Origins of Kingship Traditions and Symbolism in the Great Lakes Region of Africa – By Birgitta Farelius (2008) By Muniini K. Mulera My Kind of BooksJanuary 11, 20190 Back to Home Tradition holds that the foundation stone of the kingdoms of the Great Lakes Area was laid by the Bacwezi, a mysterious people that lived and ruled the area before disappearing “into the lake.” Central to the Bacwezi community and their descendants was the cow as an economic commodity, a cultural symbol of power and a source of pleasure. Birgitta Farelius the story of the Bacwezi, the cow and the founding of the kingdoms of East Central Africa. Recommended. Back to Home