| Urwanda rwa Gasabo
has one of the most interesting histories world over. The richness of a culture is reflected in its language. The proverbs, the sayings and idioms all mirror the opulence of a culture. And Rwanda is not short of that.
Proverbs, from time immemorial have been used to teach, to warn, to rectify and to reconcile.
Proverbs have always been a product of social interaction, local politicking and usual transactions. Kingship as an institution has always been the cultural custodian. Many proverbs were coined as a result of conflicts between individuals and or between chiefs and kings.
Ntabyera ngo de! (nothing can be pure white) as a legendary proverb has its roots which date far back in Rwandas history. It originated from King Cyilima Rujugira son of king Mazimhaka (Mazimpaka) after losing his beloved wife Kalira in the eighteenth century (1700).
Kalira was the most beautiful woman living in that era and area. Though she was born in a not
well-to-do family, her father was a poor man called Banyaga, son of Gahenda from a clan of Abega Babahenda a clan in Rwanda. When she grew into a respectable beautiful lady she got married to a young man from a poor family because they belonged in the same caste. Kaliras husband had a young brother whom he catered for subsequent to the death of both their parents. Despite the excruciating poverty, they lived a happy life. As time went by, they wanted to get his younger brother marry before their small herd of cattle could get finished. The young brother refused, insisting on not dividing the herd, saying they had to keep all the cattle together so that their beautiful bride-Kalira gets all the nutritious products of cattle. The brothers happily lived together.
One day, Rujugira, son of King Mazimpaka went hunting in a place where Kalira lived. After the vociferous hunting, tired, Rujugira went close to Kaliras home and rested under trees near the compound. His packed
food had gotten finished so he sent his servant to go light some tobacco for him in a near by home which was Kaliras.
Kaliras husband and brother in law had gone to water their cattle leaving her alone at home taking care of the calves in the kraal. The calves had stubbornly given her a hard time not until Rujugiras servant gave her a helping hand and the calves were put back in the kraal. After the struggle with the calves, Kalira asked the servant where he was from whereof he told her that he was with a son of the king and had come to light his tobacco. Kalira appreciated the assistance and asked the servant to get into the house and take some milk. The servant did and after taking the milk rushed back to Rujugira taking him the lit tobacco. Rujugira was suspicious and so he questioned his delay. The servant told him that there was something worth delaying him and went an extra mile by telling his boss that had it been him, he would not leave that arresting
beauty behind.
Curious and anxious, Rujugira pried from the servant who narrated the beauty and generosity of a woman he had seen. He now got alighted, his interest provoked and started yearning to see, touch and listen to that beauty. He (Rujugira) sent the servant to go and ask the woman to provide shelter for the son of a king. Kalira welcomed him and offered him a sit after exchanging a few pleasantries. She sat in the sitting room (Ikirambi) behind the door where Rujugira could not see her. Much as Rujugira was given a seat on the verandah (mumulyango), his urge to see the woman got aroused.
The woman wanted to give him milk but she was filled with awe, because she was from a poor (low profile) family of commoners though she had realized that the kings son was starving. They both suppressed their wishes until Rujugira decided to leave. He asked Kalira to reveal her face and names to him because he had treasured her generosity and wanted to know her better so
as to send her a prize when he got back home.
The lady yielded to Rujugiras request and, in return, made her request to be granted a golden chance of offering milk to the kings son. On Rujugiras acceptance, Kalira left the place where she was seated, dressed properly and joined the Kings son at the verandah. There Rujugira stood! Elated and excited by looking at this dazzlingly beautiful sensual lady. They hugged. And a tight warm hug it was. Kalira, after the greetings, tried to free herself from him with little success. Rujugira told her not to go back into hiding (mukirambi) or else he would go with her (into hiding).
Realizing that the kings son had fallen heads over heels for her, Kalira asked him to accept her milk. Pleading with the prince, Kalira told him that it was his right not to take the milk if at all he found it wanting or if the container was in any way unclean (ikitoze). Rujugira, willingly, accepted the offer, got into ikirambi and took the
milk. In a bid to show Kalira how much he had fallen for her, he asked her to share with him and drink from the same container (icyansi). Kalira accepted and they shared after which, Rujugira got out of the house and called his three servants and dispatched them to three nearby chiefs asking them to provide stretcher (ingobyi nabahetsi) pretending that he had fallen sick on the way back to his home.
