Monday, November 5, 2012

John Beattie's Bunyoro

All power is finally derived from him, whether it is exercised in the political realm or the house servant sphere. As Beattie describes it, "the idiom of government, of ruling, is extended from the political into the community and even into the domestic sphere." This "feudal" structure of Bunyoro, in which all authority is derived from the crimp of the pyramid, has essentially remained unchanged because the Nyoro believe that the resign Mukama is a straight descendant of the first king of Bunyoro.

Nyoro myths provide a genealogic link between the three recognized dynasties of Nyoro rulers and the present king. The present Mukama embodies the glory of past and the hope for the future. It is important to note that Nyoro kings be not symbolic fathers of their people. The Mukama is foremost a ruler, having gained his credentials by blood ties to the Bito dynasty.

Accession rites and rituals reinforce the authoritarian nature of the " manufacturer king." Rites express the ways in which Nyoro think about the kingship itself, as well as delineating the ways in which the king may delegate his authority; rituals are associated with the king's accession to, and retention of, his authority.

superstar of the royal rites related to the delegation of the Mukama's authority limits the king's power. As Beattie explains:

A ruler ... cannot keep all the power to himself, but must(prenominal) give some of it away; this is one of the major limitations on political authority.
Order your essay at Orderessay and get a 100% original and high-quality custom paper within the required time frame.
Thus, like o


It is insecure to form analogies "between peoples so remote from one some other in space and time as the English of the kernel Ages and pretwentiethcentury Nyoro," but such analogies can be illuminating so long as they are tacit in their own proper contexts. The politics of Bunyoro before Hesperian influence provides such a context. As Beattie points out, "in a country with poor communications and a relatively hapless level of technological advancement there are accredited natural limits to the possible ways in which a rally authority can maintain any kind of nifty government."

Leach, E. R. Political Systems of Highland Burma: A Study of

It should be noted at this point that Nyoro are not beyond use the supernatural to get back at their enemies. This use of black art enables them to get retribution abstrusely. One of the subjects interviewed by Beattie defines a star simply as a person who wants to kill people. He may or may not use secret means. The important point in considering this method of retribution is that necromancy is brought about by envy, hatred, and quarreling. All sorcerers are thought to be bad people.


Order your essay at Orderessay and get a 100% original and high-quality custom paper within the required time frame.

No comments:

Post a Comment