A flute here, a verse of poetry there. This is the treatment that women receive every day. royal cattle of rwandawhich have become living symbols of the country’s cultural heritage.
With their long crescent-shaped horns, Inyambo cows graze at the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza and in the homes of some of the country’s richest people, including the president, Paul Kagame.
The breed is descended from the distinctive Ankole cattle of East Africa and is also found in neighboring Uganda and Burundi. The inyambo have long been associated with the nobility, maids in royal courts where they symbolized wealth, prestige and power.
“They are not for milk, they are not for meat. They were only used as decoration around the palaces,” explained the museum’s curator, Bigira Junior.
Although there is no longer a monarchy in Rwanda, cattle are so revered that Kagame has adopted the tradition of giving them away and exchanging them between kingdoms. A local newspaper, The New Timescame to call the president’s custom of gifting cattle to heads of state as “inyambo diplomacy.”
In its quest to attract more tourism, Rwanda is investing heavily in places like the King’s Palace Museum, where cows are the main attraction.
They are cared for like princesses
The cattle are pampered with poetry melodious that describes their beauty and calls them by their names. This is believed to calm them before large events where they perform for visitors or during traditional ceremonies.
«It has beautiful horns. Move your head so we can see your beautiful neck and body. You are the most beautiful cow ever,» sings its keeper.
Keepers also brush the animals, another way to calm them.
«Remember, you have to love and appreciate them, and you can’t love something from afar. You have to get closer,» Junior added.
In Rwanda and several other African countries, livestock represents social and economic relevance. The larger the herd and the more unique the breed, the more respected the rancher. In 2004, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa purchased a special breed of Ankole cattle from his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni.
The Inyambo breed stands out as a cultural ambassador and symbol of heritage in Rwanda and Uganda.
Its beauty also influences traditional Rwandan dance, with delicate movements performed by women who extend their arms to imitate the shape of horns.
“Dance is, more or less, a way to portray the beauty of real cattle,” Junior said.
The cows returned to the vicinity of the King’s Palace Museum in the early 2010s as part of a conservation initiative. It is unknown how many remain.
Keepers manage breeding programs to preserve their distinctive traits, including their long horns and rich brown color, a hue associated with royalty, maturity and stability.
For the younger generations who learn about the breed at the museum, the cattle are part of Rwanda’s heritage and identity.
“We educate them to bring this information to others and keep the culture alive,” Junior concluded.
AP Agency.
GML
