Lugbara Marriage (Oku Biza)

(Lugbara couple during their memorable Christian Wedding at St. Francis Church Makerere on Saturday 18th September 1999. A different photo appeared in the Wedding Page of The New Vision on 1st November 2000. Married traditionally after payment of 12 cows in the 1970s, the couple produced seven children between 1972 and 1986 though the 3rd one lived for only two years)

"Oku Biza" literally translated means 'the Ceremony of Catching a Woman' though not like the Karimojong (whose marriage culture involves courtship rape). Modern Lugbara are peaceful and sanctify their relationships in churches or mosques. For the non Lugbara males interested in any Chandiru, Ayikoru, Efuru, Drajiru, Tabaru, Adroru, Fetaru, Eturu, Inzikuru, Munduru, Letaru, Eyotaru, Epetiru, Maturu, Alioru, Ocokoru, Maliru, Ejuru, Ajiru, Oyaru, Asinduru and Amaguru of this world, be informed that Brideprice may be a priority in some families. Sometimes, you may actually have to pay at least a cow for each kid your Lugbara partner conceives. In the very distant past, at a time when tribal warfare characterised Lugbara Society, courtship is said to have been impossible. In those days, parents used to arrange marriages for their children. Marriage reservations could be made by the parents even when children were of tender age. When warfare subsided considerably, courtship became possible. The boy's father would transfer bridewealth to the girl's home and thereafter, the couple was customarily married. Divorce was very rare in deed. It could only occur if the woman failed to have children or she was found in possession of poisonous charms or any other substance that could be used to kill people.

During the 1960s, John Middleton wrote extensively about "The Lugbara of Uganda". In the Chapter on 'Marriage and Exogamy', Middleton wrote, "Marriage in Lugbara was marked by the transfer of bridewealth from the minimal lineage of the bridegroom to that of the bride. By the rules of exogamy that regulated the choice of a wife, a man might not marry a woman of his own clan. Nor might he marry into the major lineage of his mother, this prohibition was inherited for three generations. The range of permitted marriage was not the same as that of permitted sexual relations... The word for 'to marry' is 'je', the same word used to mean 'buy', 'exchange' or 'barter'. It shouldn't be translated as 'to buy' in this context for the simple reason that this translation refers only to the modern economic activity of purchase with money which was not traditional... There were then about seven head of cattle which represented the procreative power of the woman. The 'cattle' might in fact be goats and even money, bicycles and other goods were known to be transferred instead although this was unusual and thought improper... Arrows were also transferred. They were a form of currency for use in certain situations of which this was one. Several hundred arrows were collected from both the father's and mother's kin of the bridegroom and handed over to the bride's father who in turn distributed them among her kin. The transfer of arrows marked the establishment of the ties of affinity between the two lineages. Finally, there were gifts of beer given to the girl's mother to recompense her for the loss of her daughter, to heal her grief and also to enable her to get a substitute for a few days to help in the home..." There is so much he wrote I should not copy here for rights infringement reasons. Otherwise, you can buy the whole book and read...

Aje [Lugbara Pre-Marriage Introduction]

After negotiations between both families about the amount of Bride Wealth to be given whether in form of cash, cattle or other items, a day is set for the Introduction. Today, most Lugbara ceremonies are held in the afternoon at a location chosen by the woman's parents, usually their home. The woman's family waits for the male's side to make a ribbon cutting entry and sit on the opposite side facing them. The Master of Ceremony directs the events as scheduled. One of those events is a mock-test for the prospective Son-in-Law to choose his partner from a group of very cute and elegantly clad girls who receive gifts like money in envelopes. They could even be as many as 20 though less than 10 is cumbersome and more time saving. The boy's aunt (whom Baganda call Senga, Uncle is a Koja) gives a basketful of flowers to the selected girl. There are speeches and prayers from various individuals before food is served and the cake cut. For certain families, too much excitement by In-Laws is considered ashaming yet happiness is like alcohol for some folks; It makes them lose inhibitions and the anxiety of what people will say. Marriage for most people happens once so should be enjoyed to the maximum but at Introductions, it is preferred that people celebrate after the ring is fixed on the lady's finger and the dance floor is opened by the couple. Meetings are usually held months before the 'Aje' (Lugbara for Introduction) to ensure it is a success. Fundraising for Bride Price during these meetings can involve the American style auctioning of a valuable item. Also, those attending may be asked to pay for the seat they choose or buy food and a soda. Those dressed in dur bar (coats) may also be challenged to defend their suits. Latecomers are also charged. Some people hold Evaluation meetings after the Introduction to see how everything went and if possible avoid whatever mishaps happened. A day is also set for the final Marriage or Wedding which is usually communal though private gatherings can also be arranged which happened during the Covid-19 lockdowns...

