Patriotism and heroism can be seen naturally as appropriate expression of attachment to one’s country from which he/she was born and raised and of gratitude for the benefits of life on its soil, among its people, and under its laws.
They might all be decently mandated and in some senses should bear or be influenced by different ethical aspects within. Different philosophers and writers have tried to express their views on morality nationalistically.
Rodrigue Rwirahira who is pursuing a master’s degree of arts in literature at Kenya’s Kenyatta University gives his analysis on the relevance of Isingamigani (a combination of proverbs and narratives) to the modern world.
He starts by referring his idea to some of renowned scholars like Primoratz Igor, who indicated that there is a major tradition in moral philosophy which understands morality as essentially universal and impartial, and seems to rule out local, partial attachment and loyalty.
The center of morality to him is when love of one’s own country characteristically goes together with dislike of and hostility towards other countries.
Another writer Drisko.G associated morality as determination to work for the better of one’s country. He asserted that citizens in order to be effective they need to act from respect for the common good. They need to be willing to deliberate about the nature of the public good and how to achieve it.
They also need to possess compassion, ethical commitment, social responsibility, a sense of interdependence among people and between people and their environment.
Miller Richard a scholar too completes Drisko by arguing that commitment to these principles expresses the desire to be worthy of the trust of all those who respect one’s own autonomy while insisting on respect for their own autonomy.
No doubt, much more is required for the height of virtue. He expresses it better by saying that overriding desire of this kind at least makes someone a morally responsible person, a person who avoids wrongdoing if her acts are faithful to her goals.
Bottom line is, the above insights on morality as far as Rwanda is concerned are farfetched and cannot be limited to the obvious virtual aspects, to include respect, will, love and care or any other typical positive code of conduct to observe as a citizen.
However, to add to the former aspects of morality, the insights are likely to relate, if not to say completely related and extensively manifested in Insigamigani narratives.
Referring to the first five proverbial narratives in below, they intend to pull out various positive behaviors and intentions that might have depicted by the authors. For example in the first proverb “What is followed by men is finally attained” we are being advised on the idea of solidarity and unity in the community.
The hunters together with farmers and cattle keepers stood together and overcame a threat that would cause harm to their activities and families, the unity is again highlighted when it comes to the sharing of meats.
They all understood the importance of sharing equally fruits of collective efforts. We are also advised on the idea of faith and trust, were different women were being told not to underestimate their respective husbands when it comes to their particular responsibilities.
In the second proverb “Rumors ended up in Gishike” the narrator accentuated how hatred, jealousy, and irrelevant conspiracies are very sensitive to society and should not be offered a space.
This was manifested when people suspected and accused Rugereka over the death of King Mutara Rwogera. It was not true and should not have caused disunity between Rwandese people and Abagereka.
However, he stresses the idea of self determination and altruism, when it comes to fulfill a given assignment. Again, this is shown when Gashambayita was sent to supply ammunitions to the frontline fighters.
In the third proverb “He reaches Yihande horizons” the narrator highlighted different inappropriate behaviors which include once again improper conspiracies, brutality, disrespect and egoism. Because all these drove the King Ruganzu Bwimba into a war which he could not have fought, he lost his life and Rwanda lost his king earlier.
However, the speaker acknowledges again the idea of maturity and fair judgment, where he described the young King Cyirima Rugwe as immature royally but yet he managed to deliver a fair judgment after a discussion over a killed antelope and punished those failed to abide by the rules wars.
In the fourth proverb “Words attain Ndabaga‟s phase” or “Things attain Ndabaga‟s phase” the speaker talk about patience and extreme commitment. Patience is portrayed in the character of Ndabaga’s mother, the wife to Nyamutezi who had gone into a longtime battle camp.
Ndabaga’s love to her family and country generated an extreme commitment to go beyond her femininity and train herself male’s tasks and she managed to get his father back home and the king to regulate a new rule which would not keep older people at the battle camps.
