Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

13. Waa yo-ngi, aseene ama liwondo.

The owner of a hut in which he lives will of course refer to the hut as a house.

Maito, maito  kai: It’s time to narrate fables of the Animal World.

Yasi nanu: In running after his child he was about to punish, Njoka  Nyame (elephant) accidentally knocked down two poles that supported a hut (liwondo) in which Njombe a Nyame and his family lived. 

The liwondo collapsed. Consequently, Njombe became desperately in need of a hut to accommodate him and his family. He then asked Njoke to offer him assistance towards the construction of a new "house".

In response Njoke said:
“Njombe !
“You are exaggerating.
It is a hut that has collapsed, not a house. You should be ashamed to state that you and your family lived inside that structure. 

12. Liyeme asa-le ee-Mbee.

Bear in mind that your monies that your debtors have not yet refunded to you cannot be of service to you to defray funeral expenses.

Maito, maito kaii - Fables from the Animal World.

Yasi nanu: Njika Nyame and Kaava Nyame were traders.Their principal business was the sale of farm tools.

Viewing a serious economic recession at that time Njika decided to dispose of his entire stock in cash at give away prices, and then invest the proceeds in new business. 

Kaave, however, preferred to quickly get rid of his entire stock by selling it on credit, in the hope that he would recover its full value in due course.

Kaave intended to reserve some of the proceeds for the funeral ceremonies of his father in law who was then very sick.

When Eso  a  Nyame got wind of Kaave's intention, Eso promptly presented himself as a buyer on credit terms.

He promised to pay the debt at the first appearance of the moon (o-woso  wo  mbgwe-nde), but did not specify the name of the month/moon. 

Without given adequate consideration to the implications of the ambiguity of the terms of the contract, Kaave handed his entire stock to Eso on credit. 

10. “Wuva Mwaana asa vanda Mbando”.

It is a risk to use a fowl that belongs to a child in ‘Mbando affairs.

Yasi nanu: Ngando was very sick and said to be a victim of Nyongo. 

The parents then accordingly invited a specialist Traditional Doctor (Nganga  ya  Yowo  ya Velinge) to administer treatment to Ngando.

The afternoon before the treatment, Ngando's mother spoke gently to Lifamba, a teenage boy and the younger brother of Ngando:

"Taa-ta  oo !
The doctor who will be treating your sick brother says he needs a matono ma  wuva 
(a chicken with contrasting colours on its feathers) for the treatment. Can we use your matono ma  wuva” ?

Lifamba answered "yes".  It was however not a sincere "yes".

11. "Vato Va yaavi vasa-kane li-liya o-tena woolo wo".

Members of the same family should avoid sailing in one canoe.

Yasi nanu:  Ewune, a woman from the village of Vatoke lived in the village of Ewonji with her husband Ekwe. 

On one occasion when Ewune was due to travel with all her children and grand children from Ewonji to Vatoke to participate in a routine treatment of re-activating her family's Ekanga  ya  Litumba, she asked her husband Ekwe to arrange for a large canoe that would accommodate the whole family.

Responding Ekwe said:
"All of you from the same stock; to sail in one canoe ?  No. Our forefathers warned that members of the same family should avoid sailing in one canoe.

(‘Vato  va  yaavi,  vasa  kane  li-liya  o-tena  woolo  wo”).

14. ii-ja asa-nyo-nge-ya o-mwita.

Of course pus will not disappear inside the body. Willy-nilly, it must come out.

Maito, maito, kaii  !  It’s time to narrate Fables of the Animal World.

Yasi nanu:  Ngowa Wanga had acute pain at the groin. He was not able to fall asleep for five consecutive nights. His family then invited the renowned physician and sorcerer Mosongi Inoni to render assistance to Ngowe.

After examining Ngowe, Mosongo said a boil had developed at the groin, and that it was already due surgical operation.

Ngowe declared that he would not accept that an incision be made on his skin. He then suggested that the Doctor should grease the affected area with a powerful lotion that would melt the pus and cause the pus to disappear inside the body.

21. “e-kinye-leve, a-laa-va mbgwa”

That which is abandoned will be devoured by dogs.

Mwengele = a person who taps wine from palm trees.

Mosongo-songo = a hunter.

Yasi nanu:  On a New Year Day, Mwengele's children were busy cleaning a nguma  ngowa (a young pig) for their New Year entertainment when they were attracted by a choir (elongi) that was singing a familiar New Year song:

"mwa  mofe-nya, na  veya  vefe-enya  ee  !
mwa  mofe-nya,
mofefe  mono,
mwa  mofe-na,  na  veya  vefe-nya  ee  !
mwa  mofe-nya”  !