According to Simon Drapari in his book that wonderfully demystifies the lies about Yole Clan who originated from Ethiopia, intermarriages between clan members are strictly forbidden and can bring a curse that requires cleansing especially after a child is born... A widow has a right to choose whom to marry after her husband departs from the Earth...

Richard Of Yumbe Gave Stela Beautiful Pearls (ROYGSBP) is a phrase I coined to remember the correct order of rainbow colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Skyblue, Blue, Purple. It pays tribute to two Lugbara lovers who do not believe in homosexuality which is totally devilish and not Lugbara at all; gay coupling is not marriage even if the Anglican Church of England allowed priests to bless same-sex unions...

Muslims are allowed to marry at most four women as long as they can treat each of them equally; it's next to impossible like Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah (from Genesis 29 onwards) though bridewealth is any gift the man chooses out of love. The great Madi chief named Ajai had 100 wives and some Lugbara men have more than two women...

According to one Lugbara old man, bridewealth in pre-colonial times used to be arrows, then it shifted to chicken, goats and then cows. Some modern-day Lugbara only pay millions of money as animals...

It would be very nice if the standard minimum bridewealth was a goat; at least it's affordable and around 2017 matched the 50 shekels of silver levied in the Bible (Deuteronomy 22:29) at about 14 US Dollars. Judah pledged to his daughter-in-law Tamar a goat (in Genesis 38:17) when she disguised herself as a prostitute and became the mama of his twins. Abraham's servant sent to look for Isaac's wife put a gold nose-ring weighing a beka (about 5.7 grams) on Rebekah and two gold bracelets weighing 10 shekels (115 grams) on her arms; then bowed down and worshipped the LORD...

Arabs can marry their cousins and according to John Middleton, the Lugbara used to allow it up to the 10th generation even though it was later discontinued. Mothers in Arabia can also choose wives for their sons, just like booking from childhood in a Lugbara culture called "tying the legs"...

Emmanuel Bada Dravu, the Oyavu Clan leader, disclosed during (Westnile TV's) Lugbara Ma A'bi program entitled "Mali Lugbara Ma Aje Veleri" on Friday 5th May 2023 that in Lugbara culture, the father of the groom chooses the bride from a respectable family and pays bridewealth for his son's first marriage; it includes clothes, footwear, hoes, brooms, cows (for her clan to eat as jotile, katile, ali and avuta plus ndu a'buma for 2nd time marriage) or goats (kayi). In some places, ti ago [bull] is worth ndri towi [five goats]. Today, couples find themselves in school, the market, church, workplace and discos. In this case, a letter is supposed to be written and a chicken or sheep exchanged to cleanse the dirty hands before mali takes its place. For the poor [alio 'ba] who can still afford to dig hard and sell their crops, bridewealth is accepted in installments though problems like sicknesses, accidents or death can attack the family they create. The father of the bride can also take yamari as gratitude to the groom's clan like the introduction in other cultures; it shouldn't be extravagant. Other payments include nguku soma for telling lies about a partner..

