Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

Eruptions of e-Fako (Mount Cameroon) and their Significance, 1800-2000

There exists a legendary belief among the Bakweri that events of great significance that put Bakweri clans into a state of either jubilation or anguish are preceded by or followed by an eruption of the Mountain.  Hence the popular Bakweri cultural song:

“Munya  mo  Fako  moo-ndoni  veya"
(There is a reason why an eruption has occurred on the Mountain).

Eight eruptions have occurred during the past 200 years, 1800-2000.  Here is a record of the eight eruptions and the event that is associated with each eruption.

140. “etina Mbgwa, ase ngo-wene lina”.

You don’t give an old dog a new name

Yasi  nanu:  On his return from a visit to Douala, Mwengele decided to give a new name to each of his three dogs, namely:  -Penya,  Bambe, and Dameya.

Mwengele was worried as well as surprised that even after a period as long as one month, none of the dogs was able to respond to its new name.  Every day he would call each dog repeatedly by its new name:

“Penya, Penya” - no response.
“Bambe, Bambe” – no response.
“Dameya, Dameya” - no response; not even a wag of the tail.

“Livangi la Fako lamba Njoka Nyame na Ikula Nyame”

The race between the Elephant (Njoka  Nyame) and the Tortoise (Ikula  Nyame).

Yasi  nanu:  Once upon a time Wolinyama were invited by the Elephant (Njoka  Nyame) and the Tortoise (Ikula  Nyame) to a Livangi  la  Fako (a Mountain Race) at which Njoke and Ikule were the only contestants. It was difficult to understand how Ikule could race with Njoke.  News spread fast and hundreds of spectators lined the track from the Village of Etome to Mbase to Vatoke.

Rules of the game as was proposed by Ikule and endorsed by Njoke were:

139. “Liyongo lu-mwi o-Ndototo” !

(The spear has struck the stem of a ndototo plant)

Yasi  nanu:  Wombe rested on a ndototo branch and was devouring a baby of Yonja  Wuve he had just seized. Yonja  Wuve, with a spear in hand, approached Wombe quietly to stab Wombe from the back.  The spear missed Wombe and struck the branch of the ndototo. Wombe stared at Yonja Wuve and spoke spitefully to her:

145. “Mwee-yo mo Wuva mofe mome yee-ya Nyange o-ligbweya”.

The egg in the nest too gave valuable advice to its mother.

Yasi  nanu:  In the process of hatching her eggs without being guided, Yonja  Wuva's beak inflicted serious wounds on two of her babies.  They died instantly.  That was the first delivery of Yonja Wuva.  When she was about to crack the third egg, the baby whispered from inside the shell:
“Iya !
That is the wrong spot to strike.
Hold on.
I will direct you where to strike”.
(“Iya  oo !
seke  te  anga !
ambele;
nu-mwele  eki, oveni  like-ke”.

137. “o-kokeli mwaana litambu, wafe o-me mwee-ngo”.

(Of course every body who chews food for feeding a baby swallows some saliva in the course of chewing).

Yasi  nanu:  Once upon a time. When Kema  Nyame was about to go to the market she left her baby in the care of Mbai  matono  Luuwa and then gave Mbai two plantain fruits as food for the baby.  Mbai pointed out that two plantain fruits only were not enough.  As Kema continued to argue that the two plantain fruits were enough to feed the baby adequately Ikula Nyame intervened, and said: "Kema, please listen:

143. “e-kou yamba Njoh a Nyame wona Isela Nyame”.

(A legacy of animosity:  Why  Njoh  a  Nyame  is determined to devour Isela  Nyame).

Maito, maito, kaii = It’s time for narration of tales.

Yasi nanu:  Njoh  a  Nyame and Isela  Nyame were very good friends - Yosa  ya  joono  na  nganda = a unit, such as a finger and its nail.
In the course of one of their long discussions, Njoh complained to Isele:
“My mother is now a problem.
She is too old and has become senile.
She can no longer help her self or be of assistance to any one.
I do not know what to do with her now.

(“Mwai  Iselu  Kooko !
neni  e-koke  eya,  ena-kai !
Iya-ami  ama  sooko  moluni
sai-sai;
ama  ja  ifonge-fonge;
moluni  mweni momo  takise  momwiti;
mono  takise mbafe;
Iye, namo  gbwe-eya  ne” ?)

214 (i). Molonga mo Motoko mo Moma Wuva.

(i).  Molonga  mo  Motoko  mo Moma   Wuva.
(It is disappointing that the beautiful feathers at the tail of a cock are curved).

(ii).  Motoko  mo  Moma  Wuva  move  molonga  nau, mwe-ngama.
(It is disappointing that attractive as the tail feathers of a cock are they are curved)

Why the Bakweri do not Eat Sheep.

Mokpwe  asala  Molengu = Bakweri people do not eat sheep

e-Mokpwe strongly believe that by creation every sheep is sick of convulsion and epilepsy and that when some body, particularly an infant or a teenage child, eats sheep meat the risk of having attacks of convulsion and epilepsy become highly accelerated.  It is also believed that liquid and air that a sheep expel when it sniffs contain germs that cause convulsion and epilepsy.

“Omaa-sa Moo-mbi mo Ngondo”.

You wanted a teenage bride (Moo-mbi  mo  Ngondo).  Here she is.

Yasi  nanu = Once upon a time. Vefonge was unfriendly and difficult to please.  His family then decided that he should inherit Ewune the widow of his uncle, hoping that Ewune being a young beautiful woman of childbearing age with very pleasant manners would manage Vefonge well in a marriage.  Vefonge performed the traditional rites of inheriting a widow and the marriage started thereafter.  Inheriting a widow is the cheapest method of acquiring a wife.  All that the new husband has to do is to present e Ngowa = Pig to the family of the deceased husband of the widow to be inherited.  The family seals their approval of the marriage when they accept the Ngowa.