IKAMBERE MUSEUM NEWS Quarterly Newsletter of the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda *************January - March 2019 *********** Ikambere Newsletter Issue no: 08 Follow us on the following Social Media Accounts: @RwandaMuseums RwandaMuseums Ingoro; Rwanda Museums rwandamuseums Institute of National Museums of RWANDA Contents: Let us learn from the royal grave good: Germany and Rwanda exhibit Cultural Cyirima II Rujugira and objects found heritage projects preserved since 1981 in his tomb Ibyo wamenya ku hantu ndangamurage Abakozi bashinzwe kwakira abashyitsi mu karere ka Nyanza ahantu ndangamuco barifuza ubufatanye mu guteza imbere ubukerarugendo bushingiye ku muco Discover your Museums, Cherish your Heritage Pg1 Pg2 Let us learn from the royal grave good: Cyirima II Rujugira and objects found in his tomb In ancient Rwanda, there were royal tombs where kings, queens and queen mothers were laid to rest. Some Kings were buried in other places after passing away on spot during a battle. Cyirima II Rujugira a Rwandan famous king of battle known on a say “u Rwanda ruratera ntiruterwa” (No nation invades Rwanda, instead Rwanda defends itself and attacks nations.), who reigned from1675 to 1708 was buried at Gaseke hill, Rukoma in Kamonyi district. Photo: King Cyirima II Rujugira’s belongings in exhibition at Ethnographic Museum. Between 1968 and 1973, the Belgian archaeologist named Francis Van Noten excavated two graves be- longing to Rwandan former kings (Cyirima II Rujugira and Kigeri IV Rwabugiri), and one belonging to the former queen-mother (Nyirayuhi V Kanjogera). Among these three graves, the most spectacular burial was that of Cyirima Rujugira found at Gaseke hill in Rukoma, now in Kamonyi district, Southern Prov- ince. According to oral traditions, the King Rujugira died around 1708, but due to a number of reasons his corpse which had been smoked, was only buried in 1931 or 1932. Archaeological dating however, sug- gest that the king’s death happened around 1635, many years earlier than the figures put forward by oral historians. Traditionally the smoked body of a shepherd-king, with the dynastic name of Cyirima or Mutara, was kept and honored by a cult at this Gaseke hill. Rujugira was supposed to be transported and buried later with dignity in the royal cemetery of Rutare by the subsequent shepherd-king Mutara II Rwogera, his fourth Pg1Pg3 successor. However, Rwogera was prevented from observing this rite, and the remains of Cyirima II were therefore kept in Gaseke until December 1931 or January 1932 when Yuhi V Musinga had them secretly buried in the Gaseke town center. In Gaseke the smoked corpse of the king was kept in a compound with three huts inside: in the first one lived the ritual-guard Umwiru, and some ritual drums were kept in there. The second hut sheltered the body of Cyirima that was continuously smoked, together with some royal drums. In the third and smallest hut were kept the common drums. Photo: Royal grave good found at Cyirima II Rujugira’s tomb The objects belonging to Cyirima II Rujugira were conserved and buried with him. Thus, his body and 188 classes of items (most of them in a single item) were found in