The Lango are a Nilotic peoples ethnic group.
The Lango people speak the Lango language, a Western Nilotic language of the Southern Luo group.
Early history
The Lango
oral tradition states that they were part of the "Lango race" during the
Migration Period. This group later split into several distinct groups before entering
Uganda (see Tarantino, Odwe, Crazollara, Uzoigwe). The name “Lango” is found in
Teso language,
Kumam dialect, Karamojong,
Jie people, and
Labwor language vocabularies, reflecting that how these groups once used to belong to the Lango race.
Hutchinson (1902) states:
Hutchinson (1902) adds:
Icaya (Isaya) Ogwangguji, M.B.E.
Rwot Ogwangguji was born in 1875 in Abedpiny village in
Lira District (Okino, Patrick, and Odongo, Bonney). He was the son of a Rwot (chief) – Rwot Olet Apar, the leader of the Oki clan.
His first administrative chief title was the Jago (sub-chief) of Lira. In 1918, he was elected county chief (Rwot) by Erute county, Lango. He continued as Rwot of Erute county until 28 February 1951, and was later on promoted to the title of Rwot Adwong (Senior Chief). Rwot Ogwangguji is known as a chief who bridged "old Lango" into "new Lango" through his extensive work history during a period of many changes in the 20th century in Uganda. He was awarded the M.B.E. in the New Year's Honors in 1956 and subsequently retired in December 1957.
[Wright, M.J., Uganda Journal, Vol. 22, Issue 2, 1958]
Military
Driberg described Lango people as:
The Lango army was united under one Military rank chosen from available men, and all had to agree to be led by him.[Kihangire, p. 22] The Lango oral literature has it that as the soldiers who went to help Kabalega retreated towards the Nile, they helped Kabalega and Mwanga, the deposed King of Bunyoro and Buganda respectively cross the Nile.
Land tenure
Land in the pre-colonial era was
common land, and any untilled area belonged to the first person or family who tilled it, and it was passed on to the eldest son.
"Land which had not been cultivated in the past could be tilled by any family, and, when once it had been tilled, the community regarded it as the property of the family whose ancestor first cultivated it."
Traditional
land tenure is still widely used in rural areas.
Culture
Although many Lango practice Islam or Christianity, the influence of traditional beliefs still plays a significant role in the religious lives of the Lango. In traditional Lango myth, each individual has a guardian spirit and metaphysical soul. Additionally, ancestral cults and belief in the supreme god,
Jok, played a large role in the religion.
Primary occupations of the Lango people include hunting, farming and raising livestock.
Lango clans
The Lango people have over 148 registered clans with the Lango Cultural Foundation, an institution mandated with the powers to organize, control and represent all clans in the Lango communities.
Lango dance
The Lango people have several traditional dances. These include Okeme and Abuda which are very popular and performed during cultural functions, weddings or other ceremonies.
Notable people
-
Milton Obote, second president of Uganda following independence
-
Jane Aceng, Minister of Health of Uganda since 2016
-
Betty Amongi, Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development since 2021
-
Peter Ogwang, Minister of State for Sports
-
Dorcus Acen, Women's Representative of the Alebtong District since 2021
-
Denis Hamson Obua, Chief Whip of the Parliament of Uganda since 2022
-
Michael Moses Odongo Okune, current Paramount Chief of the Lango people
Footnotes
Sources
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Julius peter Odwee 2013 " Tricentenary of the Lango people in Uganda"
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Kihangire, Cyprianus (1957). "The marriage customs of the Lango tribe (Uganda) in relation to canon Law"
-
Curley, Richard T (1973). Elders, Shades, and Women: Ceremonial Change in Lango, Uganda.
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Tosh, John (1979). Clan Leaders and Colonial Chiefs in Lango: The Political History of an East African Stateless Society 1800–1939.
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Hutchinson, H.N., Walter, J., & Lydekker, R. (1902). The living races of mankind: a popular illustrated account of the customs, habits, pursuits, feasts and ceremonies of the races of mankind throughout the world.
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Julius P.O. Odwe. Proposal to Celebrate a Tricentenary (300 years) of Lango Existence, Importance and Contributions to Uganda. A conference proposal presented to the Prime Minister, Lango Cultural Foundation, Lira (Uganda), 11 November 2011.
-
Wright, M.J. (September 1958),"The early life of Rwot Isaya Ogwangguji, M.B.E." Volume 22, Issue 2. Pgs. 131–138.
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"Lango's first palace." New Vision online 18 November 2013.
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Tarantino, Angelo. Lango i kare acon (Lango before colonialism). Fountain Publishers, 2004.
External links
