches after he was slain]]