kama is a direct descendant of the first king of Bunyoro.
Nyoro myths provide a genealogical link between the three recognized dynasties of Nyoro rulers and the present king. The present Mukama embodies the glory of past and the hope for the future. It is important to note that Nyoro kings are not symbolic fathers of their people. The Mukama is foremost a ruler, having gained his credentials by blood ties to the Bito dynasty.
Accession rites and rituals reinforce the authoritarian nature of the "divine king." Rites express the ways in which Nyoro think about the kingship itself, as well as delineating the ways in which the king may delegate his authority; rituals are associated with the king's accession to, and retention of, his authority.
One of the royal rites related to the delegation of the Mukama's authority limits the king's power. As Beattie explains:
A ruler ... cannot keep all the power to himself, but must give some of it away; this is one of the major limitations on political authority. Thus, like other kings, the Mukama of Bunyoro traditionally had to confer quite a high degree of independent authority on his great chiefs; hence the loose, 'feudal' type of organization (involving close personal bonds between king and chiefs) characteristic of traditional Bunyoro.
The rigidity of Nyoro political culture is notable in contrast to the ordered anarchy of the Nuer in Evans Pritchard's study. The absence of developed leadership and legal institutions among the Nuer is remarkable, yet "order is maintained and social relations over wide areas are established an kept up." Evans Pritchard identifies with the subjects of his study to such an extent that he notes "it is impossible to live among Nuer and conceive of rulers ruling over them." In Nuer culture, no man recognizes a superior, and wealth is irrelevant.
The Nyoro are very conscious of status, however. As Beattie points out, "those who can establis...