Abiru

The Abiru (Kinyarwanda for royal ritualists) were the members of the privy council of the monarchy of Rwanda. They were oral repositories of the ubwiiru, an esoteric code of kingship. Due to the mythopoetic nature of accounts of the early history of the Abiru and the Rwandan monarchy, an accurate history of the Abiru is difficult to codify or study.

The council as a whole can be described as a priestly body that elected, advised, and/or deposed Rwandan kings. The debate continues over the pre-colonial functions of the body, which necessitates further research to substantiate definitive statements on the subject.

The wider ethnic community traditionally expected to provide the council's membership was known as the Abatsobe.

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