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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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By inter salutations we could solve the Oral Genealogy dilemma as quick

Greetings Family,

Today I bumped into some interesting finding that I use the photoshop above to illustrate. I hope it will keep you interested in knowing more.

When we were young, there at home, I used to hear my father, who was very fond of the late Hezekiah Kisia, call him baba. Because my grandfather died when I was very young, it was strenuous to draw this father of my father in my mind. I would grow up and my curiosity had me visit Kisia only to find he 'was not that old to be my father's 'father.'

I came later to learn about clan relationships and it dawned on me well what it all meant. Kisia was my 'grandfather'. That was before I met his son (in the picture, Mudengani) and realized he was my 'father'.

Today as I visited Mr. Keya (in the picture) at Sabatia in Kigugura village, he asked me how his 'father' was doing. Which father?  Then he explained that he called my father 'his father'. Ha! How old are you Mr. keya? 78, he said. You and I are brothers? Yes. Yes. Yes! And I am 28, Lung'afa (in the picture).

He went on to confirm that Hezekiah Kisia was his grandfather. People of the same age set. Ha! There is a brother to Hezekiah, Mr. Zaphat Mutevane, 72 years old now. When they are together, the two, though young by six years, Keya calls Zaphat  grandfather.

And Mr. Keya has children. The elder son, Limanye (in the picture) represents them. Born '67. Lung'afa's 'son'. Mudengani's 'grandson'. And Limanye has a son called Stanley Chahare. And Stanley Chahare could be doing things out here. Making Stanley Chahare the 'grandson' of Lung'afa, the great grandson of Mudengani and the great great grandson of Mutevane.

Looking at the family genealogy therefore, could we be almost hitting the bull's eye by this realization? It is part of the Genealogy questions to say how you refer to so and so. Vubaba, vudada (guga), mwana or mwisukuru. And by that we may not expect some families to give similar number of ancestor names. Due to the dynamics of 'being begotten', a man who can remember only four of his ancestor would be 'joining' another line of ancestry that takes us to the founder of the clan. So that we do not demand 'long lineages' from people who can remember a few. Rather people who could be 'stems'.

To avoid confusion, let us look at the grandfather of Hezekiah Kisia. His name was Mudengani. The grandfather of Albert Lung'afa (Lung'afa's 'father') is Isagi. While the grandfather of Keya is called Isadia. These three people, not far in age from each other, could be representing the confusing dynamics now which then could have been simple interpretation of ones father, children and grandchildren in not far homesteads. Such that the 'salutation' has not died. And also, the further back the little the families and people, we could be very close to solving the Genealogy question.

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