Its Raining
Is Rain Making Among the Madi People in Uganda a Reality or a Myth?:
The Madi people are a group of Luo speaking people in Uganda. Like any African country, Uganda is composed of many tribes and every tribe has its traditional beliefs. Among them are the Madi people of Northwest Uganda. These people have the culture that is admired by their neighbours who are composed of Okebu people, Lugbara, the Kakwa and the Lendu of eastern Congo. They are mostly feared because of their superstitious ways among which include the making of rain.
Scientifically rainmaking is not believed but among the Madi people of Uganda, it is believed that some clans have the capacity to make rain. With the coming of the Western culture to Africa some of the traditional beliefs are seizing. We have come to know that rainmaking indeed was possible although it can’t be confirmed as all people to give you actual information are already dead. But what we have researched conforms that rainmaking among the Madi people of Uganda was possible.
Rain Making Procedure
With only two exceptions, rain could be made by the rainmaker by using a special set of stones which were usually white in colour. Within the whole of the Madi community, there were as many as forty-five rain-making centers.
These “rain stones” as they were called were believed to come with rain from the sky and they could be categorized into “male” and “female” stones. The male stones were conical with fairly sharp points while the female ones would be either round or conical but perhaps without sharp points.
Actually some female stones looked exactly like male ones but the rain maker could tell which without any difficulty. When “rain stones” were discovered, they were immediately reported to the chief.In the event of thunder or lightening, it is said the “rain stones” would jump about.They were kept in special pots and they could not be looked at without the permission of the chief or rain maker, otherwise they could easily strike the insolent viewer with impotence.
If rain failed to come, people would ask the rainmaker to assist. The ceremony of making rain was completely perverse of the rain maker. The stones were smeared with fat or oil and supplications were made to Rabanga (god) and to the former chiefs. Then the offertory food was eaten and the stones would be placed in a little water.The rain maker would take the offertory food (mtami, wimbi and beans) together with shear- butter nut oil into the huts where the rain stones wee kept.
Then he would put the clay pot on a wooden basin, remove the “rain stone” from their pot, and wash them and, calling upon the spirits of the dead chiefs and Rabanga to bring rain, he would put them in a bowl in which they were anointed with a little oil.
The rain maker and the chiefs principle wives, who were the only people supposed to be present at the ceremony, would cook the beans in the oil and brew beer from mtami and wimbi.From the remainder of the wimbi, millet bread would also be made. This food was eaten by the rainmaker and the two principle women who prepared it.The “rain stones” were then placed in a pot with sufficient water which would be neither too much nor too little. The rain maker and the women would neither leave the hut nor eat any other food during the whole day.Rain was expected to fall on that day.
If rain failed to come, the rain maker would extend the rain making ceremony to involve the killing and eating of a sheep.Unless there was something really unnatural, rain was expected to come. If there was too much rain, the rain maker would pick a branch of a bush called erewa, smear it with red ochre and put it in the roof of the hut where the rain stones were kept.
It is said that only two clans among the Madi people would cause rain to fall without using “rain stones”. Their elders would meet at their place of worship and ask Rubanga to bring rain by just playing to him.The birth ceremonies varied from clan to clan and others from village to village.
About the Author
Twinomugisha Charles is a Retired Tour and Travel Guide in Millennium Tours and Travel Company in Uganda and now works with E-Office Management a company that deals in Computers and Computer Accessories. More of his articles about Madi People can be found at Madi People and their Culture in Uganda and at Uganda and its People’s Culture
Bi(rain)-It’s Raining
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