The Teso people are an ethnic group primarily residing in the Teso region, spanning eastern Uganda and western Kenya.
They’re part of the larger Nilotic ethnic group, specifically belonging to the Teso-Lotuko subgroup.
Here’s a summary of the Teso people.
Family Structure
A traditional Teso family comprised a man, his wives, his brothers, and their wives and all their children.
The families were large and were centered on the eldest man. Sisters and daughters moved out when they married and lived with their husband's extended family.
In a basic household, different wives had their own houses and stayed there with their children.
When a man married, he established his independent household.
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Teso Clans
Iteso clans are many, each having a leader called ‘Aplon ka Ateker.’ The known clans are nine; ikaruwok, Iworopom, ikatekok, Igoria, Inomu, Ikomol, and Irarak. The clans had different characteristics.
For one;
Ikaribwok: Also referred to as ‘Ikaruok’ or ‘Ikarebuok’, they were warriors who fought in community battles. The word ‘ikaruok’ referred to people who make the sound of victory after winning the war
Irarak: These people were gatherers (ikerarak) of wild fruits and highly skilled animal hunters. Their great-father was called Ojuruta, a well-known hunting trainer.
Ikatekok: These people were good at mediating (aitikokokin or aipur) conflicts between people, families, and clans over social conflicts.
Ikomolo: The Ikomolo were children from intermarriage between the Iteso and the Luo. That is why they were called Ikomolo (child of Omolo).
Inomu: These were the strong traditional medicine men and women of the Iteso.
Igoria: Igoria is the name of a small bird called a hooded finch in English. This bird is intelligent, humble, and organized. They make smart and nice nests. The women of this clan are experts in thatching grass huts.
Iworopom: these were fifth-generation Iteso. They were spiritual people who could foretell the outcomes of battles and other calamities. Their leader was called ‘Ariong’a, a simple man with immense power and the ability to predict the future.
Dialects
The traditional Iteso people spoke Teso (Ateso), an Eastern Sudanic (Nilotic) language of the Nilo-Saharan language.
Age Sets
Circumcision among the Iteso community did not in any way organize people according to age-set systems.
All men related or not organized themselves according to age. Each age set spanned fifteen to twenty years to provide a generational framework for sharing work according to settlements.
The age sets exercised social control by a status distinction based on seniority within age groups. Resolving disputes within the households were shared among them.
Naming system
Traditionally, the Iteso naming of newborns in the community was the responsibility of the grandmother (father’s mother).
Grandmothers were responsible for fertility rituals that led to the birth of the babies. However, newborns acquired names through other forms.
They were named after ancestors as a form of reincarnation. Additionally, they were named according to events that took place during their birth or after plants and animals. The naming ceremony took place twice.
The first involved the grandmother performing certain rituals. The baby will be given a name which will be a secret, only known by the mother and grandmother.
The second ritual involved the father’s mother dipping his finger in traditionally brewed beer and putting her finger in the baby’s mouth. She then called the child’s name, which had been kept secret until then.
If the baby cries out loud, it is presumed that the name was not meant for her, and another beer was brewed to repeat the ritual.
The name given on the first day was ‘Ekikor Loka kinet’ which meant ‘the sucking name’ was the most important.
Marriage
Traditionally, the Teso people took marriage seriously. A grown-up man had a duty to have a wife and procreate to ensure the continuation of generations.
Dowry was important. Up to fifteen cattle were taken to the bride’s family.
Courtship (Eisupane) and Engagement
The Teso had different ways in which a wife was acquired. For one, the son would fight the father for cattle ownership for him to provide a dowry. This fight was to prove to the father that the son was old enough to have a wife.
Another instance was marriage by capture. When a man felt it was time to get a wife, he would inform his family and paternal cousins of his intentions.
Young men were sent to a certain girl’s home where they would scout to find the strength of the girl’s people and the hut where the girl slept. The next day, the man and other strongmen took the girl away.
When a man showed interest in a wife, the parents, with the help of any of the relatives, took up the task to look for a wife for him.
However, the man was allowed to look for a good girl to marry but had to consult with the parents if he got one. The background of the girl was considered. She had to come from a good family.
Test Stage (Angicio Na Ateran)
After identifying a girl, she was welcome to the boy’s home. She stayed for a day or two, subjected to tasks to test her.
She was made to fetch water, cook, and grind groundnut. During this time, the boy was sent away from home.
After the trials, the girl was sent back to her parent’s home with a message or messenger who would inform her parents of the success of the courtship. After that, a day for the introduction of both parents is set.
Introduction (Aitoodiar)
The groom, friends, and aunt visit the bride’s home. They perform a special dance as they offer what the girl has requested.
They then sit, and the bride comes to inspect the gifts. If it is of her liking, then celebrations and ululations ensue.
After that, the next visit was to the boy’s home by the girl’s parents (Abilakinio). The clan of the girl visited the boy’s home.
This was the time the bride price was negotiated. After agreeing on the bride price, the day for taking it to the girl’s home was agreed.
On the day of delivering the bride price, the boy, his father, and the clan’s head go to the girl’s home.
After giving the dowry, other people shower the groom and bride with gifts. The bride was bathed near the door of her parent's house by her aunt, who uttered words of blessings to the soon-to-be wife.
The bride would return with the groom and some friends who would keep her company for a month and then leave.
The bride was still not allowed to sleep in her husband’s house until when the other girls left and returned home.
Polygamy
Traditionally, the Iteso were polygamous, and wealth would determine the number of wives one would marry.
Gender Roles in Marriage
The Teso men were responsible for building houses and clearing land. The women were responsible for feeding the family, making calabashes and baskets, and caring for household duties.
Both genders did farm work of planting and harvesting. Division of labor was characterized by the radical separation of gender in subsistence and ritual activities. Ritual was defined as part of women’s works vis a vis protecting the lives and health of the children of their households.
Divorce
Bride-wealth helps constrain divorce because a man who receives cattle through his sister’s marriage would have to return to the bride-wealth (on which his marriage depends) if her divorce were finalized. The result is a series of disrupted marital exchanges.
Inheritance
Amongst the Iteso, Sons assumed the right to family land when they married. Wealth was divided among sons when a father died.
Cattle were also distributed to the sons to enable the unmarried ones to pay the dowry for their future wives. Females did not inherit any of the wealth left by the deceased.
Death
The Teso believed that the body separated from its spirit at death, which goes to live in the bush.
More so, those spirits were believed to come back to bother the living in the community. all procedures were to be carried out correctly to ensure the spirits were happy.
The deceased belongings were removed and placed in the middle of the compound.
The body was then cleaned and dressed with animal skin, feet, and mouth tied. Mourning followed, and the deceased belongings were burnt.
A grave was dug the next day, and the body was lowered into it. Large stones were placed on the grave to mark the point to facilitate post-burial rituals.
After fourteen years, the gravesite was cleared, and after another year, the post-burial rituals took place.
The deceased's bones were exhumed, taken to the forest, and scattered under a sycamore tree.
After that, the deceased children uttered special prayers, covering the bones with leaves. This was the final resting place of the deceased.
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