CULTURE
The
Republic of Burundi is one of the smallest and most densely populated
countries in Africa. The original Twa Pygmies of the forests were
joined by Hutu agriculturists after the 11th century, and then
by the more war-like Tutsis and their long-horn cattle after the
14th century. The Tutsis came to dominate this society organized
around feudal obligations between farmers and cattle owners. This
domination became more disagreeable once the Germans and then
the Belgians took colonial possession of the territory and ruled
indirectly through the Tutsi. Although Tutsi royalty provided
organized leadership and a rich dynastic culture for several centuries,
when the Hutu majority demanded greater participation in the years
after World War II, the royal family demonstrated their inability
to rule. Central authority passed to the military and police,
who have systematically undermined the possibilities for Burundian
cultural enrichment.
The
vast majority of the population is Hutu, with only 10% Tutsi (and
1% Twa). Yet these statistics do not reveal the large numbers
of people who have intermarried, or the regional loyalties that
overshadow ethnic categorization. For example, it is the Tutsi
Hima of the south, not the Tutsi Banyaruguru of the north, who
have controlled the army and police. The Roman Catholic Church
claims the allegiance of most Christian Burundians, and is feared
by those Tutsis in the government who believe that the Church's
social and educational activities empower Hutus. There are also
Protestants, animists, and a small number of Muslims. French and
Kirundi, the standard tongue spoken throughout the country, are
the official languages. Kiswahili is the language of trade and
is widely spoken in the capital.
Most
of the best-studied Burundian culture was tied to the royal court
and centered on music and dance that extolled the virtues of kingship.
These dances and the elaborate ceremonies surrounding the royal
drums are performed without enthusiasm now. As in much of Africa,
cultural heritage is preserved in the artisanal production of
goods for daily use. The smelting and working of copper, for example,
is an ancient art that continues to be practiced in traditional
ways in such regions as Musigati, where special songs accompany
different stages of the work. There is a rich oral literature
in Kirundi including tales, proverbs, riddles, and poetry, some
of which has been recorded and translated into French. The potential
for written culture was limited in 1972 by the execution of all
Hutus involved in higher education.
The
landmarks most typical of Burundian culture are the family compounds,
called rugos, spread throughout the countryside. In spite of the
high population density, people do not live near each other in
villages, but rather in their own compounds composed of bee-hive
style huts surrounded by a high hedge or reed wall. The huts are
placed in particular and symbolic ways. The Living Museum in the
capital, Bujumbura, is a recreation of such settlements that also
displays basketwork, pottery, drums, and photographs. The second-largest
town in Burundi, Gitega, has a national museum that is small but
very educational.
