The Tutsi people is an ethnic group found in Rwanda, Burundi, and parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Here’s a brief overview of the Tutsi way of life.
Tutsi Family Structure
Tutsi families are patrilineal. Traditionally, the family was passed on by males only.
They lived in nuclear family settings where a family consisted of a husband and several wives. Each wife is entitled to her hut together with her children.
The husband did not live alone but took turns in visiting each wife. The wives possessed equal status, but the first wife was indispensable in the ritual domain.
The Tutsi household also included unmarried sisters and brothers of the man of the house.
Hutu Clans
Traditionally, 15 to 20 known clans are shared by the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa of Rwanda and Burundi.
The clans are divided into sub-clans (Amashyanga), lineages (Umuryango), and nuclear families (Ingo), which finally make the clan a social identity.
The three main clans are the Abagesera, Abazigaba, and Abasinga.
The other clans included the Abongera , Abungura, Abashambo, Abakono, Abaha, Abashingo, Abanyakarama, Abacyaba , Abasita, Abatsobe, and n'Abenengwe.
Dynastic (Ibibanda) clans included the Abakono, Abega, Abagesera, and Abaha.
Totems
Traditionally, the main clans had totems represented by animals, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
They are;
Abanyiginya (Crested Crane, Umusambi)
Abega (Frog, Igikeri)
Abazigaba (Leopard, Ingwe)
Abagesera (Wagtail, Inyamanza)
Abasinga (Eagle, Sakabaka)
Abacyaba (Hyena, Impyisi)
Ababanda (Crow, Igikona)
Tutsi Subgroup
The Tutsi have two subgroups located in DRC Congo. There is the Banyamulenge on the South of Kivu and Tutsi in the North Kivu.
Tutsi Dialects
Tutsi’s speak Rwanda-Rundi as their native language. Rwanda-Rundi is subdivided into the Kinyarwanda and Kirundi dialects spoken in Rwanda and Burundi.
Naming System
Traditionally, Tutsi’s first rite of passage is the naming ceremony seven days after a child’s birth.
The first week involved the seclusion of the mother and child. The naming process starts on the seventh day when the mother and the child are brought out to the public for the first time.
A feast is prepared, and people come together to celebrate. Different people of all ages are allowed to give names to the baby. The mother is given a chance to name the baby, but the father is the last to name the child.
Kinship
The kinship groups are split into three areas; the Inzu (household), the Umuryango (lineage), and the Ubwokoa (patriclan).
The patriarchal system is practiced in which men exercise full powers over other members of the family, and inheritance passes from father to son.
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Tutsi Marriage/Courtship
Traditionally, a father to a young man chose a wife for his son. However, marriage by elopement was also practiced.
The young man's father then negotiated with the woman’s family for an engagement.
Culturally, bridewealth was negotiated through long conversations with the father and lineage relations of the woman.
Bridewealth was mostly cows and beer, among other gifts. It was either paid once or in installments. The marriage ceremony occurred at night at the groom's father’s house.
Later, the woman went to her future husband’s home accompanied by her friends, relatives, and paternal aunt, who played a vital role.
To conclude the ceremony, the husband is crowned with a wreath and spits a mixture of herbs and milk onto his wife’s face and chest.
Traditionally, Tutsi men were not prohibited to court and marrying Tutsi women; however, the Twa men and women were looked down upon and not considered acceptable mates to the Tutsi and Hutu.
The bride may be secluded at the father-in-law's house for several days after marriage. Her transition to full marital status was signified by the end of this seclusion.
Polygamy
Usually, Hutu polygynous homes have two wives, whereas the Tutsi have either three or four.
Given frequent rivalries and disputes, in a polygamous family, each wife with her children occupies her u’rugo.
Polygyny was encouraged by the practice of levirate marriage. The widow of a deceased husband would be married to her deceased husband’s brother.
Gender Roles in Marriage
Tutsi families were generally wealthy, hence, they hired maids to take care of the child and clean their homes. The nursing, or breastfeeding, usually lasts for the first year.
The main priorities of women were childbearing, childcare, and housework. Men took the heavy labor while women did the light work around the house.
Single Mothers, Widows, and Widowers
A girl was banished from her community when she became pregnant before marriage.
Single motherhood was discouraged, and would impose strict punishment from elders. Widows were inherited.
Widowers had the option to marry other women to ensure the continuity of the family.
Divorce
Traditionally, divorce was initiated by either the husband or the wife. There had to be socially recognized reasons for the divorce to be granted.
Some reasons included infidelity, negligence of domestic work by the wife, maltreatment, incapacity of the husband to support a wife, and refusal to cohabit.
Couples separate during the divorce to allow reconciliation by a mediator or a neutral third person. No bridewealth is returned if children are involved.
Inheritance
Since the Tutsi were a patrilineal society, women had no rights to property. Women were dependent on men upon marriage.
Women only gained access to the land through their husbands. Inheritance was passed down from the father to sons only.
Death
Death, amongst the traditional Tutsi people, was marked by purification rituals and restrictions.
People were expected not to involve themselves in certain activities, such as cultivation and sexual relations, during the mourning period.
They believed in life after death. They worshipped ancestors, one of the hallmarks of the traditional religions in Rwanda.
Additionally, they perceived that the dead person's spirit was actively living among them. They offered to appease sacrifices to the spirits to avoid their wrath.
The passing of an elderly person was a celebration on its own. Members of the community would mourn for seven days while lighting a fire.
After the burial, family members remain silent for the departed soul.
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