Kishoba

The natives of Koswebe are known as the Kishoba, and their settlements are typically walled towns resting on the edges of the escarpments that run across the plain. The adelphic succession system (brother succeeds brother) used by the Kishoba leads to frequent civil wars, which is why most settlements are well defended. Underneath the king are a number of chiefs who have sub-chiefs and headmen under them.
The Kishoba organize themselves into clans. People of the same clan use a common set of totems. Totems are usually animals, although some clans use body parts (such as the Leg Clan and the Heart Clan). People of the same totem are the descendants of one common ancestor (the founder of that totem) and thus are not allowed to marry or have an intimate relationship. This identification by totem has very important ramifications at traditional ceremonies such as the burial ceremony. A person with a different totem cannot initiate burial of the deceased. A person of the same totem, even when coming from a different tribe, can initiate burial of the deceased. If a person initiates the burial of a person of a different totem, he runs the risk of being asked to pay a fine to the family of the deceased. Such fines traditionally are paid with cattle or goats. Similarly, Kishoba chiefs are required to be able to recite the history of their totem group right from the initial founder before they can be sworn in as chiefs.
Category:Organizations
Category:Organizations on The Veldt
Category:Tribes
Category:Tribes of the Veldt