Hello friends! This week’s episode of the Mythological Africans podcast is inspired by a conversation with award-winning Ugandan author and film maker, Dilman Dila, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the African Book Festival. We return to those accounts of strangers who come from Lake Victoria, with some perspective from the Baganda of Uganda.
In Luganda, the language spoken by the Baganda, Lake Victoria is called Nalubaale. The word Nalubaale can be broken down into two components: the prefix “Na” which is used in reference to mothers, and the word “lubaale” which refers to ancestral/guardian spirits or gods. It is important to know, however, that lubaale are deified ancestors. These are individuals who possessed special skills or played important roles on the history of their people and so are revered, petitioned and propitiated. Putting this all together, Nalubaale translates to “Mother of the Ancestral/Guardian Spirits or Gods.”
Interestingly, while the name suggests feminine or motherly qualities, Nalubaale is also the name of a royal drum for Kibuka, the Baganda god war. Kibuka’s brother, Mukasa, as it turns out, is honored among the Baganda as the Spirit of Lake Victoria. He is also a stranger who came from the lake. Listen to the episode to learn more about Mukasa.
References
Kiganda, Jose'Marie. "The survival of Ganda traditional religion before and after the coming of foreign religions." (1998).
Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An account of their native customs and beliefs. Macmillan, 1911. p 290-292
Roscoe, J. “95. Kibuka, the War God of the Baganda.” Man, vol. 7, 1907, pp. 161–66. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2788113. Accessed 28 July 2025.
Kenny, Michael G. "The Powers of Lake Victoria." Anthropos H. 5./6 (1977): 717-733.
."Bubembe." Encyclopedia of African Religion. Edited by Molefi K Asante and Ama Mazama, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009, pp. 139-139. Sage Knowledge, doi: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623.n96.
Can’t Get Enough?
Watch this short film by Dilman Dila and be sure to check out more of his work!
Meanwhile…
The Watkins Book of African Folklore (…or The Mythological Africans Book) is out!
The Watkins Book of African Folklore contains 50 stories, curated from North, South, East, West and Central Africa. The stories are grouped into three sections:
Creation myths and foundation legends
Stories about human relationships and the cultural institutions they created
Animal tales (with a twist…the folktales are about some of the most unlikely animals!)
I thoroughly enjoyed digging into the historical and cultural context out of which the stories, their themes, and protagonists emerge. There is something for everybody!
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