The Bagisu are an ethnic group from Eastern Uganda and Bantu-speaking people living on the western slopes of the now-extinct volcano called Mount Elgon.
They hail from the districts of Manafwa, Sironko, Mbale, Bududa, Bulambuli, and Namisindwa, with a rich cultural heritage and traditional practices that prepare girls for marriage.
These people have different ways of preparing their girls for marriage. It all starts with the girl being ready for marriage, and she informs her paternal aunt and father, who carry out a specific ritual to prepare her for her new life in marriage.
Edison Mafabi from Sironko district said after the paternal aunt and father of the girl have been informed of the girl’s intentions to get married, a date is set, but a certain ritual is carried out to welcome the girl into marriage.
“A goat and chicken are slaughtered. The goat’s meat and chicken are served to the girl’s family. The girl is bathed with the goat’s dung as a way of cleansing herself. The goat’s liver is then hanged in the father’s house as a way of giving or serving the ancestors. This liver is removed after the girl has gone into therapy marriage,” Mafabi said.
This ritual is conducted by the girl’s paternal aunt and her father.
In our previous issues, where we tackled different cultures and traditions on how girls are prepared for marriage by making them beautiful and ready to perform their duties, the Bagisu, however, do not have a special way on how the girls are prepared physically.