The chiefs sent ingobyi nabahetsi, the then means of transport, but before they could arrive where Rujugira was, Kaliras husband came back from watering cattle. As they neared their home, they realized that their small compound was swarmed by a huge crowd of people. They slowed down wondering what might have happened in their absence. They were then told that Rujugira was present. Perplexed, they moved into the house and greeted Kalira. Transporters arrived thereafter. Rujugira ordered them (transporters) to take ingobyi where Kalira was and place her there, which they
religiously did. Kaliras husband and brother-in-law tried to stop them but failed.
Kalira was carried away, with her heart remaining behind with her loving husband. Rujugira, however, comforted the men by promising them a piece of land (umusozi) and two heads of cattle. This did not assuage their anger and pain to the extent that they decided to go to Mazimpakas palace at Ijuru in Kamonyi for justice to be granted.
Back home, Rujugira invited friends and relatives to contribute and attend his wedding. They did and the wedding was on. Rujugira told the guests at his wedding how he had got the beautiful woman and how her husband had gone to report the issue to the king at Kamonyi.
After a few days the king sent for Rujugira to respond to the accusations against him. When Rujugira got there the father rebuked him for having taken someones wife and ordered him to give her back. Rujugira pleaded with his father to let him retain the wife and swap her with the one
he was meant to marry and add a herd of cattle to refund the bride price that the man had paid. The man, however, stuck to his gun and resolved to have his wife back.
On realizing how the two men were craving for the woman, King Mazimpaka picked an interest in at least having a glimpse of the beauty queen. He used his discretion to send for the woman. When Kalira appeared at the kings palace, Mazimpaka was amazed by the looks of the lady. She had that screaming beauty that left the king in an aura of elation. And being the king that he was, he used his powers and decided that Kalira belonged to no one else apart from the king.
The first husband realized the way his wife was being admired by the mighty people and asked the king to in exchange give him an equivalent. Mazimpaka gave him land (imisozi) and herds of cattle with a girl to marry. Rujugira lost the wife to his father and decided to go on a hunger strike. He also lost sleep. When elders learnt of the
situation, they stormed the kings home and questioned Mazimpaka as to why he had behaved in a selfish manner by not giving back the wife to her initial husband or his son who was almost dying of agony.
Mazimpaka responded saying that it was the only way he would solve the dispute without hurting one of them. When he said that, the elders asked him why he had paid the first husband and left Rujugira all by himself. The question was a challenge to Mazimpaka who made up his mind and gave back Kalira to Rujugira. Rujugira was very pleased to have back the love of his life but Mazimpaka told Kalira to be visiting him after a few days. Whenever Kalira went to her father-in-law she would go back with a lot of cattle which pleased Rujugira and the bond between him and his father became stronger. Rujugira and Kalira produced a boy called Sharangabo who is the grand father of Abasharangabo and a girl called Mulikanwa.
One day Rujugira went to visit his father at his home
but the father was absent. Rujugira wanted to leave but failed because his fathers bull that lived there stood in the exit and so denied him way. Fear got the better part of him and he decided to spear it to death. That is how he managed to leave. When he got back to his home, he narrated the story to his wife. Given the fact that his father (Mazimpaka) had killed Gasigwa, a brother to Rujugira, alleging that he had befriended his wife, Rujugira feared to be killed like his brother and fled the Kingdom. Rujugira and his family sought refugee in Bugesera and Gisaka. After a long period, and given his ageing, the crowning of a new king to replace Mazimpaka became inevitable.
Because Rujugira was missing, Karemera Rwaka was made king. Shortly after Karemera was crowned, he became blind. Rwandans of the time gossiped that he did not deserve to be a king. Learning of the talk, elders agreed to re-instate Rujugira as king. They sent a messenger to persuade him to get back
home but Rujugira refused. The elders then tricked him by taking his wife, children and servants back to Rwanda so that he could follow them. Rujugira remained in Gisaka alone
His wife Kalira was taken to Kamonyi but after a short period she contracted leprosy and was isolated to Mpushi in Kivumu where she lived until she recovered and went back to Kamonyi. While at Kamonyi she was told to make fragrances (kwosa imibavu) which were sent to Rujugira in exile. When Rujugira smelt the fragrance he recognized that it was made by his wife. The servant who took it managed to persuade Rujugira to return home. Upon his return, Rujugira was given a warm welcome and immediately reinstated as king and named Cyilima. The reign did not please him due to the loss of his wife who was poisoned because the taboo could not allow them to remain married after returning from exile. With agony Rujugira said Ntabyera ngo de! Ubona iyo nima kalinga ndikumwe na Kalira meaning that
nothing can be pure white implying that he had gained the crown but had to loose his wife which was a mixture of joy and pain. That is where the proverb Ntabyera ngo de! originated. And that is why the proverb is usually used during such period of joy and sorrow.
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