The fifth proverb “Not everything fine is entirely perfect” the narrator condemns strictly manners of impunity, done by the two royal characters King Yuhi Mazimpaka and his son Cyirima Rujugira over Kalira’s husband and brother.
He again exposes bad effects of jealousy as they can result into unreasonable and atrocious killings, like what Mazimpaka did to his son Musigwa. The narrator however, approves subjective manners from Kalira which included love and care for everyone, her love and care made her exceptional and center of every attraction.
The speaker values her love to Rwanda which became the reason of her heroic death. The narrator furthermore, emphasizes the idea of respect and sympathy. Respect is represented from the people’ loyalty to the king, and the king’s one to his people, there is a mutual understanding for a proper orientation of matters.
Finally, the sympathy is evidenced when Cyirima Rujugira realized that irrespective of the ruling laws a human being’s life should be valued first.
Additionally, in the following five last proverbs the narrator highly demonstrates the idea of self-sacrifice, determination, flexibility and integrity as manners that can help people to enhance communitarianism for a prosper future in a country.
This for example is shown in the proverb “He is not a man, but a strong tree” where the narrator stresses the valor of the legend Ruganzu Ndoli who revived the country after it vanished for 11 years, liberating a country and expanding it to far ends horizons demanded a legendary spirit and bravely.
The speaker admits the idea of creativity and innovation that moved Ruganzu to come up with new techniques in the process of saving his loved country.
Reviving the country was not only a substantial goal of Ruganzu, also was the idea of reunification of people after a long time of division. Ruganzu is a role model of different successor kings and leader of Rwanda.
In the proverb “Keep your food, if you don’t know the story at Fumbwe” the idea of unreasonable extensional and occupational warfare had been looked down upon, since it presents and bears no other importance other than imperialism and selfish domination.
This is shown on how Bunyoro community fought Rwanda just to overtake it, they called on for an extra support from neighboring dynasties. However, the speaker values the importance fighting a war under practical and plausible impacts which might be targeting the welfare of the community, preservation of dignity and integrity and sovereignty of the country.
It has been practically illustrated when the king Mibambwe Sekarongoro Mutabazi, instead of fighting with Bunyabungo community, who had initially offered them a refuge, over a dead bull issue decided to fight Bunyoro and get back the country for Rwandese.
In the proverb “he shot the target” we are being advised on the two main behavioral conducts, one which is to be ambitious and achieve your goals effectively; secondly as to value and respect everyone whether young or older, strong or weak and man or woman.
On the idea of ambition and achieve goals efficiently, the speaker exposes us with a wish from Kazenga, on which the former had to work hard to be able to achieve it.
The speaker condemns the manner of Kimenyi a king of Gisaka who despised Kazenga as too young to compete with him, his underestimating behaviours made him definitely fail and humiliated in front of his people. On the other hand Kazenga won, his rewards accomplished his wishes and made him realize his dreams.
In the proverbs “Measure your beehive to Bugegera‟s one” the narrator once again speaks to us about the ideas of efficiency and a positive vision. We are told of how a certain Bugegera, a poor, handicapped and hopeless servant of a very famous rich man Mirenge, achieved his vision of producing honey, managed to sustain his life and even become richer than his former master, after he and his wife cooperatively managed to draw people’s attention peacefully and got a help from them.
Mutual and cultural socio-interaction helped them efficiently to work hard and had their dreams realized. The speaker calls for a harmonious living and mutual support in the society.
Finally, the last proverb “The venue is at Huro”, the narrator, additionally, disassociates himself with the idea of longtime jealous, and choose to stress the habit of common sociability and a recognizance of friendliness.
This is shown when Yuhi Mazimpaka sent to death three territorial chiefs and almost three families as a result of long term conflicts over tactless accusations.
He portrays Muberamfura, the former salt supplier to the late chiefs, as person who acknowledges love and care once given to reproduce it back, when he saved the life of the survived brothers to the late chiefs.
“If this is correct, we have reason to develop and exercise a special concern for the moral identity and integrity of our country. By doing so, we will be attending to an important aspect of our own moral identity and integrity,” Rwirahira concludes.
