The public health significance of certain Bagungu customs and beliefs
Bagungu are one of the indigenous peoples who have lived in the Albertine region of Uganda for many generations. And they, like all other African societies had unwritten laws on every aspect of life and in this write up, I have tried to enumerate customs and beliefs which helped to ensure that, the community life safely and in the healthy environment.
One of such customs was the stopping of people from digging pits at the lake shores. They believed that, whenever that was done a white sheep or duck would come out which led to that person’s death. This practice ensured safety of people from dangerous aquatic animals such as crocodiles, hippopotamus and snakes since such person would be so busy to see them (animals) coming.
The other custom was that whoever soiled/defecated on communal path his/her waste would be cut and ash spread on it which would cause the owner’s anus to swell until it burst and death would occur. This practice ensured proper disposal of human excreta hence preventing such diseases as cholera, dysentery and others caused by poor waste disposal.
Incestuous marriages were also prohibited. Bagungu believed that in such marriages lame children were to be born or death of partners would occur as a result of punishments from ancestors. However, Gumede say the reason was that many diseases are in fact familial and hereditary in origin, heamophillia, diabetes, mental illness, etc. the Bagungus are exogamous society (marry from other clans). The founding fathers of the nation imposed this strong taboo to eliminate familial diseases.
Children were stopped from sitting on a Motta or grinding stone, Okuba mwihi ka kihulu! (You will be as dwarf as a Motta!), okuba na luhala ka lumengo! (You will be as bald as a grinding stone). This was majorly meant to keep children away since they would easily smear it with human excreta since infants rarely put on clothes. Gumede say this taboo protects the grinding stone and Motta from contamination with the bacterial flora of the ante- natal cleft and the surrounding areas of the exhaust system.
To hit a cat with a bare hand was also taboo. That one would breath as hard as the cat does. The cat is known to be a host of ticks, flies and worms. These parasites are carriers of diseases like tick- bite fever and ricketsias. Related to the above was prohibiting the touching of a dog’s tail while it was asleep it was feared that it would bite you and you start barking like it. This helped to prevent diseases like that carried by rabid dog (kamuchekecha).
Pounding during night hours was also prohibited. It was said that it was a sign of laziness and that it helped to give people time to rest. However, this taboo helped to prevent the pounding of harmful products in cassava like stones, hair, insects and others. Things like hair and stones are indigestible which causes diseases like appendices.
After cutting the hair it was to be hid in the bush or under the roof. It was believed that if such hair was taken by evil people permanent headache was suffered and the known medicine was not effective on it, it was also believed that if saga(king vulture) took your hair and used it to make nest you would be as bald as it is. After shaving, everyone was made to hide his/her own hair since throwing it careless was said to cause sickness from the evil act of the witches, everyone hid his/hers so carefully.
Gumede say that if hair is left lying about loose it is tossed about by winds and inhaled with the air. It settles on the delicate mucous membranes of the nostrils, throats, and larynx where it causes upper respiratory irritation, infection and cough. Among the less fortunate and the indigent hair is often peopled with lice-mada. Pediculosis capitis (lice) are vectors for ricketsial diseases, and Typhus. Ringworms of scalps are also common findings among African children. Typhus, ringworms, lice were controlled through this taboo.
Children were prohibited from having sexual intercourse. Boys were told bakukwokya! (You will be burnt!). This helped to prevent sexual transmitted diseases since fornication was discouraged. To further discourage it, while children shared the sleeping mat, they were discouraged from sleeping facing each other, they were told that, sleeping facing each other, they would suck each others blood. When boys came of age, they were allowed to build their own shelter this was meant to stop them from sharing bedroom with their equally adolescent sisters or other female relatives.
Bagungu never allowed people to climb a tree or a house during night hours. They were told that in case a hyena sounded/cried while someone was on top of the above two, they would get stuck there. In reality, Bagungu knew that it was very dangerous to climb trees or houses at night. Related to the above, people were not allowed to take a shelter under a wild tree during the noon sun, they were told bwansi biba nibikuhumura (spirits are always resting at that time) this was meant to protect people from snakes which also tend to rest under trees during that time.
Each family had a spear and a dog for the purpose of protection against external aggression.
People were not allowed utensils at night, it was claimed that, cannibals would carry them and use them to serve human flesh.
Quoted book: MV Gumede M.D, 1990, Traditional Healers: medical doctor’s perspective, Skotaville, printed by Blackshaws (pty) LTD, Cape Town and Johannesburg
Wilson Kiiza, Executive Director, Bugungu Heritage and Information Centre
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