The Interconnection between selected myths and geographical features in Western Uganda

Abstract

In this study I explore the interconnection between selected myths from Western Uganda and selected geographical features in that region. Specifically, I examine the relationships that relate to themes, geographical features and motifs in the selected myths. By analysing the selected myths from especially the Banyankole, Banyoro and Batooro communities, the study highlights how myths and their embedded mythemes are a powerful lens through which we can appreciate the interpret and assign meaning to their physical environment. The study adopted an ecocritical approach and drew perceptions from the myths themselves and related geographical settings to demonstrate that myths and geography are not isolated constructs but are interconnected in the narrative frameworks. Using an ethnographical research design to examine specific myths, mythemes and geographical features, the study uncovered patterns that reveal an interdependent relationship between the geography and human imagination through mythic stories. This interconnectedness underscores the importance of understanding myths merely as stories but as dynamic reflections of human interaction with their environment, showing that myths and their related mythemes are more than myth. Rather, myth connects people to their environment, heritage and to each other. The study recommends multidisciplinary and activist approaches to the study of myth in order to exploit the potential of such narratives, especially in the context of cultural tourism.