Gakondo

The Royal Lists

presented by
Rose-Marie Mukarutabana

The royal lists were compiled and memorised by a group called Abacurabwenge ("Forgers of Intelligence"). It has been said that the lists were recited during the coronation ceremonies, although the text of the coronation ritual just mentions that the new King and Queen Mother are resented under their new names, without specifying that their full genealogy is recited at that occasion. The list itself is given in reverse order, beginning with the reigning King and Queen Mother, and ending with Muntu (Man, Mankind), the first King of Men, son of Kigwa, son of Nkuba Shyerezo, the King of Heaven. The List spans forty-three (43) reigns, listing the names of the King and Queen Mother, with their ascendancy on the mother and father's side. The Ubucurabwenge lists were recorded and published by Alexis Kagame in his book Inganji Kalinga (Kabgayi, 2nd ed. 1959, Book II, pp. 98-101).

The oral document known as Ubucurabwenge, or "Amasekuruza y'Abami" (Genealogy of the Kings), is a long list of kings and queen mothers, with their paternal and maternal ascendants. An English translation of these lists is included on this web site (see "The Genealogy of the Kings of Rwanda"). The list covers forty-three reigns, grouped in three dynasties:

1. Ibimanuka, the "Descents", or the Divine Kings
2. Abami b'Umushumi, the Kings of the Cord
3. Abami b'Ibitekerezo, the Kings of Mind

The history of these dynasties is the subject of the royal myths (se that section), but a brief introduction to the meaning and import of the Rwandan royal lists may not be out of order here.

This misconception stems from a misunderstanding of the meaning of Rwandan symbols: when Tradition states that Muntu was the Father and King of Abantu, many fail to realise that Muntu is the equivalent of Adam in biblical tradition, or Manu in Hindu tradition. Muntu is therefore not an individual king of Rwanda, but "early mankind", from whom we are descend. The idea that Mankind was born of a "marriage" between princes from heaven, Ibimanuka, and a local, earth grown humanity, Abansangwabutaka (those found on the land, soil, earth), is by no means rare, and many wisdom traditions explain the origin of man in similar terms. Rwanda Tradition teaches that Mankind is the grandchild of God, in the same manner as in the genealogy of Jesus; the gospels have God as the father of Adam.

The name given by Rwanda Tradition to God, as the King of Heaven, is Nkuba, Thunder, and Shyerezo, the End - which was also the Beginning, and the Source of Mankind, Inkomooko. He is the Father of Kigwa, who "fell down" and gave birth to Muntu, from whom all men were born. The place where Kigwa fell is "in the east", in the Rwandan province of Mubari, by the great rock Ikinani, under which he and his companions sheltered. Later, they met and made friends with the locals, became their teachers and leaders, using as didactic material the fire they had brought from heaven - from the Lord Thunder's smithy. The Children of Heaven spent some time showing the Children of the Earth how to make fire and use it to effect various improvements in their lifestyle.

Some time later, the Children of Heaven got married - apparently taking their cue from the animals, as Kagame reports! Kigwa married his sister Nyampundu, and they had a lovely little girl, named Sukiranya, a name which means Outpouring: the image conveyed is that of a fluid pouring out from several containers simultaneously, a meeting of many streams. In this case, what is depicted is the pouring out of blessings from heaven.

When fully grown, Sukiranya would marry her uncle Mututsi, who had stubbornly refused all the available women, claiming that none of them was suitable for him (kubenga). He remained a bachelor for a whole generation, until Sukiranya ha grown up, and his brother suggested he marry her. Mututsi made some further difficulties, saying it was taboo to marry one's niece, but a solution was found, whereby Mututsi "transformed himself" into a man of foreign blood.... He and fair Sukiranya's sons became the ancestors of the three "matridynastic families", as Kagame calls them: the Kings of Rwanda can marry anyone they wish, but their heir has to be the son of a woman from one of these four families.

Meanwhile, Kigwa and Nyampundu had had a second child, a son, and they named him Muntu, Man, Human: our Father and Lord, Founder of the First Dynasty. The list of his first dynasty successors, Ibimanuka, the "Descents", includes the following names:

1. Nkuba Shyerezo
2. Kigwa
3. MUNTU
4. Kimanuka
5. Kijuru
6. Kobo
7. Merano
8. Randa
9. Gisa
10. Kizira
11. Kazi
12. Gihanga

It is said that Gihanga, the founder of this Second Dynasty, introduced this type of architecture, which forms three concentric circles - in a geometric figure not unlike the kind known as "vesica piscis". Apparently, the First Dynasty had lived in underground structures, at first, mainly in rock shelters, such as those found under the great rock Ikinani in Mubari, and in many other places in that region of Rwanda. Later on, people began to build their own homes, but using materials from the mineral kingdom (Abasakazataka, a people said to have used roofing made of earth). Also, the homes and other structures came in all sizes and shapes, using an assortment of materials, but all from the mineral kingdom. With the advent of Gihanga, architecture began to use exclusively vegetable materials, and the forms were limited to circles and spheres. Thus the importance of the builder's cord, umushumi, which became the label of this Third Dynasty.

