Those Who Came Before Us

David Ibanda | African History & Pre-colonial Narratives

Those Who Came Before Us is an immersive journey into African history, oral traditions, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of the Great Lakes. From Buganda and Bunyoro to the mysteries of the Bachwezi and the spirits of Lake Victoria, each episode blends history and myth to reveal the emotional and spiritual world of East Africa. Together, we hold a lantern to the darkness of the past. So that the stories, fears, and ambitions of those who came before us are never forgotten. New episodes explore African mythology, Buganda history, and the hidden worlds of pre-colonial East Africa.

  1. May 9

    African Spiritual Warfare: How Horns Protected and Attacked in the Great Lakes

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the role of horns in spiritual practice across kingdoms like Buganda, Bunyoro, and Busoga. Often filled, sealed, and carried, these horns were believed to contain forces that could protect individuals from harm but also act against others. Moving beyond simple explanations, this episode looks at how these practices reflect a broader worldview: one in which illness, misfortune, and even truth itself were tied to unseen forces that could be influenced, controlled, or resisted. Sources Bamunoba, Yoramu K.. The Cult of Spirits in Ankole. N.p.: Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US, 2019. Beattie, J. H. M. (John). "Divination in Bunyoro, Uganda." Sociologus 14, no. 1 (1964): 44–61. Bjerke, Svein. Religion and Misfortune: The Bacwezi Complex and the Other Spirit Cults of the Zinza of Northwestern Tanzania. Norway: Columbia University Press, 1981. Culture Research Centre. Ritual Gestures in Busoga. Jinja, Uganda: Culture Research Centre, 2001. Kodesh, Neil. Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda. United Kingdom: University of Virginia Press, 2010. Kyewalanga, Francis. Traditional Religion, Custom & Christianity in Uganda. Okot P’Bitek, “Religion of the Central Luo” Kenya Literature Bureau University of Minnesota, 1978 Schoenbrun, David L.. The Names of the Python: Belonging in East Africa, 900 to 1930. United States: University of Wisconsin Press, 2021. Support the show

    19 min
  2. The Envoys Who Saw the World: The Story I Didn’t Say

    Mar 20

    The Envoys Who Saw the World: The Story I Didn’t Say

    Send us Fan Mail This is the story I didn’t say. In the main episode, I focused on what the envoys meant to Buganda.  Here, I slow things down and follow their journey step by step from the Nile, through Sudan, into Egypt, and eventually to England. This is a closer look at the places they passed through, the people they encountered, and the world they were trying to make sense of. If you want to go deeper, I’ve put together a full written version on Substack, along with a Google Earth flyover map so you can actually trace the route for yourself. Read the full article: (Substack link): https://open.substack.com/pub/thosewhocamebeforeus/p/the-envoys-who-saw-the-world?r=7y1sc9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true Explore the journey (Google Earth map): https://earth.google.com/earth/d/1LT04xJD8UvmNS2N_lqMOn4fiw6hqaVnf?usp=sharing Click the slideshow for a better viewing experience. Sources Church Missionary Society. The Church Missionary Gleaner. Vol. 8. London: Church Missionary Society, 1881.  Wilson, Charles T., and Robert W. Felkin. Uganda and the Egyptian Soudan. Vol. 1. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1882.  Support the show

    28 min

  3. Mar 15

    Kabaka Muteesa I’s 1879 Mission to London: Survival Diplomacy in Buganda

    Send us Fan Mail By 1879, the kingdom of Buganda found itself caught in the expanding shadow of empire. To the north, Egyptian forces were pushing deeper into the Upper Nile, threatening to extend their authority toward the Great Lakes. In this episode of Those Who Came Before Us, we explore how Kabaka Muteesa I responded to this growing danger. Facing the possibility of Egyptian domination, the Kabaka turned to an unlikely strategy: diplomacy with European powers already present at his court. Catholic and Protestant missionaries representing France and Britain, became potential channels through which Buganda might secure powerful allies. Muteesa’s decision to send a diplomatic mission to London in 1879 was not simply curiosity about the outside world. It was a calculated attempt at survival diplomacy, balancing foreign powers against one another in order to preserve Buganda’s independence. Key Themes The Egyptian expansion into the Upper Nile and the fear it created in BugandaHow missionaries became unexpected instruments of diplomacyKabaka Muteesa I’s strategy of balancing foreign powers to protect his kingdom Sources Church Missionary Society. The Church Missionary Gleaner. Vol. 8. London: Church Missionary Society, 1881.  Forbes, F. A. Father Lourdel: Planting the Furthest Seeds in Africa. Reprint, Mediatrix Press, 2017. Harrison, Alexina. Mackay of Uganda: The Missionary Hero of Uganda. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1891. Kiwanuka, M. S. M. A History of Buganda: From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900. London: Longman, 1971.  Mukasa, Ham. Backward Never, Forward Ever: Translation by J.N Batte, Simuda Nyuma - Luganda: Ham Mukasa Foundation 2002. Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. London: Religious Tract Society, 1892.  Wilson, Charles T., and Robert W. Felkin. Uganda and the Egyptian Soudan. Vol. 1. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1882.  Support the show

