Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

03. Mefondo me kpwa, meso mi-iki-sene.

Elders shall phase out and be succeeded by young and new generations.

Maito, maito kaii.  It’s time to narrate fables of the Plants and Animals World.

Yasi nanu:  The youngest and most tender branch of the palm tree (Moo-mbo  mo Liya) had serious worries at the peak of his youthful life at a time when he was standing erect at the top of a very tall palm tree (e-fonda  liiya). 

So, he sent for Mosongi  Inoni, a renowned sorcerer, to come and offer him mystical assistance.

Narrating his ordeal to Mosongi  Inoni, Moombo explained:

"Mola koo-ko, neni  ma-ongo (My Uncle, I am under-going a distressful experience).

A mysterious force has recently installed itself under my Throne.  It is rocking the Throne at short intervals.  The tremors are so severe that they have tumbled me thrice out of the Throne”.

Replying Mosongi Inoni, said:
"I understand what is happening.  The tremors are echoes of jubilation by over zealous members in the entourage of your successor, giving you notice that the time that you too have to leave the Throne is at hand”.

02. “Lina ndi ai-nda ! Moto asinda” !

Man's life span is short; whereas his name lives for long after he has died

Yasi nanu:  Naliongo came out of the clinic of Mola  Mosongi  Inoni with many stories to tell.  He had accompanied his father to the clinic to receive medication for the treatment of convulsion. 

That was the first time that Naliongo witnessed a traditional Doctor at work.  He took note of the medicinal leaves the Doctor used, how the Doctor carefully laid the leaves serially on a large piece of a plantain leaf on the floor and how after bending each leaf carefully, the Doctor tied the leaves into three neat parcels. 

Above all, Naliongo was fascinated by the long list of names of persons the Doctor solemnly mentioned at the commencement of business.

253. “e-Ngowa esa-vene moondo”

A pig that has no tail.

During the era of German Colonial Administration in Buea and also in the early years of British rule in Buea, driving an engine vehicle was a very prestigious activity.  In fact drivers of motor vehicles and motor cycles and locomotives were an elitist group.

However, the pride of being an engine vehicle driver suffered very severe damage that was caused by continuing widespread allegations at that time that every person who drove an engine vehicle belonged to a specific “Nyongo” Society that required him from time to time in the interest of his welfare and prosperity, to offer sacrifices of human beings for mystery destruction.

The explanation in support of the necessity to belong to a Nyongo Society and to offer sacrifices of human beings was that the engine of every vehicle requires the assistance of mystery persons.

252. fonda te mwiive ai-vani mwa-nyanga mwiive, Mokase a yoo.

The Devil smiles every time a thief steals from a thief.

Maito, maito  kaii =  It’s time to narrate.

Yasi  nanu.  Mokonde the fearful hunting dog stole a big piece of meat at a “Sassa” and hid the meat under a big log. 

He did not know that Ikula  Nyame was resting under the log.  Soon a dog that had carefully taken note of Mokonde’s movements dragged the meat and ran away with it. 

Mokonde was very annoyed when he discovered that the meat had disappeared. 

He cursed the thief and wished that the Devil will pluck some of the teeth of the thief when the thief was in the course of eating the meat. 

At that juncture Ikula  Nyame coughed and laughed haa,  haa, haa  !.

222. "Vakpwe na motowa mwawu mo woso".

The first motor vehicle that belonged to a Bakweri man.

Times have changed.  Unlike at a time when Bakweri people were afraid of building “faka” or of buying motor vehicles lest they should be labeled members of Nyongo societies.

Today many Bakweri men and women own impressive residential houses inside the villages and also own and drive motor vehicles – Land Rovers, Pick ups, luxury cars. Today, it is no event when a Bakweri man buys a motor vehicle or builds a “faka”.

The first Bakweri man to own a motor vehicle was Sango  Ikoma  Nganje of the village of Molyko .  It was brand new Chevrolet lorry, about the size of the type of vehicles that the CDC uses for transporting bananas. Sango Ikoma Nganje used his lorry for transporting passengers as well as goods.

By the early nineteen thirties Sango  Ikoma  Nganje had already identified himself as one of the wealthy men in Muea and Lysoka Village Group Areas.  He owned a prestigious house - a bungalow (“ndava  faka”). 

At that time  “ndava  faka” was known to be a house that was good enough to be the residence of a European.  The other wealthy men within the Muea and Lysoka Village Group areas who were bold enough like Sango  Ikoma  Nganje to own faka were:

250. e-Mokpwe na mo-nyooki

e-Mokpwe and the consumption of wines and spirits

As recent as seventy years ago the most popular drink was “mimba”, wine extracted from the top of live palm trees, close to the branches. 

Second to “mimba” was “velanga”, wine extracted from palm trees that are felled and lying on the ground. 

Although European wines and spirits were available their cost was not within the reach of the common man on the street. 

251. “seke vama na tuu”.

They have said that I have suffered defeat.

A close observation of the staggering movements of a Mola who has just lost a case in a Village Traditional Council or in a Customary Court will guide you to guess correctly that Mola has suffered defeat.

Ask him,
“i-Mola  mongo  mwango  mwango,
e-mbako  e-fusi  yawono” ?
(Has the court disposed of your case today  ?)

Mola  will retort:
“eee  !
seke  vama  na  tuu”
(Yes, they have said I have suffered defeat).

60. “osa suweya longo ndi anu eki o-kpwe-lele e-mbei meene;timba o-mbusa,ongo fee eki wa ese-lele,wo-ndenga o-kpweli” !

Examining only the spot on which you have fallen is not enough.  Go back and examine also the spot where you started to encounter the difficulties that have caused you to fall.