his tomb. The large number of the ma- terial found in the grave of Cyirima Rujugira was connected with ritual and magic. Among these objects are ceramic objects (drinking pots and pipes); metal material (traditional hammers, spears, bells, swords and knives, bracelets); animal bones, shells, wooden material, stone material and glass beads. Did you know that you can visit, see and learn more about all these grave goods at the Ethnographic Museum in Huye? Yes, all these objects are exhibited in one of this museum galleries since 1988. Come and learn more about the Rwandan beliefs on life after death, or learn about the long distance trade in pre- colonial Rwanda as some of the items found in the grave were not produced locally but imported from far away in Asia and Europe. By Eudoxie Alice Pg4 Abakozi bashinzwe kwakira abashyitsi ahantu ndangamuco barifuza ubufatanye mu guteza imbere ubukerarugendo bushingiye ku muco Ikigo cy’ Ingoro z’ Igihugu z’ Umurage w’ u Rwanda cyateguye amahugurwa ku bakozi bash- inzwe kwakira abashyitsi ahantu ndangamuco mu rwego rwo kunoza serivisi baha ababagana. Ayo mahugurwa yabaye tariki ya 24 ndetse n’ iya 25 Mutarama 2019 mu Karere ka Huye, yitabiriwe n’ abakozi bo mu bigo 3 biherereye mu Ntara y’ Amajyaruguru ari byo Ikirenga Cultural Center, Gorilla Guardians Village hamwe na Red Rocks Rwanda Ltd. Photo: Abahugurwa basura Ingoro y’ Amateka y’ Imibereho y’ Abanyarwanda. Nyuma yo gusura imurika rihoraho ryo mu Ngoro y’ Amateka y’ Imibereho y’Abanyarwanda iri i Huye, abahuguwe baboneyeho umwanya wo kuganira ku nsanganyamatsiko zikurikira: - Uko abashyitsi bagira uruhare bakanibona mu mamurika ndangamuco - Ibigenderwaho mu gutegura no gushyiraho imurika - Gutanga serivisi inoze ituma abashyitsi banyurwa - Itumanaho rinoze mu bukererarugendo Kuri buri nsanganyamatsiko abahuguwe bagiye bagira umwanya wo kubaza ibiba- zo by’amatsiko maze hagendewe ku bunararibonye bw’ abakozi b’ ikigo cy’ Ingoro z’ Igihugu z’ Umurage w’ u Rwanda, bagahabwa ubusobanuro n’ inama bikwiye. Hagumimana Bosco umwe mu bitabiriye amahugurwa ukorera ikigo Gorilla Guardins Village avuga ko yagize amahirwe akomeye yo guhugurwa, akaba yizeye gutanga isu- Pg5 ra nziza y’ ikigo akorera kandi agateza imbere Ubukerarugendo bushingiye ku muco. Gentille ukorera Ikirenga Cultural Village nawe ati ibyo nize byo ni byin- shi muri aya mahugurwa, nasanze hari byinshi tutajyaga tunoza mu mikore- re yacu nko gutegura neza amamurika ahoraho, kubungabunga ibimurikwa by- acu ndetse no kumenyekanisha serivisi dutanga. Yashoje asaba ko gahunda y’ amahugurwa yakomeza kugirango barusheho kumenya no gusobanukirwa byinshi. Photo: ifoto rusange nyuma y’amahugurwa Aba bakozi basabye ubufatenye, Ikigo cy’ Ingoro z’ Igihugu z’Umurage w’ u Rwanda kibasezeranya kuzakorana nabo mu gutegura amamurika atandu- kanye, kubaha amahugurwa ku nsanganyamatsiko zitandukanye, kubafasha gutegura ibitaramo ndangamuco, ndetse no kumenyekanisha ibikorwa byabo. Bwana Isidore Ndikumana nk’ uwari uhagarariye Umuyobozi Mukuru muri ayo mahugurwa yijeje abahuguwe ko ikigo cy’ingoro z’ iguhugu z’ Umurage w’u Rwanda kizakomeza kubategurira amahugurwa ndetse no gukomeza gu- fatanya muri gahunda zo guteza imbere