Folklore in Rwanda

The tradition & historical record

Rwandese folklore comprises the myths, legends and fables, including mythical creatures, urban legends, proverbs (imigani), superstitions, balladry and folktales, passed down orally for centuries. Though most Rwandans believe in Abrahamic religions, folklore preserves ancient Banyarwanda identity and shapes modern society. Notably, it shares features with Abrahamic beliefs, including a monotheistic God, spirits akin to the soul, and concepts of heaven and an underworld. Many stories blend the line between history and myth. ¹

Ryangombe was a demi-god, warrior and leader, admired in his time, who after his death, became the leader of the imandwa, a group of spirits who mediate between Imana and humans. Another version of his story, recounts Ryangombe (alive) stumbling upon a sacred grove, where he encounters spirits who recognize his talents and offer him the chance to ascend to the spiritual realm. Ryangombe accepts, and is transformed into a powerful spirit, who becomes the leader of imandwa. Ngunda was a man of unmatched strength and greed, who tilled the land with such power and ate with such hunger that his cultivation and work on the land created Rwanda's hills. When visiting his father-in-law Mirenge, he wore down 50 hoes cultivating the land and devoured an entire cow, multiple baskets of bread and jars of beer with no satisfaction. Ndabaga was a heroine, celebrated for devoting herself to the king's army in order to save her father. In the story, it was law for a man's sons to serve in the king's army, otherwise said man would serve the king for as long as he lived. Ndabaga's father, Nyamutezi had no sons however, Ndabaga, determined to save her father from that fate, disguised herself as a man and trained herself to her limits. For her courage she was awarded with cattle, and her story is remembered with the saying "Ibintu byageze iwa Ndabaga", which roughly translates to "Things reached Ndabaga’s place". Mwungeri was a man remembered for his integrity and honesty, qualities that evoked jealousy from others. One day, his detractors refused to lend him a bull for breeding, so that his bull is eventually forced to mate with a mystical bull from the underworld. This jealous act backfired, with Mwungeri's herd multiplying rapidly which brought him prosperity. ¹

Nyabinghi, one of the most well known Rwandan deities, was a powerful female deity, who's believed to intervene in daily life to provide well-being. People would offer gifts to appease her and maintain prosperity. ¹

Abatangana were described as primordial giants created by Imana to shape the earth, which created rivers, lakes and landscapes. Inzoka were malevolent, snake-like spirits that dwelled among lakes and rivers, believed to wield power over droughts and floods. ¹

In pre-colonial Rwanda, Imana was seen as the supreme God whom lived above the heavens (today the world refers to the Christian God). However he/she/it was viewed distant and rarely intervenes in everyday life, therefore Rwanda's religion was theocentric, but the supreme being's influence was channeled through spiritual intermediaries. In pre-colonial Rwanda, similar to the Christian God, Imana was viewed as the ultimate judge of human behavior, and wrongdoing could bring misfortune. The same concept existed in Barundi mythology, and the word for the Christian God also being Imana ¹

Rwanda's folklore has a perception of the humans best described as dualist, with a person having two parts, a visible body and an invisible spirit. Death was viewed upon as a transition into abazimu, the spirits of the dead. Since, spirits and kings were viewed as intermediaries between Imana, they yield more power, such as being able to control sickness and crop failure. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Folklore in Rwanda”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Folklore in Rwanda is recorded in open cultural data. The structured record cited below does not describe the practice, and this entry has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²