. The Baganda . d by the people,who were even allowed to enter them, and to tell the priesttheir needs inside. Most of the national gods possessedsmaller temples in different parts of the country, where eventhe poorest peasant might seek advice and help, while themore important temples were available for the King and theleading chiefs only. The King was informed by a specialmessenger sent by the priest, when a temple needed to berebuilt. The messenger went to the Kago, who was theKings representative towards the gods and the priests, and IX RELIGION 277 told him what he wanted ; the Kago took
. The Baganda . d by the people,who were even allowed to enter them, and to tell the priesttheir needs inside. Most of the national gods possessedsmaller temples in different parts of the country, where eventhe poorest peasant might seek advice and help, while themore important temples were available for the King and theleading chiefs only. The King was informed by a specialmessenger sent by the priest, when a temple needed to berebuilt. The messenger went to the Kago, who was theKings representative towards the gods and the priests, and IX RELIGION 277 told him what he wanted ; the Kago took him before theKing, v/here he re-stated his request. After Hstening to therequest, the King would send for some reeds which weregrown for the purpose, and he would give three or four tothe man whom he appointed to be foreman over the reeds were the insignia of office, and they empoweredthe foreman to assemble the people to build the temple ; theywere afterwards used to commence the building of the FIG. 43.—A TEMPLE. When he was carrying the reeds from the King to the site ofthe temple, the messenger decorated them with a gods were supposed to foretell events (kulagula) as wellas to give advice about wars, and to heal the sick. Medicine-men (Basawo), though not definitely connected Medicine-with the temples and the gods, were yet regarded as belong- ^^ing to the religious class in the country; they formed amost powerful body, and were greatly feared. The priestsand the mediums had but little power in comparison withthe medicine-men. Each clan had its medicine-men, who 278 THE BAGANDA CHAP. through their skill and cunning, gained an insight intocharacter, and also into certain arts, which they used to thebest advantage. They diagnosed illness, prescribed for thesick, and understood how to deal with sickness caused byghosts ; they were surgeons, and saved the lives of men whohad been wounded in battle or whose limbs had been ampu-tated by their master
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidbaganda00joh, bookyear1911
