ORIGIN OF THE LUGBARA PEOPLE

The lugbara constitute the largest Ethnic group in east Africa.These people are a Sudanic speaking people and their language is one of the eastern Sudanic languages of theMadi, the Lugbara, the Kericho, the Log, and the Avukaya. They are believed to have come form Sudan at a place called Rajaf in Juba region or Baar in Bari. Recent research has revealed that they originally occupied Loloyi and Baar region. They were originally known as the Madi their current name perhaps came to be used after the intrusion of the Khartoum Arab slaves in the second half of the 19th century. Most of their traditions regarding their origins begin with God’s creation of Meme the universe. The first two human beings Gboro-Gboro (male) and (female) are said to have been superhuman. Some traditions only speak of Meme whose womb God filled with the living things in the world. Then a gazelle made an opening in Meme’s womb by rupturing it with its hoof and all the worldly creatures came out; man was the last to come out.The first human beings are said to have been twins: Arube and O’duu. Arube was a boy while O’duu was a girl. These twins unlike their parents Gboro-Gboro and Meme, were believed to have been ordinary human being and tradition asserts that they were born in the ordinary way.Meme died immediately after giving birth to the twins.It is said that when these children grew up, they married each other and produced children who through generations multiplied t produce the Jokodra, Lebenyere, Mutalema and Telebyere clans. However, most of the northwestern Lugbara claim that they were the descendants of Jaki whose sons disappeared from Mt. Liru in the Sudan towards the beginning of the 18th century. The Rubu group claim descent form Aroba who is also said to have migrated from Mt. Liru to found the Otrabu-Rubu and Rubu- yia clans. It can be deduced from these traditions that the Lugbara might have been a fusion of the Madi and Bari Images and videos in this post