Ubantu:Contents:Peoples:Walangwa

Walangwa

Appearance

The Walangwa have medium brown skin with a slight variance in shades, women tending to be a little paler than men. Walangwa have normal African hair, and both sexes take a no nonsense, close cut approach. They have broad noses set on narrow faces with notably high foreheads. Their approach to fashion is very restrained. Necklaces, earrings (women only) and bracelets made from copper wire, cowries and beads all exist, and usually have some significance in terms of age grade or group, but are never extravagent. The Walangwa wear only leather and skins

There are nine Walangwa clans, named for the nine daughters of Langwa. They are Acheera, Agachiko, Airimo, Aitherando, Amboi, Angare, Anjiro, Angoi, and Aethaga

There is a single large Walangwa kingdom, Othamaki, basically a puppet government put in place by Milikyunjovu. The King takes the name Morolangwa, and is a descent of the tribal founder. Othamaki is divided into four districts, each with a Duke who is some relation to the king. The districts are subdivided into counties, each with a Baron, then into villages, each with a landed Lord. Under the influence of the Empire, Othamaki is moving into a feudal system, wherein the Lord of the village owns the ngu herds and the rest are farmers. Nobles have some of their wealth in the form of Imperial style coins, which makes trade and taxes much simpler, but commoners still rely strictly on barter, beads and iron hishi and manela. The capital city is Itoorathaai, City of Peace. There is a thriving coastal city which is actually a part of the Uchomba Confederation, Kehuroko (resting place), very much a thorn in the side of King Morolangwa the 43rd.

The rest of Ulangwa is the Oregi League, from "rega" "to refuse". There are six Oregi nations, though they are all governed basically the same way and share a written constitution. They are: Embu (Monyaka - goodluck), Meru (Morurutora - honeycity), Nyeri (Nyeritora), Kiambu (Orori - wanderers), Thika (Itwekatora - revolutioncity) and Nanyuki (Gekamati - irontree). Each has a bit of coast, and, for the sake of fairness, a Confederacy port colony (Embuji, Meruji, etc). In terms of area, the Oregi League is twice the size of Othamaki, but also poorer and having a smaller population density.

The Walangwa have a different conception of witch and witchcraft from the paranoia that rules Umasha. For the Walangwa, witchery is about poisons, magical and mundane, not evil mind invading magic. To determine if a mondomogo is dabbling in witchcraft, he is forced to taste his own medicines. If he refuses or dies, well, then, he's a witch. This kind of distinction means that Walangwa seers (arathi) to use some of the powers and advantages that Wamasha attribute soley to witches. The power of the arathi is guarded by the ancestors, it is unheard of for one to be accused of evildoing, though they are quite capable of cursing, which they use to enforce the desicions of the elders.

Ulangwa is nowhere near as populated as Umasha. There are still herds of gazelles, zebras, etc roaming the northern savannahs, along with lions and other predators. The Walangwa have very little interest in hunting. The great herds belong to Ngai, and killing one of his animals is a grave offense. Elephants are notable for their abscence, though ibwutembo Inanimals are known. Maneaters will be tracked down and killed, of course, and the people have the same hatred of hyeanas found throughout the continent. The Ulangwa savannah has steadier rains but fewer rivers, compared to the Eastern grasslands. ndorome

There are several plants native to the northern savannahs that are poisonous to Earthly domesticated ruminates. The Walangwa deal with this by using native animals as domesticates, the ngu (a type of bluish wildebeest), the ndorome (woolens) and thenge (hardings).

In some cases, upon the death of a head of the household, the first wife will take up the role. This is considered most appropriate when the first wife is post-menopausal and has only married children, but there are other wives with young children. The senior wife for all intents and purposes becomes a man, dressing as a man, serving on the various councils, etc. If there are young wives who still wish to have children, the husband-wife selects a man from her age-grade to father the children.

JUST NOTES

model on gikuyu. use ngu, hardings and woolens as domesticates. limited by lack of horses. written constitution and government. kinda democrasy/gerentocracy. several walangwa nations, nations come and go. over government like iroqouis leguage. iron age iron sands. only currency are local ruminants, will not accept imperial forms. impire has puppet kingdom. others are nuetral or anti-. witches are poisoners, not psychics. morathi medicine men are real "witch doctors" Mgangachawi" in Kikoka. Mgangachawi have more psychic powers available. No sorcerors. Elders have priest spells and rituals. Paths for ancestors, community, blacksmiths, purification, death-curses and God. Age-groups wakamba style. Age-grades divided into generations with alternating government - traditional form. Nine clans, span the nations, with names from daughters of founder Langwa.

