Ubantu:Contents:Culture:Societies

The Societies of Ubantu

The concept of an organized Society, sometimes secret, sometimes not, is present in almost all Ubantu cultures. Usually they form a kind a cross cultural grouping adjacent to the clan groupings. That is to say, societies represent a separate meaning of social organization which along with the clan system makes up the matrix of most Ubantu cultures.

Many Societies cross borders between the Empire, it's client states, and the Confederacy.

The actual function of the various Societies ranges from religious institutions to trade guilds to protoclans, and everything inbetween. In this text, "Society" with a capital is a translation of the Kikoka word "Chama", which means all those things and more. People who are involved with a Society as more than just admirers or affiliates are called "Wafuasi" "followers". An mfuasi of a specific Society is called by the construction "m/mw" + "Society name" +"ji", similar to the English "-ist".

There are many Societies devoted to the worship, or at least emulation, of various hero-saints (Babaale). The scholars of the Kanisi try to print at least one story devoted to each hero with an active society in their kingdom, but they don't always keep up. These Vyama vya Babaale always have their own holy books, which are basically biographies of their patrons. In some cases, they patrons themselves wrote or used books, and these are also revered. The hero-saints should not be thought of as gods. Even though some of them have areas of specilization, there is plenty of overlap and attached esoterica.

Ditaolane

The Ditaolane Society revers the hero who killed the swallowing monster and founded the first city in Ubantu. His Wafuasi are very into monster slaying, as could be expected, and major monsters get their own shrines complete with throphies and relics (ie, the weapons used to kill them). They are also very concerned with antiquities and traditional values, along with just rulership. High level initiation involves a sojourn into Kizimu. The Ditaolane Society provides a traditional honor guard/secret service for the kings of th Empire.

Untombine

The Untombine Society is fairly new, and closely related to the Ditaolane Society. Untombine, in addition to being the mother of Ditaolane, has the reputation of being the most beautiful woman in history, a kind of Helen of Ubantu. The mothers and maternal grandmothers of the kings of Milikyunjovu are the high priestesses of the Society, which recruits the wives and mothers of powerful men throughout the Empire. The Wutombineji are the sole guardians of the secrets of the erotics arts. Speaking about sex is utterly taboo in Bantu society, but nevertheless, everyone knows that the Followers of Untombine know "things" that can make a man very, very happy. This is one of the priviledges of wealth and power, and encourages men to send their wives for devotional training. Note that these arts are purely the province of first wives and never, ever shared with virgins or practiced with unmarried men.

Ryangombe

In Ngumoga the Ryangombe Society of the pastoralist Wangumbi is countered by the Dengomga Society, which is matriarchical and devoted to agriculture. Like the Ryangombe Society, the Chama cha Dengomga is found throughout the Empire, having originated in Siyathemba. Dengomga rode a giant owl into Heaven and brought back all the many species of domesticated plants used in Ubantu. As an aside, there seems to be some truth to this as there are many plants grown in Ubantu that where unknown in Africa at the time of the Swallowing, including such staples as groundnuts, chilis and corn.

Sudikambambi

The Sudikambambi Society has some widespread and divergent beliefs. Membership is open only to twins, be they male, female, identical or fraternal. Sudikambambi and his twin brother Kabundungulu are responsible for clearing the land of Amazimu, with the aid of a few magical servents. Kabundungulu was sometimes treacherous, but also raised his brother from the dead. Twin Society Wafuasi have some odd, distinct and somewhat random powers. They have some degree of second sight, and when they join, they plant a scion of Heavenfig and water it with their blood, etc, which cements their supernatural bond. The Society is also known for odd marriage customs - jealousy caused the namesake twins to quarrel, and this is resolved by encouraging pairs of twins to marry each other.

Mukasa

The Mukasa Society is dedicated to the culture hero of the Watsima people. His central shrine is on an island in the Nyasa Sea, but the Society also has shrines at riverdocks throughout the Empire. He was a friend of the riverspirits (misimbi) and his Wafuasi make sacrifices to them, and can gain their aid or even service.

Kwesonyi

The Kwesonyi Society prevalent throughout the Confederacry is a thin veil for sea-goddess worship. The culture-hero Kwesonyi wooed the seamother Mbovajiva and wed her. Their children are the dolphins, great friend of the Wachomba. Kwesonyi also invented the ocean-going ship and sailed to many distant lands, in a kind of Sinbad/Columbus mixture. His life was saved by a !Tshab slave, who became his sidekick and eventually freed all !Tshab slaves in the Confederacy. There is a kind of subsociety devoted to Go//qan, the slave cum sidekick, by means of which !Tshab participate in the Society.

Zimbanje

The Zimbanje Society is devoted to the collection of knowledge. They have libraries and universities throughout central Ubantu. Zimbanje himself invented written language and record the first verse of what became the Masafu ya Kidini. These days Zimbanje Wafuasi are interested in everything except religion, which they leave to the scholars of the Kanisi. This Society is very wealthy - they have no compunctions about charging for access to their knowledge, but they tend to use the money well, in copying books, building libraries and financing research. The Zimbanje Society is multiracial - they actively recruit foreign scholars, and such are generallly granted amnesty. There are Wazimwi, !Tsharg, Bushmen, Simbrimu, and Misambwe scholars, along with not a few Wazungu and numerous Dzedzeta ghosts and other spirits. Zimbanje scholars use a form of book sorcery based on their "perfect" tomes, written by famous Sages, rather than the Masafu. Becoming a Sage is purely posthumous - there are WaZimbanjeji sorceror-scientist who pour over old books, reading select paragraphs aloud in search of that magical resonance that indicates potential.

Kamau

Kamau was one of the descendents of Ditaolane. While he as king of Siyathemba, he created the first written code of law in Ubantu. The Code was long but not very complex, rather like the code of Hammurabi. The Laws of Kamau were Draconian, as is to be expected, but they did create a certain amount of rights for women, slaves, etc. The Kamau Society enforces those basic laws, and many more he has created since his death. There are 2,487 Laws, and for 995 of them the only punishment is death. Modern legal codes in the Empire and the Confederacy are much less harsh, and are encoded in their own Vitabu vya Kanuni, one for each country updated and approved by parliamentary bodies. In the times of Siyathemba, the Laws of Kamau were part of the Masafu, the Msafu ya Kanuni. In modern times, the Msafu ya Kanuni deals with ritual taboos and superstitions (that work), leaving the laws in the hands of the kings. The Kamau Society regards this as a grave mistake, part of a general slide down towards immorality and evil that will end in witchcraft and cannibalism.

Mbega

The Mbega Society trains mercenary warrior-sorcerors

To do:

• Mbega - hunter sorceror
• Kamau - law
• nyamazimu
• ngoma - drums
• heavenfig
• mothermartyrs fertiliy and midwives
• misabwe
• albinos
• uziza
• nkuso parrots
• sorcerors 1
• sorcerors 2
• alchemists
• female plant healers
• blacksmiths
• beadmakers
• paper grower, maker and binder
• leathersmiths - taboo
• potters
• weavers and dyers - cotton, flax and jute
• woolweavers and cashmere
• merchants society - general
• miners