(“A New Year with new events/new fashions/new behaviour/new commitments/and new leases of life.  This is another New Year”).

128. “Moo-ka, ama-vele, e-Nganga "Mola".

The person who needed the services of the Doctor was obliged to address the Doctor Mola" (my Uncle).

Yasi  nanu:  After Iye  Ejose in the company of her son Isume, a teenage boy had consulted a traditional Doctor, Isume asked Iye  Ejose:

"i-Iya,
I know that it is a man who is a brother of your mother that you address Mola
(my Uncle). However I heard you address the Doctor Mola. Is the Doctor a brother of your mother”  ?

(“Iya,  Neni  ima, mu-nyana  ema,
wona  Iya  ango, va-ya-vi  nyango  fo,
to  sango  fo,
wondi  o-veni  livele Mola.

enge  Nganga,
ove-ya  livele  Mola  nau,
wona, Iya  ango,
va-yavi  ndi  nyango  fo, to  sango  fo” ?).

Replying, Iye  Ejose said:
“You are correct.
It is the brother/brothers of someone's mother that he/she addresses Mola: for instance, all my brothers are your Mola.

90. “Wa yoo-wa mofe ao-ka kpwa-ve ya li-nyo woo-ngo”

Even when someone is certain that he does not carry out practices of evil witch and  is therefore capable of vomiting kpwave, this not withstanding, he aught to dread the ordeal of being forced to drink kpwave.

Yasi nanu:  Ejose was fond of cursing people.  On one occasion after she had cursed a youth in the village, Ejose's friend Mojoko, exclaimed:

“Jei !
Ejoso !  Stop cursing people and save yourself from the scandal of being accused of practicing evil witchcraft and the ordeal of being forced to drink kpwave”.

(“Jei !  Ejoso,  osa  jema  fe,
osi-ja  ndi  litu-vava  liyemba, si 
o-nyi-seve  kpwave”).

Ejose replied curtly:
“My mother was not a witch.
My father had no nyongo.
I myself do not belong to a witch/nyongo society.

The persons I curse can, if they so wish, impose as many as ten bowls of kpwa-ve on me.  I will drink all the kpwave, and vomit every thing.
I cannot therefore be intimidated”.

09. “ove te Molongi mondi a kima ama: o-gbwe loko, nu-mwa liyai; ovi-ye oma a-lali liyai o-mwanyu”, to: au-ti liyai eki emo kombene”.

When a Molongi threatens: "I will hit you with a stone; know that he has a stone under his foot".

Molongi (plural, Valongi) = an indigenous member of Valongi Clan, in Muyuka area. 

Mofondo (Mpundu) = a village on the west bank of River Mungo in Valongi area

Yasi nanu:  In the course of an exchange of bitter words in the village of Mofondo  mo  Valongi between Tuva, a youth from Ekona Lelu and Elonge, a Molongi from the village of Yoke, Elonge  warned Tuva:

“ono Mokpwe, Tuva,
o-gbwe  te  loko  nu-mwa  liyai”

This Bakweri man Tuva, if you dare continue to provoke me, I will hit you with a stone.

87. “waa-sa wooli, wa nyo maliva” !

Remember to drink some water in the course of your pursuit for wealth.

Yasi  nanu:  Mulungu hunted for wealth day and night without enough rest. He became very wealthy, but he was miserably stingy. 

Tradition requires that when a pig delivers babies, the children of the home concerned should be entertained with some of the baby pigs (nguma  ja  ngowa), one nguma at least. That was not the case in Molungu’s home. 

Mulungu sold all the nguma  ja  Ngowa and hoard the money. He was reluctant to use his wealth even for the purchase of his own medications.  His cashbook contained mostly income entrie, the expenditure side of the book was virtually blank.

81. “Vae-mba vaso-ka yoma woongo”

(i)  Witches/wizards are not afraid of any body/any thing.
(ii)  The law is no respecter of persons

Maito, maito  kaii.  It’s time to narrate Fablesof the Animal World.

Yasi nanu:  When Njoh  a  Nyame (Leopard) fell very, very sick members of his family consulted three renowned sorcerers (va-mbgwa  maanga) from different areas. 

The findings of all three sorcerers were

(i) that Njoh was a victim of practices of evil witchcraft of his enemies

(ii) that it was possible for Njoh to recover if Njoh received without waste of time a specific treatment known as yawo.

Njoh refused the treatment and said:
“I, Njoh a Nyame !
The son of Nyama  Wanga  Likomba  la  Wanga.
I am above the powers of practices of evil witchcraft.

No practices of evil witchcraft can destroy me or cause me to be sick...
All witches/wizards fear me”.