The Batoro people are an ethnic group who live in the present-day Kingdom of Toro, located in the western region of Uganda.
They are known for their agricultural practices, with farming being a central part of their livelihood, cultivating crops such as coffee, bananas, and maize.
Here’s an overview of the Batoro way of life.
The Batoro Family Structure
The Toro live in small monogamous households. Society was patrilineal. Men were the leaders of the family and answered to the King.
Different clans lived in separate demarcated lands. They were also organized into classes according to their status in society.
The classes were; the Bairu, the land tillers; Bahuma, the cattle keepers; and the Babito rulers in the community.
The Batoro Clans
Traditionally, there were over seventy clans among the Batoro. However, only twenty were recognized and took part in kingdom activities.
The Toro clans played different roles in the palace. For one, the Babito clan produced the kings to rule Toro while the Baisanza clan produced the speakers to the Toro Kingdom Parliament, called Orukurato.
The key clans of Toro are the Babiito royal clan, Basiita, Basambu, Bagweri, Bakurungu, among others.
Each clan has an elected representative to the kingdom (Parliament) chaired by the King.
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The Batoro Totems
Often, totems of the various Batoro clans were represented by objects, animals, and sometimes plants.
It was taboo for a Mutoro to eat or harm his or her totem. The repercussions were severe or even a death sentence.
The Batoro Subgroup
Culturally, the Toro society consisted of three different classes distinguished by status.
The Bito, who were the rulers, were recorded as a higher class, followed by the Huma who were pastoralists. The Iru were agriculturists and were considered the lowest in terms of status.
The Batoro Dialects
The Butoro speak Rutooro or Tooro, a Bantu language used in western Uganda.
The language lacks a lexical tone and is closely related to Runyoro.
The Tooro language has one dialect called Tuku.
The Batoro Naming System
Traditionally, every Mutooro child was named in a celebration, four days for boys and three days for girls after birth.
The names given had to have meaning in Butooro culture. For one, names were given according to prevailing conditions or circumstances surrounding the birth.
There were standard names for twins and children who followed the twins in the family. The names were chosen by elders of the family who sat around a good meal, sipping local brew.
They also had Empaako names which were special names for praise, respect, and endearment.
Some of the names are; Abbala, Abbooki, Abwooli, Acaali, Adyeeri, Akiiki, Amooti, Apuuli, Araali, Ateenyi, and Atwooki.
The choice of a pet name (Empaako) was decided by the clan head and the baby’s maternal parents.
Relatives were invited to the naming ceremony, and the climax of the celebration involved family members planting a banana sucker or a tree in honor of the baby.
The Batoro Marriage/Courtship
Traditionally, marriage amongst the Batoro was arranged by parents. A man was regarded as incomplete until he marries.
The parents of the boy and the girl had a duty to arrange a marriage for their children without their consent.
Parents of the boy would get a middleman known as Kibonabuko, whose role was communally recognized and rewarded.
The middleman's job was to investigate all there was to know about the girl. The parents of the boy had specific characters of the girl they wanted for their son.
The background of the girl’s family was also investigated. This was to avoid the case of relatives practicing witchcraft and black magic.
The middle man would then secure the girl from her parents on behalf of the boy’s parents. Both parents would then meet for dowry negotiations.
Bridewealth was normally cows and varied between the three social classes of the Batoro. The Bahuma gave six to twenty cows as dowry, while the Bairu gave at most eight cows.
Other payments included several goats and hoes for farming. The dowry was given in a ceremony known as Okujuka that involved merry-making and feasting.
The groom and his family could then send bark cloth and skins for the bride’s wedding dress.
A feast took place on the wedding day at around seven in the evening. Before leaving for her husband’s home, she would perform certain rituals sitting on her parent's lap. She was later carried to the bridegroom’s home.
On arrival, she would also sit on her husband’s parent's lap, and some herbal water was sprinkled on her to welcome and bless her.
The groom would then go to bed with the bride, a ritual known as Okucwa amagita. If the girl was a virgin, a gift of a cow or goat would be sent to her mother to congratulate her on raising her daughter well.
After three days, the bride was visited by her friends and relatives who came with gifts. The bride was then confined for some time, and a ceremony followed to initiate her into wifehood.
The Batoro Polygamy
In the past, polygamy was an ideal mark of prestige. It was accepted as long as the man had enough wealth to care for the many wives.
Most Batoro who were wealthy were forced to marry many wives to take care of their wealth.
Polygyny was practiced to provide a sufficient number of potential husbands when the women outnumbered the men. It also ensured that widows and single mothers were provided for and protected.
The Batoro Gender Roles in Marriage
Among the Batoro, women were considered inferior to men. They were subordinate to their husbands, and they had control over their movements.
Women did most of the hard work. They were treated as servants not only by their husbands but also by their brothers and parents.
The man controlled the household and commanded his respect, faithfulness, and obedience.
Consequently, the husband was allowed to have other wives and sexual relations outside of marriage.
Single Mothers, Widows, and Widowers
Every woman among the Batooro needed protection and a sense of belonging. Therefore, there was no place for single mothers in the community. They were married off as second or third wives.
Widows were inherited or married off as second wives. Widowers had an option of marrying other women to carry on the family.
The Batoro Divorce
Divorce was acceptable among the Batoro. However, it was initiated by the husband on the ground of adultery, and barrenness of the wife. Bridewealth was refunded but, only part of it if children were already born.
The Batoro Inheritance
Men inherited the properties of their deceased fathers. However, women were also allowed to inherit property if the man had no sons.
Toro women inherited their father’s property, and even if married, the husband had no authority over it.
Death
Traditionally, when a person died, the body was wrapped in barkcloth. Male members shaved their heads, and members of the household refrained from sexual activities for two months.
They believed in life after death thus, they gave the deceased a decent burial and performed special rituals to appease their spirits.
Ancestors were respected and believed to be among the people in spirit form to protect them from harm.
Newborns were named after the dead to appease them and carry on their names for generations.
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