Imana in Rwanda

The Kinyarwanda word Imana written as such but pronounced [imáana], since the official orthography doesn't mark tones and long vowels, is polysemous and has 10 distinct meanings (Irenée Jacob, 1980). These different denotations from the same lexical item are metonymically related. An association or factual contiguity exists among all these meanings. The first referent is God. The second meaning is chance or good luck. Others refer to (i) animals used for divination such as cow, sheep, chicks, or any other object used for this purpose such as animal fat, dices, etc; (ii) a tree that has grown where a substance used for divination has been buried; (iii) good omen (any favorable object used in divination); (iv) a sacred tree called umuko planted by converts of Lyangombe; (v) a guardian of people or animals within a particular group; (vi) a hero or person to whom one seeks advice and help, and (vii) a nice person.

By looking at Rwandan culture and oral literature such as folktales and proverbs and everyday language use such as idioms, exclamations or greeting expressions , it becomes clear that Banyarwanda's concept of Imana is very close or similar to the Christians' God. He is almighty, good, just, the creator of the universe, the eternal, the one who causes everything. He doesn't interfere within people's daily lives, however. They are free to do whatever they want and they are responsible for their own actions.

Rwandans are monotheist but not henotheist, either, since Imana belongs to all nationalities and human beings eventhough he seems to favor Rwanda as the following proverbs states: Imana yirirwa ahandi igataha i Rwanda, "Imana spends the day elsewhere but spends the night in Rwanda".
The main difference between the Rwandan God and the Christian God is that the former is personalized and religion is not institutionalized. There is no necessity to gather together to pray to him, to worship him, to thank him, to have holy days, holy places and holy books in his name. He doesn't need any of this. There is thus no need for proselytism or conversion because each individual is aware of his existence. Hence the saying Imana iraguha, ntimugura, iyo muguze iraguhenda. "Imana gives (things) to you (for free), you don't buy from him, when you trade with him, he becomes very expensive".

Nobody knows really how he looks like eventhough there are times when he takes anthropological features to appear to certain individuals as told in folktales. His residence is not known, either. The Rwandan cosmology consists of four worlds: the earth isi inhabited by human beings and all living objects and controlled by the king umwami. The underground world ikuzimu the domain of Death urupfu and the Sky ijuru the domain of Thunder inkuba. The fourth world is the volcanoes Ibirunga where the spirits Abazimu live. The spirits of ancestors who were initiated to Lyangombe live happily in heaven-like conditions in the extinct volcano MUHABURA. The non-initiated or those who failed to obey the regulations of Imandwa live in hell-like situation in the active volcano NYIRAGONGO and the other ones who live a not bad nor not
good existence, either (paradise-like life) , are found in the extinct but tall and cold volcano KARISIMBI. The fourth world seems to have been added very late, however, around probably the early 19th century with the advent and arrival of Imandwa cult in Rwanda from Uganda where they were known as Abacwezi. The leader of these Imandwa is Lyangombe . Other Imandwa are: Binego, Ruhanga, Mugasa, Kagoro, Nkonjo, Umuzana, Nyakiriro, Nyabirungu, Mashira, Kibungo. On the day of initiation the new converts impersonate one of these Imandwa and the master of ceremony is also called Lyangombe.

The relationship between God and the individual is strictly personal. It can, however, be expressed verbally in linguistic performance such as names, proverbs, greetings and the individual says what she or he thinks about God as the following names and proverbs indicate. Habarugira 'The Causer of everything exists', Habiyakare 'The Early exists', Habiyambere 'The First One exists', Nsengiyaremye 'I pray to the Creator', Ndagijimana 'God is my shepard', Harerimana 'Only God educates', Mukeshimana 'I owe him/her to God', Musabyimana 'I asked him/her from God', Havugimana 'Only God speaks', Bisengimana 'They pray to God', Nsengiyaremye 'I pray to the One who created', Nsengiyumva 'I pray to the One who listens', Habiyakare 'The early one exists' , Habiyaremye 'The one who created exists', Habiyambere 'The first one exists', Habyarimana 'Only God gives birth', Mbarushimana 'God is on my side', Habimana 'God exists', Hitimana 'Only God gives names', Bizimana 'Only God knows', Bimenyimana 'Only God knows it'; Bigirimana 'Only God does it'; Nsabimana 'I ask God', Nahimana 'It is up to God', Uwimana 'One of God', Hategekimana 'Only God rules', Maniraho 'God is there/exists', Maniragaba 'You inherit from God', Maniraguha 'God gives to you , Manirakiza 'God saves', etc.

Imana loves his creatures and mostly those who help each other. Abagiye inama, Imana irabasanga "Those who consult each other are joined by Imana". He also wants human beings to be active and responsible. Imana ifasha abifashije 'Imana helps those who can help themselves", Imana ihora ihoze "God revenges without having to hurry". Imana itanga ishaka "God gives when he wants", Imana ikinga ukuboko "God uses his shield (from danger), Imana ikubyarira si yo ikurerera 'Imana who gives you children is not the one who raises them for you". Umwanzi agucira akobo Imana igucira akanzu "An enemy is digging a hole for you when Imana is making an exit for you".

It is thus wrong to call Rwandans "animists", "polytheists", or "pagans" like missionaries during the colonial period because they don't worship God.

Instead of worshiping God, Banyarwanda practice ancestor worship guterekera. The ancestors' spirits are called abazimu. This ancestor worship takes place whenever it is necessary. It is done either to ask for advice for an important project such as marriage, trip, business, moving to a new place, etc. or to appease these spirits if they are angry at something. Some families have small huts called indaro built for abazimu. The diviner umupfumu whose cognates in other Bantu languages mean 'political leader' is the one who tells people after the act of divination kuragura when to do this guterekera or what to do to please the ancestors. Abazimu seem to be obsessed about this worship, failure to do it may occasion their wrath.

Like in many world's mythologies, the genesis of death is blamed on human misconduct. It came about as a result of human greed and jealousy. One folktale reports that death existed but was harmless to human beings. It is only when it was swallowed by a naive and greedy old woman who accepted to hide it in her body from Imana who was chasing it that it started killing people. The other story states that it was a woman who brought it by giving a heavy blow on her husband's other wife's head who had requested to be pulled out of the grave. Before that incident, people died but resurrection was expected.

References:

Bigirumwami, Aloys. 1979. Imana y'Abantu, Abantu b'Imana, Imana mu Bantu ,
Abantu mu Mana. Gisenyi: Rwanda.
Jacob, Irenée. Dictionnaire rwandais-français. Tome 1-Tome 3. Butare: Institut
National de Recherche Scientifique.
Kagame, Alexis. 1955. La Philosophie Bantu-Rwandaise de l'Etre. Bruxelles:
Académie Royale des Sciences Coloniales.
Kimenyi, Alexandre. 1989. Kinyarwanda and Kirundi Names: A Semiolinguistic
Analysis of Bantu Onomastics. New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Ruberizesa, Innocent. 1989. Nanze kubaho ntariho. Kigali, Rwanda: Printer Set.