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Uganda: 'Imbalu' the Gateway to Manhood
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New Vision (Kampala)
3 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Frederick Womakuyu
Kampala
THE Bagisu believe one's voyage to manhood begins with imbalu ( cultural circumcision). The Gisu community participates in the ritual which involves walking around the circumcision candidate's village, visiting cultural sites to appease the gods, singing and dancing to folk songs that praise the gods. Frederick Womakuyu proudly narrates how he faced the knife
As a Mugisu, I am swollen with pride about imbalu or impalu, the circumcision - ritual that I, like any other man, is obliged to undergo before the age of 22. It is done by this age to allow time to mature allow and also have enough time for school.
My elders say the origin of the practice is mysterious, even to them. But some people say the ritual originated from the demand by the Barwa (Kalenjin of Kenya) when Masaba, a Gisu hero ancestor, wanted to marry a Kalenjin girl named Nabarwa.
Some other tales claim the first person to be circumcised had a complication with his sexual organ and that imbalu started as a surgical operation to save his life.
Another story is told that the first person to be circumcised was being punished for seducing other people's wives into sexual intercourse.
It was, therefore, decided that he partially be 'castrated' by imbalu. When he resumed his former habit and the rumour went around that he had excelled at it, other men decided to undergo circumcision.
Superstitious tradition
Our tradition is highly superstitious. From my experience, before imbalu, a herb called itanyi was administered on me.
This aroused my interest in the ritual.
It was tied round my big toe, but in some instances, it was put in a place where I jumped over it unaware.
It is believed that if the candidate who has taken the itanyi is not circumcised immediately, he could end up circumcising himself as his mind is said to be overly stimulated for the ritual.
Imbalu is a spiritual experience.
My voyage to manhood started at night when I was taken round my village by the elders, visiting cultural sites to alert the 'gods' about my intention and to receive their approval and blessings.
At the site, I went round in circles a couple of times, singing local folk songs, requesting and praising the gods to make me brave and to fulfill what the elders required - imbalu.
I was given a root locally called luli, to chew and swallow its juice. It made me possessed, energised and stimulated to face the knife.
One interesting thing about luli is that the young people are not permitted to know its source.
Elders say when we get to know, we will misuse it even when we are not ripe for the imbalu. It is, therefore, only accessed by the elders. I do not know where the elders get it from, but I know it is green and long like a thread.
The Imbalu festivity occurs bi-annually during leap years. I underwent the ritual on the onset of a gateway to manhood. An uncircumcised person is called a musinde, while the circumcised one is called a musani.
Those who abscond from the ritual must be hunted down and forcefully and scornfully circumcised. The road to imbalu is one of delight and respect. It is an admirable journey, too.
Before I was circumcised, I walked and danced around the villages for three days. My head was sprinkled with cassava flour and painted with yeast paste (malwa).
My relatives danced around me, drumming and singing. Girls, especially my sisters, enthusiastically took part in the procession.
The day of the ritual
I was assembled together with other candidates in a semi-circle.
The operation was pretty fast. The circumciser and his assistant moved around performing the ritual.
The assistant circumciser pulled up the foreskin of my penis and cut it off. He then cut off another layer which is believed to develop into a top cover if not removed.
He also cut off a muscle on the lower part of the penis. These three cuttings marked the completion of the circumcision ritual. My foreskin was then put under a small stone that had been set before me.
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Post circumcision
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