Ruhanga (lit. 'He Who Creates') features in Bantu spirituality as the remote creator and sky-God, recognized among the Rutara people (Banyoro, Banyankore, Batooro, Bahaya, Bakiga, Bahema and all other groups referred to in general as Banyakitara). The Bahima further recognise him as the arbiter of life, sickness, and death. However, unlike creator figures in other religious systems, Ruhanga is generally not a focus of worship.[1][2][3][4]
According to Bahaya and Banyankore belief, humans originally came back to life on earth after dying, but Ruhanga took away this ability after a woman refused to properly celebrate the return of a human after the death of her pet dog.[5][6][7][8]
- ^ Dictionary of Gods[unreliable source?]
- ^ Webster’s Online Dictionary
- ^ Karamura, Grace Patrick (1998). The interplay of Christianity, Ethnicity and Politics in Ankole, Uganda, 1953-1993 (Thesis).[page needed]
- ^ Twesigye, Emmanuel K (1983). 'Anonymous Christianity' and human existence in African perspective: a study based on Karl Rahner's philosophical theology (Thesis). OCLC 11167634. ProQuest 303280932.[page needed]
- ^ Asante, Molefi; Mazama, Ama (2009). "Banyankore". Encyclopedia of African Religion. p. 105. doi:10.4135/9781412964623. ISBN 978-1-4129-3636-1.
- ^ Asante, Molefi; Mazama, Ama (2009). "Ruhanga". Encyclopedia of African Religion. pp. 580–596. doi:10.4135/9781412964623. ISBN 978-1-4129-3636-1.
- ^ Cotterell, Arthur (2003). A dictionary of world mythology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-172693-4.[page needed]
- ^ Mwambutsya, Ndebesa (June 1990). "Pre-Capitalist Social Formation: The Case of the Banyakole of Southwestern Uganda". Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review. 6 (2): 78. ProQuest 1294934026.