LILLIAN BUKAAYI TIBASIIMA ———— º “Mudo”: The Soga ‘Little Red Riding Hood’

ABSTRACT This essay analyses the social underpinnings of the oral tale of “Mudo,” which belongs to the Aarne–Thompson tale type 333, along with a group of similar tales that resemble the action and movement of “Little Red Riding Hood.” Basic to the exposition is Adolf Bastian’s assertion of the fundamental similarity of ideas between all social groups. In the “Mudo” story and its Ugandan variants, the victim is a solitary little girl and the villain a male ogre who devises ways of eating her; the ogre is mostly successful, although in some variants the girl manages to escape. Although these tales come from a great range of cultures and different geographical locations, and the counterpart of the ogre in the European tales is a wolf in disguise, they share elements of plot, characteriza- tion, and motif, and address similar concerns.

Introduction USOGA IS PART OF EAS TERN UGANDA, surrounded by water. The B Rev. Fredrick Kisuule Kaliisa1 notes: To the west is river Kiira (Nile) marking the boundary between Buganda and Busoga. To the East is river Mpologoma separating Busoga from Bukedi. To the North are river Mpologoma and Lake Kyoga, forming the boundary be- tween Busoga and Lango. To the south, is Lake Victoria (Nalubaale). It might be the result of the geographical location of Busoga that ogre stories were composed to warn the people against impending harm if they went out alone and stayed in secluded places. Nnalongo Lukude emphasizes this: Historically, Busoga was surrounded by bodies of water and forests, it was very bushy and as a result harboured many wild animals, some of which were man-eaters. The ogres indeed existed, and devoured women and children. They never devoured men, because men were always armed with spears and

1 Fredrick Kisuule Kaliisa, “Traditional Conjugal Morality of the Basoga: A Basis for Christian Marriage” (Master of Theology thesis, University of Nairobi, 1989): 6.

”Performing Wisdom: Proverbial Lore in Modern Ugandan Society, ed. Dominica Dipio & Stuart Sillars (Matatu 42; Amsterdam & New York NY: Rodopi, 2013). 174 LILLIAN BUK AAY I TIBASIIMA a

were strong but the women and children were very vulnerable and were always at risk of being devoured. The men up to today in some parts of Busoga carry ammunition with them whenever they leave their homes.2 From Lukudde’s assertion, it can be argued that ogres existed, and for this reason tales were composed to sensitize people about the risks and dangers of being left alone in a secluded place that was not within society’s protection. This is also echoed by Jack Zipes: Little children were attacked and killed by animals and grown-ups in the woods and fields. Hunger often drove people to commit atrocious acts. In the 15th and 16th centuries, violence was difficult to explain on rational grounds. There was a strong superstitious belief in werewolves and witches; uncontrol- lable magical forces of nature, which threatened the lives of the peasant popu- lation […] consequently, the warning tale became part of a stock oral reper- toire of story tellers.3 As Zipes outlines the circumstances surrounding the creation of the warning tales, the Basoga used wailike tales as warnings, and their performers were expected to make them part of their daily performances. The traditional family set-up in Busoga is predominantly extended and patriarchal and it is from this that cultural values are passed on and security provided. The exten- ded structure of Soga families enables members of society to guard and guide moral norms and maintain social control in close collaboration with their lineage, the clan, and society as a whole. In a traditional Soga family, the hus- band is the head, disciplinarian, master, and leader. The wife takes care of the family and nurtures the children into disciplined individuals. Children spend their formative years with their mothers, staying close to them. Traditionally, the daytime is for work and the evening for entertainment and amusement, and storytelling often takes place as the evening meal is prepared. During the day, members of a household engage in various activities, most of which are income-generating. Storytelling therefore becomes a nocturnal activity, as a way of relaxation from a hard day’s work.

2 Nnalongo Lukude, leader of the Busoga cultural group, acknowledges that ogres existed before Busoga was colonized because, to her, the colonialists took the ogres away from society and put them in game reserves and later took them to their coun- tries. Interview, 25 August 2010, at her home in Buwenge, Kagoma subcounty, Jinja District. 3 Jack Zipes, The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood (South Hadley MA: Bergin & Garvey, 1983): 6–7.