251. Bakweri Rain Scientists.

There is a  belief that for more that three hundred years now the Bakweri have been in  possession of scientific knowledge that they use (i) to suspend rainfall, (ii) to cause rainfall and (iii) to cause whirlwinds and hurricanes to occur. 

It is widely known among the Bakweri that when a public ceremony,such as an eyuu, wrestling contests, Maale that involves the assembly of large crowds is scheduled to take place during the months of virtual incessant rainfall, that is, in the months of July, August, September and October, sponsors of the ceremony hire a Rain Scientist to suspend rainfall on the day of the ceremony.

As concerns whirlwinds and hurricanes, the following event that occurred more than seventy years ago and which has now become legendary is fascinating.

 During the early years of British Colonial Administration in Buea there was one court only for Customary and Traditional affairs; it was located in Buea. It served the Village Groups of Wonjongo (Bonjongo), Motengene, Bakweri/Vahwiya speaking villages now under Muyuka Local Council, Lysoka, Muea, and Buea. 

In 1935/6 in a meeting in Ekona Mbenge in a new house that the Administrative Authority had just built, the European SDO announced to the Village Traditional Rulers of Lysoka and Vahwiya that the house in which the meeting was taking place would be used as a Court for Customary and Traditional affairs. In response the majority of Traditional Rulers, one after another, repeated their earlier rejection of situating a court for their “region” in Ekona  Mbenge. 

They, on the other hand, wanted their court located in the village of Lysoka.  They vowed that they would never use the building as a court. The meeting adjourned before noon without the disagreement being resolved.

In the evening of that same day close to night fall a whirlwind that was followed by torrential rainfall and a hurricane up-rooted the house that was expected to be used as a court. Thereafter, the idea of situating the court in Ekona  Mbenge  was abandoned.  A new house for a court was eventually built in the village of Lysoka. 

Remarkably, no other house, not even one of the most fragile structures in the village of Ekona Mbenge suffered damage. It is believed that the Traditional Rulers hired a Bakweri meteorological scientist (i) to cause the whirlwind, (ii) to demonstrate beyond doubt that the target for destruction was none other than the court building and (iii) to re-assert their claim that the Bakweri possess the skill to control the weather.

Oma nanu.

Imba

Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa.
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com

Comments

[L. Billy-Eko]

Dear Mola Mbua Ndoko,

That is a truly fascinating story. Thanks for sharing it as well as all of the other wisdom you impart on us.

A take away from this story also begs the question of "where are some of these 'scientists' today"?

With some of the things that are happening in 'mboa' nowadays, their abilities can / should be called upon to remedy situations.

Have a peaceful weekend.

L. Billy-Eko

[Njoh Litumbe]

Sadly, a lot of the secrets which the ancient Bakweri possessed, e.g. the control of weather conditions, thunder, etc., would appear to have been lost.

The Bakweri scientists often belonged to cults, but hesitated to pass the secrets to their children whom they considered immature and contaminated by the white man's Christian religion and beliefs.

For example, the Bakweri thunder scientists could not operate in domains served by the white man's electricity, for they too generated electrical energy to initiate selective thunder strikes.

With the advent of Universities, it could well be that in due season, research will be conducted in these areas of lost Bakweri scientific knowledge so that it could be resuscitated and modernised.

Mola Njoh Litumbe.

[Lucy Bumah]

I loved the story for it is fascinating and believable.At least it demonstrates that our traditional practices can also be relied on when things are not moving.In other words,we can use those positive aspects of our traditions to effect meaningful development in our society.