seers: morathi/arathi medicine man: mondo mogo heavenfig: mogumo cow: ng'ombe coomba: wazungu ewe mwate/meate fat ram: ndorome fat sheep ngoima he goat thenge

funeral notes: pay the elders an ndorome, wait three days, cleanse village, sons shave their heads. if old man dies, poor member of same clan is married to widows

principles of government 1.freedom for people to aquire and develop land under family ownership 2.universal citizenship based on maturity. males go thru init 16-18, females 10-14 3.all initiated men and women are full members of the tribe, there are no kings or nobles 4.the government is in the hands of a council of elders, determined by age-grades 5.all men between 18-40 are part of the standing militia 6.in times of need the government can ask the people for ngu, maete or thenge in rotation for sacrifices 7.the community is divided into alternating generations, mwangi and maina, which hold power of government for 30 yrs 8.all men and women must marry, unmarried men may not be elders. women have the same social status as their husbands. 9.rules and regulations are clearly defined and written down.

Walangwa Bill of Rights: 1. all land is owned by families. each family has the right to buy and develop land. no family may own more land that they can tend and develop - no absentee landlords and no underdeveloped land. 2.everyone who has passed the circumcision ritual is a full and equal member of the tribe. no one man may be set above another. there are no nobles or slaves 3.the government of the land is entrusted to the elders 4.all men of the warrior grades must serve in the national militia 5.the government has the right of taxation in the form of animals to be used for sacrifice ONLY. these animals cannot be held in reserve and there is not national herd 6.the people will be divided into alternating generations of mwangi and maina. this is related to age-grade, alternating every 30 yrs. only those of the ruling generation may serve on district or national councils. 7.all men and women must married. unmarried men may not become elders. when an elected elder dies his senior wife takes his role and becomes head of the household. such elder-wives may be reelcted and continue to serve 8.a woman has the same status as her husband. the women's council has the power to adjucate matter related to women, with the same enforcement found in the normal councils. the women's council will hear and decide cases of divorce.

national council of junior warriors njama ya anake a mumo 1 thenge leaders from each agegrade /senior maybe 6 yrs njama ya ita (war) 2 thenge leaders from each agegrade

each council has village, district and national leaders, chosen by general assembly first grade of elders kiama kia kamatino, married men who stil fight, messengers second grade kiama kia mataathi, council of peace, a child old enough for circ, gets mothegi staff of office and bunch of sacred leaves mataathi last stage kiama kia maturanguru, religious council, costs a maete, all children are cicr and wives are menopaused, dedicated to god and country

agegroups break down into: junior warrior, senior warrior, family elder, peace elder, shrine elder

from FMntK: 1-family council, father president, 2-village council kiama kia itora from heads of several families, senior elder as pres 3-district council kiama kia rogongo, all elders of district 4-district committee kiama kia ndundu of senior elders from each village elect judge/president mothamaki or mociiri. 5-national council from all ndundu president is elected nationally

kiama kia itora is city council of all male elders of mataathi or maturanguru group, elect representative kiama kia rogongo is the district council KK Ndundu is committee of senior elders - elect a mothamaki, who is a governer KK Rorere elect a president - Moigwithania KK Kerera?

Njama - committee - selected

Ndundu ya atumia - women's council

motiiri - sponser, supporter

Kiama - council - open

mothuri/athuri - elder

mothamaki/athamaki - judge/ruler/'spokesman (of riika, of country = wa borori)

morogi/arogi - witch

monene - chief, ruler

moroko - senior

mociiri - judge, spokesman with legal training

gethuuri - rev elder,mnt

pattern is rule by committee consensus. pres is mostly a figurehead. need national parliament - kiama kia ndundu also elect a represent for national council, kiama kia rorere

moigwithania the uniter minister of war elected from warrior grades chief morathi and mongomogo

each district chooses one elder from the maturanguru stage to send to national council. must be from the current ruling generation.

village elected leaders for each council, junior warrior to matu, meaning 5 reps to district council district has sen warr rep and matu rep of gen sent to national

regiments based on age grades, each has a leader

mbari family family council of arbitrators format: plaint states case, twigs represent individual complaints, defendt states cases, also with twigs, council of elders cross examine witness, apoint a committee (ndundu) - immediate family excluded to decide in private, come back and announce, appoint to elder to see it thru

larger cases is tried before local kiama, ndundu is 10 elders, plaint and defendt choose 2 each, rest appointed

types of oath: muuma: like swearing on bible, limited duraction, kills mwate and wears on wrist for duration, lie=kill, falsely accuse=die, claim property not owned=death

goat-oath, koringathenge to seal a settlement, if what i'm claiming is not mine, may my limbs be brokens as i break these

gethathi - magic stone, makes a statement while holding stone then swallows it, if lied, dies, usually "I swear by the stone that I did not kill the man, Genyani"

fines, murder man, 10ngu, woman, 3 ngu, personal injury - from one thenge for a tooth to thirty for a hand, theft is twice what was stolen