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Chahilu’s Funeral; Logooli Culture in action

Guuga Chahilu was respectfully laid to rest at his home on Saturday 14th June 2025. Having passed on at Mbale Referral Hospital on 31st May 2025, the two weeks leading to his burial were full of cultural discussions. His passing on is a great loss to the Logooli Language and Culture Family as he was a custodian and informer of Luhya Indigenous Knowledge. An observation as to how the funeral proceeded leads us to revist Logooli traditions amidst modern realities.  One, having left the house alive and now coming back in state, Chahilu was to be taken inside the house, placed muihiilu for a moment and then officially taken out in wait for earth burial. His casket was able to enter the doors. There are cases where the dead would find it difficult to be taken in and then out due to an oversized casket or thin door. A man or a lady of his house who died out of home has to be taken in the house for a last ritual mark. But if the person had died inside, he or she would not be brought bac...
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Marriage between Saniagas?

Mbeye nindi riteva,
If not permitted please advice me to delete.

A few years ago I happened to 'fall in love' with a Musaniaga man without knowing we were clan-mates.
When we found out, we tried finding out the permissiability of such a union but we were given a big no.
Some wazees told us only bigger clans like Vamavi can inter-marry.

How true is that?

What was the guiding principle behind our ancestors deciding to ban clan intermarriage? Other communities marry their clan mates, the blood relation is very distant to be considered incest.
All Maragoli clans ni vaana va Murogoori and his wife,technically we are all "one blood."

Aren't there any other reasons why such marriages were disallowed?

Lung'afa: Awesome question. Hapo nyuma when Saniagas had started having doors, some married! This I was told by Vodoti. But it started being an embarrassment and elders vehemently refused the house thing among Saniagas. It was creating a door for obscenity and division, kifwavi. 

We have a saying that 'masahi gashimbi gahuliizanaa vwangu' no wonder you were 'serious in love', having so much in common, a statement that is agreed to by 'eng'ombe nigaduu irizaa ku gaavo.'
It saddens to change a lover to a friend because of clan stuffs and that is why among the very fist questions before, 'Do you love me?' should be 'What is your clan?' 

Marriage to the fifth generation from maternal family is allowed and seventh generation on paternal side has no  problem..that is why super cattle crossing goes to the seventh. But here we would still apply the elders' whip. I would not come to your wedding with some Karani here just because the tenth ancestor relate. Laughter.

This is really insightful Lung'afa.
What about other clans like Vamavi,is it true that they intermarry?

Lung'afa: Vamavi is NOT a clan. When Mavi died, equal to Musaari, Mukizungu and Mukirima, they had 'houses'. You would hear of Vanondi, Vamuku, Vang'ang'a and etc among Mavi. Masero, Vasachi, Migangu are Vakirima and etc. So they marry such. And down there, on Masero for instance, the level of Saniaga here, there are 'sub-houses' too but they cannot marry! A saniaga marrying another is like Vasweta intermarrying cause they are 'not related'. They are as strong a clan yet with doors and sub-doors among them.

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