Although the religion of the Buganda people
today is diverse, having a large community of
Christians and a significant number of Muslims,
Bubembe Island symbolizes the precolonial reality
of the culture when life was a dynamic and fluid
interaction between the sacred and physical
realms, when kings appeased the gods with offer-
ings for protection, and when cultural heroes
ascended to divinity after this life. Bubembe Island
remains a central feature in Buganda folklore.
Stephen C. FinleySee alsoKings; Lakes; Priests
Further Readings
Ray, B. C. (1991).Myth, Ritual, and Kingship in
Buganda. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Roscoe, J. (1907). Kibuka, the War God of the Baganda.
Man, 7 , 161–166.
Roscoe, J. (1911).The Baganda:An Account of Their
Native Customs and Beliefs.London: Macmillan.
BUBI
The wordBubiis found among the Luba people
of the Congo. In Luba religion and worldview, the
termBubirefers to the notion of evil or ugliness.
When the wordBubi is used, it is intended to
mean that which is contrary to the best and most
ethical. It is the opposite of Buya (goodness or the
beauty of character). The wordBuyais significant
because, as the opposite of Bubi, it shows the
power of Bubi. When one speaks of Bubi, one is
talking about that which is fundamentally in
opposition to the goodness of sound character.
No one wants to experience Bubi because it means
that the worst ugliness has come on the person.
Within the Luba culture, the aim is to hold back
Bubi, to render it ineffective within the society.
The question that arises is what, from a Luba
ethical standard, is considered evil and what are
the criteria that distinguish good conduct from
abject behavior? In the Luba worldview, evil is
defined in relation to the fundamental concept of
life (Bumi). That element or concept that destroys
life or diminishes life is regarded as evil.
Four major categories emerge in the expres-
sion of evil. The first category involves evil
thought or evil heart,mucima mubi. This means
that a person does not have to carry out evil
actions to be considered having demonstrated
mucima mubi (evil thoughts). Just thinking
about diminishing life, one’s own life as well as
the life of another, is enough to place the think-
ing in the category of Bubi.
Second, evil can be committed by way of evil
tongue or evil speech,ludimi lubi. The idea here is
that speaking words that destroy or are meant to
diminish someone’s life is evil. The Luba philoso-
phers understand that words can kill. Then there
is the evil eye, which can convey harmful behavior
toward other human beings. Thus, the Baluba
speak of the evil eye,diso dibi. Looking at some-
one with eyes that suggest you wish them dead is
considered evil; this is the origin of the evil eye
concept. Finally, there is evil committed by way of
evil actions,bilongwa bibi. These actions involve,
among others, incest, murder, theft, lies, hatred
(mushikwa,nshikani), and adultery (busekese).Mutombo Nkulu-N’SenghaSee alsoBaluba; TabooFurther Readings
Asante, M. K., & Nwadiora, E. (2007).Spear Masters:
Introduction to African Religion. Lanham, MD:
Rowman & Littlefield.BULLS
In Kemet, bulls were considered sacred. Because
bulls epitomized a courageous heart, great
strength, virility, and fighting spirit, the deifica-
tion of bulls dates back to the 1st dynasty. Some
epitaphs for bulls were “Mighty Bull,”
“Conquering Bull,” and “Bull of Bulls.” The king
was the “bull of his mother,” and his Horus name
was “the strong bull.” A constellation of stars for
the bull was recognized; thus humans, born under
the astrological sign of Taurus the bull, are linked
to this constellation. Often the leg of the bull was
used in offerings.140 Bubi