Rwanda, Burundi, and the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the Tutsi people. In the DRC, the Tutsi live near the city of Bukavu in the Mulenge region. Here, they are known as Ban-ya-mu-lenge.
The Tutsi speak a Central Bantu language called Kin yar-wanda in Rwanda, and Kirundi in Burundi. Both are dialects of the same language. Like other Bantu languages, both use nouns with prefixes. For example, the word Banyamulenge ("Ba-nya-mulenge") can be divided into parts. The prefix "banya" means "people"; "Mulenge" is the name of a region. The whole word means "people of Mulenge."
Many Rwandese and Burundians speak French, the language of their former Belgian rulers. French is used in school. Tutsi who has been refugees in Uganda may also speak English.
Personal Tutsi names may be based on events, poetry, or beliefs. For example, the name Ndagijimana means "God is my herder." Ha-ki-zum-wami means "only the king can save." while Muvu-nan-yambo means "the defender of noble cows."
Tutsi folklore includes poetry, proverbs, folk tales, riddles, and myths. Many believe they were descended from a mythical king named Gihanga. Some Tutsis used to know the names of their ancestors at least six generations back. 
Today most Tutsi people in Rwanda and Burundi are Christians. However, some traditional beliefs survive. These include the belief in a distant creator called Imaana who has the power to grant wealth and fertility. The king also shares in this power which can be seen in his sacred fire, royal drums, and rituals. Spirits of dead relatives, called abazima, carry messages between Imaana and the human world. However, the abazima may bring bad luck to those who do not respect them. People offer gifts to protect themselves from the abazima. They also try to learn the spirits' wishes by seeing fortune-tellers.
Tutsi Marriage is made legal by payment of the bride price. The groom's family pays the bride's family because they are losing her labor. There is no ritual other than marriage to mark the beginning of adulthood.
Tutsi and Hutu families are patrilineal. In the past, marriage in Rwanda and Burundi was based on the relations between the two families. Today most Tutsis choose the person they will marry.
In the past, Tutsi men and women wore robes brought-in from the African coast. A woman's costume included a white robe and white headbands. Today Western-style clothing is usually worn. Women wear dresses and scarves made from the printed cloth popular in East Africa. Men wear shirts and trousers.
Alcoholic beverages are made from bananas and sorghum. People drink them on special occasions.
Royal dancing and drumming groups perform for the Tutsi kings of Rwanda and Burundi. For rituals, two dozen tall drums are placed around a central drum. The drummers move around the drums in a circle with each one taking a turn beat the central drum. This style of drumming is still practiced.
Cattle herding carries a higher status among the Tutsi than farming. In the past, there was a special class of herders, called abashumba, who took care of the king's prize cattle known as inyambo.
For sport, a game called igisoro is popular with children and adults. It is played on a wooden board with holes for beads or stones. Players line up their pieces in rows and capture as many of their opponents' pieces as they can. In other parts of Africa, the game is known as mancala.