ubukerarugendo bushingiye ku muco. Yanditswe na KAMASONI Alice Pg6 Inzobere mu by’amateka na ba mukerarugendo barasaba ko amateka y’ibimera mu Rwanda atazima ngo acike burundu. Abashyitsi basura Ingoro Ndan- gamurage y’Ibidukije bavuga ko hari akamaro kanini ko kubungabunga bimwe mu bimera birimo n’imiti gakondo y’Abanyarwanda. Kuva kera, abanyarwanda bari bafite ubushobozi bwo kuvura zimwe mu ndwara bakoresheje ibimera kare- mano. Ibi byaje gukomwa mu nko- kora n’ ikoreshwa ry’imiti iteye im- bere ya kizungu, kuko iyari isanzwe n’ubwo yavuraga ariko itari yizewe neza mu buryo bwo kuyikoresha ndetse n’ikigero cyo kuyivanga maze igenda yibagirana. Uku kwibagirana ariko kwagiye guhabwa imbaraga n’ibikorwa by’iterambere bya muntu bikorerwa ku butaka ibi bimera by- abagaho. Ibi ariko ntibikuraho ko ibimera Photo: Imiti gakondo imurikwa mu Ngoro bigikoreshwa haba mu bushakashatsi y’Ibidukikije no mu buvuzi hirya no hino mu bihugu bitandukanye. Kugeza ubu, mu Rwanda niho honyine ku mugabane w’Afurika habarizwa ingoro ndan- gamurage ivuga ibikorwa byo kubungabunga ibidukikije n’umwihariko wo kugaragaza no gusigasira imiti gakondo y’Abanyarwanda. Twabajije bamwe mu bashyitsi basura iyi ngoro iherereye mu karere ka Karongi uko babona iri murika ritamenyerewe henshi batugaragariza umwihariko waryo n’amasomo abantu bahigira. Carter Woolly, mukerarugendo ukomoka mu gihugu cya Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika ubwo yasuraga iyi ngoro aganira n’ushinzwe gutembereza ba mukerarugendo muri iyi ngoro ati: « ...This is a beautiful museum, especially loved plants » tugenekereje mu Kin- yarwanda ni ukuvuga ko yakunze iyi ngoro by’umwihariko igice kigaragaramo ibimera. Lise Cordelia ukomoka mu Bufaransa yagize ati: « … l’exposition des plantes est très magnifique » bivuga mu kinyarwanda ko imurika ry’ibimera kuri we ryamubereye ryiza cyane . TUYISHIME Joseph, umwalimu akaba n’umushakashatsi muri Kaminuza y’ u Rwanda nawe avuga ko iyi Ngoro Ndangamurage y’ibidukikije iteye ubwuzu, ndetse agatan- ga n’inama z’uko abiga iby’ubuvuzi bayigana bakayigiraho byinshi by’umwihariko w’ubuvuzi gakondo bw’Abanyarwanda. Zimwe mu ngero z’indwara zavurwaga muri ubu buryo zigaragazwa muri iri murika hari- mo nk’ indwara y’umwijima, kubura ibise ku bagore bagiye kubyara, igifu, inzoka zo mu nda n’izindi…… Pg7 Photo: Abashyitsi basobanurirwa imwe mu miti gakondo Imbogamizi zigaragara ni ukuba ibimera byifashishwa muri ubu buvuzi bigenda bikendera kubera kutamenya umumaro wabyo hatirengagijwe n’ibikorwa by’iterambere bya muntu bikorerwa ku butaka bityo ibi bimera ntibyongere kubaho. Aha ubuyobozi bw’ Ikigo cy’Ingoro z’Igihugu z’Umurage w’u Rwanda niho buhera buko- meza gukora ubushakashatsi no gukusanya amoko atandukanye y’ibimera bivura mu buryo bwo kubibungabunga. Munyaneza Emmanuel, ni umushakashatsi mu bumenyi bw’ibiriho n’ibinyabuzima mu Kigo cy’Ingoro z’Igihugu z’Umurage w’u Rwanda akaba ariho yandika igitabo kivuga ku miti gakondo mu Rwanda n’ibimera bikoreshwa mu buryo bwo kuvura indwara zitandu- kanye. Yemeza ko icyo gitabo kizasohoka mu mpera za Gicurasi 2019, kizagira akamaro kanini mu guteza imbere ubuvuzi gakondo no kubungabunga ibimera bifite ubushobozi bwo kuvura.