(This post is dedicated to the amazing Lugbara-ganda named Asher Bania who worked at Orient Bank Arua until March 2022 plus many other people not listed)

Handicraft and Property

FILE PHOTO below shows: Pot (Imvu pronounced invu), Mat (Mukeka) leaning against pot, Colourful Nubian Kota on top of a Kibo. In the centre is a Kobi. In front of it is a small Lugbara Kota, a finger of Sorghum (Ondu), small Drum (Ari) and Broom (Yofe). On the left side is a grinding stone and a small basket (Kibo) leaning against the mat. On top of the mat in the foreground is a Lugbara Koyia, Saucepan containing millet (Anya) and a bow. The other bow with arrows attached is standing upright.

Women produced various pots and baskets. The most common were Ivua (food basket), Leuta (food cover), Kubi (sauce pot), and Ajiko (Pot for preparing millet flour). The Lugbara also did some iron smelting and the ondoo (clever ones) made iron implements for the rest of the population. Among the Lugbara, there was also another ethnic group known as Okebu which specialised in iron smelting.

Evu (Pronounced Ehh Vu) are all made from sorghum shoots or stems and used for gathering harvests. Evua and Kobia are used as plates or for carrying food. Walaka is used for eating. Bizua is for carrying bean and millet seeds when sowing. Another one is called Ovua. Sekua (a three sided Gobea) is used for eating nuts or food. Before metallic saucepans were imported from India and other places, food utensils were made from mud. Drinking cups were made from Egaa (Pronounced as Ehh Gah) cut from a plant called Ireje which grows like a gourd. After it ferments in the soil, it is split into two. Ega Bere (calabash) is used for alcohol. The Otaku pot is used primarily for cooking food. An Otakua pot with a wider opening is used for eating. The biggest Lugbara pot Obi (pronounced Oh Bee) is for alcohol. According to Sara Avumaru (Andrua), an auntie from Aliba Village in Ayivu county, fermented maize or millet was dried and then cooked to brew alcohol. Ogea is used for harvests. Zukulu is for storing and drinking milk. Luku (or Luru), is used for carrying kids... Cow vaseline (Odu) Nyure was smeared on the baby. It was mixed with Kumra (Plant Oil) and cooked before being applied. The Baka (Rope end) in the Luku was smeared with Eraka, the red soil that gets caught on your foot when you step into a pond or at the edge of a river, so that the baby looks nice. Iyi Atrebi never grows on dry land. Leaves blossom in water. The Lugbara were naked in the past. Women wore leaves, but the waistband was made with hides. Walls on houses were constructed with wet mud or pati. Bolo Bara (a type of wood) was tied to other pieces of its kind using grass. The door was called Tiko. Some Lugbara would sleep on the soily floor in the house, but the very inventive ones wove reeds (Ozu) to make a bed (Kitanda). There are no totems (holy symbols) among the Lugbara but there are taboos on eating certain foods such as mushrooms (Drika) and guinea fowls (Ope). The taboos refer to legends that used to explain why certain clans broke away after quarelling over food. Traditionally, the Lugbara put 'Oce', rainbow shaped tatoos (permanent scars or tribal marks) on the face. For the women alone, marks were made around the navel. Both sexes used to remove six of the lower teeth (incisors). A British administrator Major Stigand who came from Sudan and visited the Lugbara country in 1911 observed that practically all the Lugbara had drills in both lips and wore in them one or more brass rings. A number of holes were also drilled around the edge of the ear and in these a number of small brass rings looking like a chain were affixed. Red earth (Eraka) was mixed with oil or fat and commonly used for smearing the body, giving the skin a reddish look. Unlike the Lendu, the Lugbara did not practice circumcision as part of their custom. 

Property Ownership: Land was categorised into virgin, fallow and cultivated land. All land within a clan was communal. Cattle were said to belong to the whole clan and the Opi in particular as chief custodian. The wealthy people Barukuza had a lot of food, cattle and wives. For this reason, they wielded power next to the Opi. A married woman could not claim independent ownership of property. A woman could only control food. Here she was free and could deliberately starve her husband. He would not put up a fight. Children like women could not own property as there was no need for the lineage or clan heads (Opi) to take over.