Yasi nanu:  Mbgwa was running fast to meet his friends when he unfortunately fell on the ground. 

After Mbgwa hand examined the spot on which he fell, and was about to continue his journey, Yongoole asked Mbgwa:

“Have you also examined the spot on which you started to encounter the difficulties that have caused you to fall” ?

Replying Mbgwa said: 
“No  !  It is not necessary to do so.
My interest is to take note of the spot where the accident has occurred”

249. Mii-na ma mesono"

Bakweri  names of colours

Black = lindo.

Blue = ndutu.

White = mbomi; moongo.

Red = mosowa.

Green = vewule  ve-fenya.

Brown = moondo.

Black and White spots = Kange.

Floral and contrastive = matono.

Yellow may be described as:
(i)  Loonge  la  mweyo  mo  wuva = yolk.
(ii) Mboo = a ripe banana.

Note 1:  Colour = mosono, singular; plural mesono.

Take note of the following expressions.

e-Mwindo  a  Moto = The Blackman.

lindo  la  wuva = a black chicken; hen.

moongo  mo  wuva = a white hen.

matono  ma  wuva = a hen with feathers of black and white spots or of a floral contrastive colour.

moondo mo  mboli = a brown goat.

Kange  a  livatu = a cloth with distinct black and white spots

Ndutu  a  livatu = a blue dress. 

Ndutu is the formal colour of a dress of a widow/widower.

Note:

(i).  Kange is a bird with beautiful distinct black and white spots on its feathers. 

(ii).  Ndutu = trouble; sorrow; difficulties.

Livatu  la  Nyongo = a flag; The Flag.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA 

162. “Wa koome te i-kpwa, Melungu meyo teembe”.

If you sprinkle salt on your body sheep will obviously lick your body.

wa  koome = to spray yourself with a liquid, for instance: water, perfume.

ikpwa = salt.

teembe = to lick.

melengu = sheep, plural;  singular “molengu”.

Yasi  nanu.  On one occasion when Tuuva, an eleven years old boy was feeding his father’s flock of sheep with barks of plantain fruits mixed with salt, Tuuva rubbed some salt on his body - on the arms and legs and stomach and chest and the head. 

After the sheep had licked all the salt on the barks of the plantain fruits they started to lick the salt on Tuuva’s body also. Tuuva panicked and shouted:

“na  nweeli ! 
na  nweeli” !
(I am dead/dying).

247. Mosongo-songo, aso-nwee e-nyama a-tonga eseva.

Mosongo-songo ~  A Hunter  !  How dare you sound the horn when you have not already captured the wildlife ?

Yasi  nanu.  As recent as 60-70 years ago meat of wild life that a hunter captured either up at the savanna section of e-Fako (o-Mosanje) or deep in the forest  was exclusive property of a hunter.   

When a hunter captured wildlife within the fence that surrounds a village, meat of the animal was considered as a gift from the ancestors of the village.  Every male inhabitant of the section of the village in which the animal was captured was therefore entitled to a piece of meat.

248. “Loova la-ngani Litumbu le Ekese ali-kangana” !.

Litumbu le Ekese has monopolized God who belongs to all people

At a time when regular resort to traditional shrines was popular and when several families were still busy reconstituting their traditional family shrines that had been desecrated or destroyed in the course of merciless and forceful uprooting of Bakweri villages and transfer of villages by the German Colonial Administration in Buea to new locations.

Yohannese  Litumbu  le  Ekesa, a young man from the village of Wokpwaongo (Membea) caused surprise to e-Mokpwe by identifying himself seriously with the Christian teachings of Basel Mission Missionaries in Buea. 

Yohannes Litumbu le Ekese was ordained Pastor in grand style in 1917 in the village of Wonyavio (old site) that was situated about five kilo metres east of the village of Wolifamba  wo  Mbenge (Mile 16).  At that time Wonyavio was one of the most populated villages in Bakweri land.
 

246. Forenames and surnames.

Forenames and surnames.

e-Mokpwe child is known by two names namely the child’s own name followed by the name of the child’s father. The name of a father is the surname of his children.  This is the principle. For example:

if Mola Eliva and his wife Ewune name their new born baby boy Njie the child will be called Njie Elive, that is, Njia, son of Eliva.   Ngowo the daughter of Mola Elive will be called Ngowe  Elive.

The situation changes when Mola Elive decides to be the namesake of one of his sons.  In this case the son will NOT be called Eliva-Elive. The surname Eliva will be suppressed and replaced by the name Ewune, the name of the mother of the child.  The son will consequently be called  Eliva  Ngove.

Here are instances where because of the requirements of the tradition outlined above names of mothers of male children became the surnames of their respective sons

Efungani  Etonde of Wova.
Kofa  Limunge of Buea.
Ngunda  Ngove  of Buea
Lotongo  la  Njome of Buea
Ndumbe  Etombi of Ewonda and Wokpwae.
Mbua Ngove of Wonyavio.
Mbombe  a  Likove of Muea.
Ngundu  Evenye of Sofa  Mokongo (Great Soppo)

Note:~ Etonde, Limunga/Limunge,  Ngove, Njome, Etombi, Likovo/Likove, Evenye are names of women

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA 

212. e-Mokpwe view of litigation.

212.  e-Mokpwe ~The Bakweri  view of litigation.

Tradition requires a person who has lost a case within the family or in the village courts to pay damages where it is necessary in addition to a fine and court fees.  The winner does not go Scot free.  He pays a “victory” fee known as “efonja”. Celebration of victory spills over to the home where guests sing the traditional victory song:

“fombowo  !
osu  yoma  mosango, fombowo”  !
(Hurrah ! 
You have obtained an impressive/decisive victory