    48 min

  4. Feb 15

    Master of the Waves: Mukasa, God of Lake Victoria

    Send us Fan Mail Lake Victoria has always been more than geography. For the people who lived along its shores in Buganda and across the Great Lakes region, it was a living domain capable of taking life without warning, yet sustaining entire communities. In this episode, we explore Mukasa, the spirit of the lake whose power touched every layer of life: food, labor, kingship, fertility, and the sacred rules that held society together. Through fishing rituals, canoe symbolism, and the discipline of taboo, we uncover an older East African worldview in which nature was not separate from humanity. It was governance. This is not just African mythology. It is the story of how spiritual belief shaped political authority and everyday survival. If you enjoyed this episode, listen next to our exploration of the serpent spirits of Lake Victoria to understand the deeper cosmology behind these traditions. Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/twcbuchannc Sources Kaggwa, Sir Apolo. The Customs of the Baganda. Translated by Ernest B. Kalibala. Edited by May Mandelbaum. New York: Columbia University Press, 1934. Kenny, Michael G. “The Powers of Lake Victoria.” Anthropos 72, no. 5/6 (1977): 717–33. Kollmann, Paul. The Victoria Nyanza: The Land, the Races and their Customs, with Specimens of some of the Dialects. Translated by H. A. Nesbitt. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Ltd., 1899. Lyewalyanga, F. X. S.. Traditional Religion, Custom, and Christianity in Uganda. Germany: Freiburg im Breisgau, 1976. Roscoe, John. The Baganda: An Account of Their Native Customs and Beliefs. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1911 Schoenbrun, David L.. The Names of the Python: Belonging in East Africa, 900 to 1930. United States: University of Wisconsin Press, 2021. Speke, John Hanning. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. 2nd ed. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1863. Support the show

    21 min

  5. Feb 1

    A Spirit World Pretending to Be a Lake: The Serpent Spirits of Lake Victoria in African Mythology

    Send us Fan Mail The world’s second-largest freshwater lake is more than a body of water. It is a boundary. For those who lived along its shores in East Africa, Lake Victoria was shaped by unseen presence—spirits, serpents, and forces that governed life, death, and survival. In this episode, we explore Lukwata and the serpent world beneath the waters. These were not just myths, but part of a spiritual system that shaped fear, respect, ritual, and everyday life in Buganda and the wider Great Lakes region. This is part of an ongoing series on African mythology, spirituality, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of East Africa. Sources Kenny, Michael G. “The Powers of Lake Victoria.” Anthropos 72, no. 5/6 (1977): 717–33. McGrath, Andy. Beasts of the World. United States: Hangar 1 Publishing, 2022. Schoenbrun, David L.. The Names of the Python: Belonging in East Africa, 900 to 1930. United States: University of Wisconsin Press, 2021. Speke, John Hanning. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. 2nd ed. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1863. Support the show

    8 min

  6. 12/03/2025

    At the Edge of Buganda: Why James Hannington Turned Back (Part 5)

    Send us Fan Mail At Kagei the crucial port on the southern shore of Lake Victoria and the main gateway to Buganda by canoe, James Hannington finally steps free after his detention by King Romwa of Buzinza. But just as the last stretch of his journey comes into view, sickness overwhelms him. Too weak to continue , Hannington realizes his long-awaited mission is slipping away. Buganda lies just across the water from Kagei yet it has never felt more unreachable. Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/twcbuchannc Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/3Xzsp_FfSwU                                     Sources Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894 Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.Hartwig, Gerald W. “The Victoria Nyanza as a Trade Route in the Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of African History 11, no. 4 (1970): 535–52.Holmes, C. F. “Zanzibari Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route.” African Historical Studies 4, no. 3 (1971): 477–503.Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910 Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.Support the show