Gihanga was half-Ikimanuka (sing of Ibimanuka), a demi-god, in other words: his father Kazi was an ikimanuka, but his mother was one of the "Earth-Born", Abasangwabutaka. Her name was Nyirarukangaga, and she was a princess of the Abazigaaba, being the daughter of King Nyamigezi, son (= descendent) of Kabeja. This early king of the Earth-Born was among those who welcomed the Children of Thunder, became their friend, follower and client (umugaragu).

This circle is a miniature of the larger circle Gihanga traced around Rwanda, in the beginning, by which he "founded", or laid the foundations of the New Kingdom. The centre of this greater circle is at Gasabo, a hill not far from Mont Kigali. All family dwellings should therefore be miniatures of this larger home that is Rwanda, housing the larger family, which the nation, and beyond that, Humanity, as the House of Muntu.

The list of Gihanga's immediate successors, the Kings of the Cord, Abami b'Umushumi, stands as follows:

1. GIHANGA Ngomijana
2. Kanyarwanda Gahima
3. Yuhi Musindi
4. Rukuge
5. Nyarume
6. Rumeza
7. Rubanda
8. Ndahiro Ruyange
9. Ndoba Samembe
10. Nsoro Samukondo
11. Ruganzu Bwimba
12. Cyirima Rugwe

The first cycle opens with a king whose name must be Cyirima, followed by a Kigeri, a Mibambwe and a Yuhi, with a Mutara king closing the cycle. As he closes this cycle, he inaugurates a new series, which will include the same names, Kigeri-Mibambwe-Yuhi, and close with a Cyirima king. While one series is active on the visible plane, the preceding one passes into the invisible realm, there to continue caring for the kingdom, a situation known as "gutekera inka", to sit (on the throne) for the cattle, which as symbolic manner of referring to the People of Rwanda, the "Royal Heard". Such that two parallel series of kings reign on the kingdom of Rwanda at all times, one working in the visible, outer world, the other on the inner, invisible world.

At the end of each cycle, the two series switch sides and relay each other/ This fact is expressed, or enacted, in a great ritual known as Inzira y'Ishoora, The Way of the Watering, involving the translation, by the newly consecrated "Mutara", of the mummy of "Cyirima" - or vice-versa - from the temporary mausoleum at Gaseke, across the river Nyabarongo, to the permanent burial place of the Cyirima Kings, at Rutare). While Cyirima's mummy travels from Gaseke, where he has been waiting for the previous four reigns, to Rutare, for his final burial, Mutara, the king "in the flesh" travels from the temporary capital at which he has been staying since his coronation, four months previously, to his permanent capital. Both processions will make a stop-over at the sacred river Nyabarongo, and perform the ceremonial watering of the royal bulls, which explains why the whole ritual is named The Way of the Watering - of the sacred, or royal bulls (in Rwanda tradition, royal and sacred are synonymous). Five generations later, the two kings willl exchange places.

It should be noted that the junction between the two cycles is usually, if not always, marked by some disruption in the succession line, so that the switch is never smooth. Between each of the five sub-sets recorded to date, a break intervenes, due to one of the following causes:

1. The death, deposition or impeachment of either the reigning king or his successor, through an invasion, a civil war or a palace revolution, leading to an episode of illegitimate rule, before the rightful heir emerges and puts everything to rights.
2. The invalidity of the king, as a result of a debilitating accident or illness, while the heir is still under age, leading to an inter-regnum, until the heir comes of age.
3. The king is in good physical and mental health, but he is over-dominated, either by his mother, the queen mother, or a powerful adviser. In both cases, there is disorder and illegitimacy. In the first case, the issue is that of the proper balance which must exist between the power of the king and that of the queen mother, both being in fact two poles of the same power. In the second case, one or both poles are inactive, bringing about a blockage in the circulation of the divine energy, which the kingship is meant to effect. A historical illustration of such a case was the "preponderance" of Rugaju rwa Mutimbo, minister of Queen Mother Nyiramavugo Nyiramongi, during the minority of Mutara Rwogera (early to mid-18th century). Rugaju remained the effective ruler of the kingdom, even after Rwogera had attained majority. Tradition teaches that King Mutara Rwogera was a good and kindly man, but far too indecisive to assert himself, and he was content to let his mother and Rugaju continue to run the kingdom. Rugaju was both competent and just, but he was not the king, and was therefore illegitimate.

It would be interesting to analyse in the light of the above the situation created by colonisation, both before and after the banishment of King Yuhi Musinga, even before his banishment.

Below is the list of the Kings of Mind, including the different breaks and interruptions as discussed above:

1. Cyirima Rugwe
2. Kigeri Mukobanya
3. Mibambwe-Mutabazi Sekarongoro
4. Yuhi Gahima

Ndahiro Cyamatare
Ruganzu Ndori

1. Mutara Semugeshi
2. Kigeri Nyamuheshera
3. Mibambwe-Mutabazi Gisanura
4. Yuhi Mazimpaka

Karemera Rwaka

1. Cyirima Rujugira
2. Kigeri Ndabarasa
3. Mibambwe Sentabyo
4. Yuhi Gahindiro

Preponderance of the royal adviser, Rugaju rwa Mutimbo

1. Mutara Rwogera
2. Kigeri Rwabugiri
3. Mibambwe Rutarindwa
4. Yuhi Musinga

Episode colonial

1. Mutara Rudahigwa
Kigeri Ndahindurwa