Lugbara Cultural Adrenaline

When a society is strong and proud of its culture, it is not easy for an individual to convert to another culture. The sense of group identity and solidarity tends to weld the community together as a coherent whole. Lugbara Culture is a set of enduring behaviours, values, ideas, traditions and attitudes that are accepted by a homogenous group of Lugbara people and transmitted from one generation to the next.

While others speak Japanese, let's speak Lugbara and keep it local. Cultural alienation continues up to today through radio, print, TV and video, typical symbols of neo-imperialism. Youths have abandoned traditional morals and are behaving like wild animals. They love the use of foreign languages while downgrading their vernacular or mixing it with unnnecessary foreign phrases. They admire foreign music to the exclusion of local music. The women (Amvusia) bleach their skin, paint the lips and fingers while wearing trousers. They even go as far as refusing their cultural identity and heritage.

Culture can be defined as the total commonly shared way of life in any society. Activities are simply elements within the totality of culture; They constitute subcultures which include shared customs, language, dress, games, food, fighting techniques, technology and architecture. Culture is an expression of the diversity in life and revolves around learned behaviours as well as beliefs, attitudes, values and ideals that characterise society. It is a celebration of people's way of life. Without culture, we would not have myths, taboos, legends, superstitions and of course music. The Lugbara People are the Largest Ethnic group in West Nile. They came from Rajaf in the Juba Region or Baar in Bari Sudan and their diaspora spreads into Kampala, Busoga, Bunyoro, DR Congo, United Kingdom and the States. Music is a very binding characteristic of the Lugbara culture and their folk songs are being fused with modern styles and instruments to produce a breed of characteristic (Lugbara) music we love to call Ongo Music. This kind of music championed by artistes such as J Hope Gospel Band, Leku Culture of the 'Angaika' fame, Moses "Razor" Ezale who sang the 'Tereza' hit about a heart-breaking love experience, the thematically talented Betty Atiku and Gladys Ayakaka (based in the United Kingdom), deejay Ronnie (inspirational Producer at Arua One FM), New Breed Deejays, Bada Culture and Nyakuta (who died in May 2007) is slowly becoming today's mainstream and universal Symbol of Lugbara Culture.

Cultural Alienation

Culturally, we must be born again and revive our traditional songs, riddles, folk tales, proverbs, musical instruments, oral literature and other artistic values. In pre-colonial times, the Lugbara were known as Madi. Under colonialism, they were given the strange name of ‘Lugbara’ probably by Arabs who came to their land more than a century ago. Colonial powers further divided them into Belgian and British areas of influence. These vicissitudes have been detrimental to our identity and heritage.

However with the formation of the Lugbara Literature Association (LULA) on Saturday 12th November 1994 at Arua, there was a ray of hope that something will be achieved for the benefit of our posterity and property. At the time of its formation, the first chairman of LULA Mr. Jason Avutia said, “Lugbaras are intelligent, energetic and far sighted but what is surprising about them is that they often undertake a task and don’t complete it. They often develop jealousy, envy and an ‘I don’t care’ attitude. Most of the Lugbara will join hands to do a task expecting to eat. Where eating is difficult to come by, they will withdraw and care less. Other pioneers of LULA were Nahor Oyaa, Awua (coordinator) and Abeti S. Ledra (Educationist, Bachelor in Education, Masters in Education [MUK]).

Historically though the Lugbara have been known to be hard workers fit for military life, plantation labour and tobacco growing (Arua alone produces over 50 % of Uganda’s tobacco). Even a British missionary archdeacon Vollor (Bwana Vollor has a road named after him in Mvara) of the African inland Mission said in praise of the Lugbara that, “Mungu le Lugbara ambo.” (GOD likes the Lugbara very much).
Culture is an expression of life and its diversity…You can’t know where you are going unless you know where you are coming from…Home Sweet Home. While others speak Chinese, we must keep it local and lugubriuous… [Excerpts from ‘A Short History of the Lugbara (Madi) by Lulua Odu 1996)