    14 min

  7. 11/20/2025

    Canoes, Cloth, and Conflict: The Wary King Romwa (Hannington Part 4)

    Send us Fan Mail After a brutal trek across the interior, James Hannington and two fellow missionaries finally reach the lands of Romwa of Buzinza, exhausted, sick, and desperate for canoes to cross Lake Victoria. But with empty hands and no tribute to offer, they quickly learn that Romwa is no simple chief. He is a wary monarch guarding his sovereignty in a world where strangers mean danger… and nothing comes for free. Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/twcbuchannc Youtube Episode link: https://youtu.be/oII9e6b000c                                      Sources Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894 Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971.Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908“Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ.Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890.Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252.Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886.Hartwig, Gerald W. “The Victoria Nyanza as a Trade Route in the Nineteenth Century.” The Journal of African History 11, no. 4 (1970): 535–52.Holmes, C. F. “Zanzibari Influence at the Southern End of Lake Victoria: The Lake Route.” African Historical Studies 4, no. 3 (1971): 477–503.Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79.Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910 Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997.Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894.Support the show

    11 min

  8. 11/12/2025

    The Shadow of Mirambo: King on the Caravan Road (Hannington Part 3)

    Send us Fan Mail Frail and fevered, James Hannington reaches the caravan’s camp only to find them seized by dread. Beyond the horizon lies Mirambo’s domain, a land few dare to cross. His name moves through Central Africa like a storm: the warrior-king who defied the Arabs and reshaped the trade routes. When the caravan finally leaves Uyui without him, they are forced to turn back.  And when they return, Hannington rejoins them on the road, with the only path forward being through Mirambo's territory. Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/twcbuchannc Youtube video link: https://youtu.be/HAcydmsgWhM           Sources Ashe, Robert Pickering. Chronicles of Uganda. London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1894  Bennett, Norman Robert. Mirambo of Tanzania, 1840?-1884. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1971. Berry, Grinton . “Bishop Hannington and the Story of the Uganda Mission.” New York, Revell, 1908 “Church Missionary Gleaner (afterwards C.M.S. Gleaner).” [London: Church Missionary Society, year varies]. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Church_missionary_gleaner_afterw_C_M_S_g/5xkFAAAAQAAJ. Dawson, Edwin Collas. Lion-hearted: The Story of Bishop Hannington's Life, Told for Boys and Girls. United Kingdom: Seeley, 1890. Europeans in East Africa: Biographical Database. Accessed September 27, 2025. https://www.europeansineastafrica.co.uk/_site/custom/database/default.asp?a=viewIndividual&pid=2&person=4252. Hannington, James. Peril and Adventure in Central Africa. Being Illustrated Letters to the Youngsters at Home, by the Late Bishop H. With Illustrations from Original Sketches by the Bishop, and a Biographical Memoir. N.p.: London, 1886. Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. Vol. 1, no. 2 (February 1879): 135–38. Report of the Evening Meetings, Session 1878–79. Michael, Charles D. James Hannington, Bishop and Martyr. London: SW Patridge & C. Ltd. 1910  Rockel, Stephen. Caravan Porters of the Nyika: Labour, Culture, and Society in Nineteenth Century East Africa. University of Toronto, 1997. Stock, Sarah Geraldina. The Story of Uganda and the Victoria Nyanza Mission. United Kingdom: Religious Tract Society, 1894. Support the show

    14 min
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About

Those Who Came Before Us is an immersive journey into African history, oral traditions, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of the Great Lakes. From Buganda and Bunyoro to the mysteries of the Bachwezi and the spirits of Lake Victoria, each episode blends history and myth to reveal the emotional and spiritual world of East Africa. Together, we hold a lantern to the darkness of the past. So that the stories, fears, and ambitions of those who came before us are never forgotten. New episodes explore African mythology, Buganda history, and the hidden worlds of pre-colonial East Africa.

Information

  • Creator
    David Ibanda | African History & Pre-colonial Narratives
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Those Who Came Before Us
  • Show Website
    Those Who Came Before Us