Gifted Uganda

A mugisu man being circumcised

As the Pearl of Afica(Uganda) has got alot of attractraction including the 64 tribes and more, I have brought you one of the interesting tribe; Bagisu or Bugisu. The Bugisu have a strong  belief in their rites and the ceremony of circumcision is very much an important part of the cycle.All men must undergo circumcision, and males who die before this has been done will be circumcised before they are burried, in order to complete there life on earth.
Circumcision takes place everey other year and is performed on yourng menaged between 14 and 25. The circumcision season is said to be marked by the appearance of strange bird whose singing marks the beginning of the preperations. The elders gather under the clan tree, which is said to be older than the memory of man its self.Then they begin train the candidates for the rituals, which last three days.
On the first day, the young man is smeared with sorghum paste all over the body. He weears the traditional dress of animal skins and a head dress, put three heavy bangles on each leg and then visits his relatives, singing and dancing. The songs he sings are mainly praising his forefathers and the gods. Every so often he stops and leaps high in the air.
On the second day, his hair is cut off and he is allowed to bathe- the last opportunity before the ceremony proper begins. This symbolizes the death of the past and of what he has been, and a new beginning. The white sorghum paste is again smeared on his body. The singing and dancing containues and this evenning is one of great celebration amongst the people of the village.
On the morning of the circumcision the young man wakes at first light and is again smeared with sorgum paste. He then sets off to visit maternal uncles, who then gives him gifts of cows or goats, which are part of the bide price paid by his father. Later in the day , he is taken down he river by me who wash him thoroughly from the waist to the knees. He is then brought at a slow pace to the ground that is traditionally used for these ceremonies. On the ground is a y- shaped stick, which he picks up and holds behind his head. The circumcision itself is over fairly quickly and a whistle is blown to announce that the candidate has been successfil. Occasionally it happens that the man will try to run away, but this is looked upon as the epitome of disgrace and cowardice.

A group of poeple moving happy and celebrating during the cicumcision period

Traditionally, once man is has been circumcised he can sit in on trible-meetings, and is also allowed to marry. Only once he has been through what is known as a pain of the knife can he be called a man, and it is said that, just like birth and death, it can be done once in a lifetime. But then if you're the one can really stand the knife's pain!!! but then what of loosing those privillages in your clan? But to make matters worse, even at whichever level/posstion you are and not circumcised, the fellow tribemen will have to find you where you are and circumcise forcefully.