Rites of Passage in Kiganda Orature and Literature

This dissertation is a study into the rites of passage in Kiganda orature and literature. The term Rites of passage was coined by a German ethnographer Van Gennep to mean the ceremonies that are performed for an individual to mark his entry into another stage in life. The research addressed the problems of there having been as yet no study conducted on the above subject. The purpose was to examine the relevant orature and literature with the objective of establishing the nature of the orature and literary products around the rites of passage.

The findings establish that a lot of orature has been generated around the rites of passage, a total of fifty eight (58) in the study; and twelve (12) rites in the selected literary texts. It also establishes that there are several similarities and differences in the portrayal of the rites in the orature and the literary texts, respectively.

The study reveals that orature portrays the rites to a greater extent than literature does. The incidence of representation of the rites varies from rite to rite, with the rite concerning birth, as an extreme not being represented at all.

Regarding the nature of the oral and literary products, the researcher observes that beyond their literariness, there are certain societal and moral values contained in these products. A central value is that of imparting knowledge, and this often takes the form of advice to the candidates.

The researcher also establishes that there are certain modifications to the rites, in form of innovations, as a result of modernity. One is the trend of hiring a spokesman and an "Aunt" at marriage introduction ceremonies. Another is the trend of the merging of the traditional rites of passage with the western ones through the influence of Christianity and the media. And another one is that women are decreasingly bargained for at the introduction ceremonies during which, traditionally, bride wealth would be fixed.