ANKOLE, a term used to designate a plateau of the Uganda Protectorate, British East Africa, and the people (Hima and Iro) occupying it. There has been little except linguistic assimilation here between the Hamitic intruders and the indigenous popula tion. The former, known as Hima, and distinguished by fine fea tures, small, almost Caucasian hands and feet and a light skin, comprise the autocracy. The latter, called Iro, a Hamitic word meaning slaves, with features characterized by rather projecting brow ridges, are the serfs or peasants. Both Hima and Iro wear skins and barkcloth but the latter are more careful about con ventional decency, and an Iro married woman in addition to a number of skins worn round the waist must always wear heavy metal anklets. Apart from cicatrisation they do not mutilate their bodies in any way. The Hima are cow-people and are sub divided into two classes, the rich and the poor. The former who own the cattle (a long-horned Galla type, sometimes humped owing to crossbreeding) are now sedentary, but the latter, who act as servants and herdsmen to the former (who provide them with wives and a few cattle) are nomads and move from place to place with the cattle. The Iro are purely agricultural and were rarely allowed to possess cattle as they do now ; they have to supply the Hima with grain and beer. They are also the hunters of the tribe, as well as the smiths, potters (male and female) and carpenters, members of each craft being attached to the royal court, where they are generously rewarded for their services. War prisoners form a separate class of slaves, distinguished by the amputation of one or both ears.
The Hima live in collections of from ten to twenty houses in side a strong fence of thorn or euphorbia. There is A large court yard and an inner fence secludes the living quarters, where there is a separate house for bachelors. The royal residence is a larger and more elaborate structure, including a house for pages, another f or especially favoured wives, another for women who attend the ruler on his travels, a general house for the wives and a house for the wives who have borne children, all the houses being connected by covered passages. There would also be in the enclosure about a hundred other circular mud and wattle huts for women and attendants. The nomad herdsmen are content with much cruder huts and the bee-hive huts of the Iro are of much smaller dimen sions and are scattered singly or in groups in or near plantations.
Polygamy is permitted but monogamy is customary. Marriage is regulated by totemic clans, which are subdivided into sub-clans distinguished by secondary and tertiary totems, and marriage is permitted within the three main clans if at least one totem differs. Princes formerly practised complete clan endogamy. There is an elaborate ceremonial of blood-brotherhood. The ruler's mother and sister have a special importance, and while among the Ganda the kabaka's sister has to marry her half-brother, here the mugabe's sister may marry whom she likes. Hima women are fattened almost to immobility before marriage, which takes place early in life. Pre-nuptial chastity is essential, followed by con siderable post-nuptial license, both among Hima and Iro. Daugh ters must be married in order of age. Inheritance is by bequest, but the heir must be a son, who inherits the wives as well as the property. Intestate property goes to the ruler.
The Hima live mainly on milk, meat and beer; the Iro on their agricultural products and wild game. Their weapons are throw ing spears, small oval shields with a central boss of wood or iron, bows and slings. The Iro shield is slightly larger and is often made of hippopotamus hide instead of basketwork, and they carry clubs instead of slings.
Offerings of beer, milk and cattle are made to the sacred royal drums, which are the only drums in the tribe, and are kept in a special enclosure, which is a sanctuary for malefactors. Music is provided by a primitive harp and by water jars filled to different levels. The Iro use square-shaped canoes on the lake, constructed of wooden boards laced together, but without the Ganda keel or prow.
The mugabe or ruler (who used to be called mukama like the Nyoro ruler) is the centre of social and political life. He holds all the tribal land in trust and distributes estates to the chiefs and theoretically all property is his. Cattle may not be sold to anyone outside the tribe without his permission and herdsmen may only kill bull-calves up to a given number. All land is free to the cattle-owners and their herdsmen, and the Iro may culti vate where they like, but are attached to cowmen as their agricul tural workers, a chief retaining as many as three hundred. The mugabe is an absolute ruler with autocratic powers which he may delegate to chiefs. Next in importance to him is his minister called nganzi or "favourite." There are 16 districts presided over by chiefs called bakungu or abamangi, who are appointed by the mugabe on his accession, each with a different title and special duties and status. The chiefs are always pastoral. They settle disputes, keep peace and order, guard the royal cattle, and their sons act as pages at the mugabe's court. There are also inferior chiefs in each district who are almost independent of the bakungu. Pages who are too old for such service are appointed galagwa, a title which carries the rank of chief, are given estates, -cows and serfs and form an autonomous community in each district. All taxation is in the hands of the mugabe who collects a percentage of cattle every year on all herds of 5o or more. The mugabe commits suicide by taking a special royal poison when too old or suffering from an incurable illness, and his widows are expected to commit suicide at his grave. The milk ceremonies are extremely important to the tribe and in them the mugabe's milk vessels play a dominant part.
There is no priestly caste or formulated religion. Ruhanga, the Creator, was probably an ancient hero or ruler and is reverenced with fourteen other sanctified kings, but neither these nor certain natural phenomena which are treated as divine, like Ornusisi the Earthquake, have shrines or receive sacrifice. The ghosts or spirits of family ancestors are more important, and their religious eminence is recognized by family shrines, prayers and offerings. Spirits of dead rulers are supposed to enter lions. Rainmakers (abaizi) belong exclusively to the serf class, but they receive generous gifts not only from the Iro, but also from the Hima including the mugabe himself. • See Sir H. H. Johnston, The Uganda Protectorate (1902) ; J. Roscoe, The Banyankole (1923) . (J. H. D.)