kingshipKINGSHIP
The origin of kingship can take two forms: divine by nature and not
divine by nature. In the first case, the king is considered to be an incar-
nation of a god, which serves to validate his power and authority. The
king’s divine nature reflects certain obligations, such as acting merci-
fully, being energetic and patient, acting wisely and being tactful when
dealing with public affairs. Even though a king might not be divine by
nature, he possesses access to supernatural powers. This gives him the
ability to manipulate the gods for the good of his subjects and country.
If the divine beings withdraw their support from the king, the result is
drought, crop failure, wars, and epidemics. What happens when the king
becomes old, feeble, ill, or sexually impotent? Since the king’s body in
many cases is conceived as the dwelling place of the gods, his infirm
condition affects his people, who might be obligated for their own wel-
fare to commit regicide.
The option of regicide is given to the Shilluk people of Africa, for
instance, where the king serves as a ritual and political figure. The king’s
chief ritual function is to mediate between his nation and the forces of
vitality controlled by Nyikang, the high god. The king also functions as
the supreme judge and final court of appeal in cases of homicide, theft,
incest, and other social transgressions. Even with all these functions, the
king does not directly govern his people, which is a duty performed by a
council of chiefs. Hence, the king is primarily a priestly figure who
reigns but does not rule.
A different scenario is evident among another African people, the
Nyakyusa, who presuppose that the proper operation of the natural
order depends upon the harmony of the social order. In order to select
the right person as king, this task is left to a group of hereditary priests,
who take into consideration a candidate’s character, fertility (proven
by sons, cattle, and fertile fields), which suggests that a sterile person
can never be chosen. Because kingly reigns are usually brief, men fear
being chosen, and they must be literally seized and forced into the
position. Once the selection is made, the king is secluded from his
subjects and must adhere to various taboos, such as not walking in
water, never bathing in a stream, not sitting on a green banana leaf that
could cause bananas to fall prematurely, and never becoming ill, which
would place the entire country at risk. When the king becomes ill he is
killed by suffocation or being secretly buried alive along with living
slaves place beneath him, while one or two wives and sons of com-
moners are buried above him. While still alive, priests remove the