Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

Vakpwe Tales and Fables ~ 277. Mooso amondo mo-mwiti wondenga ame-ngama.

Vakpwe Tales and Fables.

277.  Mooso  amondo  mo-mwiti  wondenga  ame-ngama.

(The Stream/River flows down the slopes alone. This is why its track has bends)

At the middle of a Rainy Season a pool of water (Yuulu  ya  Maliva) on the Mountain (o-Fako) said it would soon flow down to the Village of Buea, then to the Village of of Molive and then to the Village of  Bimbia and meet its Big Brother the Sea of Bimbia. Thereafter the course of the flood would serve as a canal. It would be a straight course without bends and cataracts. The name of the canal will be “Koke”

Responding Kaki  Inoni (the Vulture) said:  “That is an ambitious programme.  It’s a good idea.  Remember to work in concert with Resource Persons like the Elephant (Njoku) and the Mole (Koo).  Njoku will bulldoze the track while Koo will create tunnels through hills”.

e-Fako (Mt. Cameroon) eruption 1982.

295. e-Fako (Mt. Cameroon) eruption 1982.

 

The Bakweri have a legendary belief 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 e-Fako ( Mount Cameroon ).  Hence the cultural animation chants (“mesoko  me  veleke”): 

 (i).  “oveli  eya;  oveli  eya  !  (There is something.  There is something).

e-joke,  oveli  eya  ane  mbenga  likomba  la  wanga”  !  It’s true, there is something brewing down there in the forest).

Literally:  This event has not occurred for nothing.  There is a reason why this event has happened or is happening.

(ii).  “Munya  mo  Fako  moo-ndoni  veya”.(There are reasons why lava is flowing down the slopes of e-Fako).

Eight eruptions have occurred during the past 200 years (1800 -2000).  The Bakweri associate each of the eruptions to the said legendary belief. 

 

The death of the Paramount Traditional Ruler of the Village of Buea , Chief Gervasious Mbela Endeley on the l5th of October1982 and the eruption that occurred within twenty four hours after his death is one of the most recent and clearest illustrations in support of the Bakweri legendary belief about the cause of eruptions of e-Fako.  Here is an eye witness account of the two events.

“ Chief Gervasius Mbela Edeley, Paramount Traditional Ruler of Buea for 57 years, 1925-1982, died in his Palace, in the evening of Friday 15th October 1982, following an illness.  Next day, Saturday 16th October, at about eight o’clock in the evening, the section of the Mountain (e-Fako) overlooking the Villages of Buea, Wokpwaongo,  Gbwassa, Likombe and Mafanja was in flames.  An eruption had occurred. 

It was followed by tremors of the earth.  Loud explosions were heard.  The crater continued to spit out fire and thick smoke that rose to great heights.  Lava flowed towards the villages of Mafanja and Etome and stopped at the forest region of the Mountain.  The eruption was preceded by a violent hurricane that was accompanied by torrential rainfall”. 

(i).  “oveli  eya;  oveli  eya  !  e-joke,  oveli  eya  ane  mbenga  likomba  la  wanga.    (ii).  “Munya  mo  Fako  moo-ndoni  veya”.

Oma  nanu.

Imba  Thomas Mbua Ndoko,    ~ eye witness to the twin events mentioned above.

Buea, 23rd February 2010.

Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa
Tel/Fax: 33-32-25-35
Mobile/Cell: 79-73-47- 14 
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com

254. Bakweri Names of Days.

254.  Bakweri Names of Days.

("mii-na  ma  veyu/meenya")

lina = a name; plural mii-na.

eyu = a day; plural veyu.

mwenya = a day;  plural, meenya.
   
 Bakweri  English.
 
01.  Monde:  Derived from the word “Monday” Monday. 
    
 
02.  Liwo  lo  Ndo.  Literally = The market is “trekking/moving” southwards, that is, towards the creek village of Tiko.  Long before the advent of European influence in the lands of the Bakweri, the market at Tiko creek beach used to be opened every Wednesday. 

Bakweri women, carrying loads of coco-yams on their heads or on their backs trekked from their respective villages to Tiko on Tuesdays to exchange their coco-yams for the fish of fishermen.  The women spent Tuesday/Wednesday night in Tiko and returned to their respective villages on Wednesday. 

Five Bakweri fables of cultural and moral lessons.

291.  Vakpwe Fables of Moral lessons.

e-Mokpwe uses several fables to deliver moral lessons.  Let us examine five fables.

(i).  Nyanga  Viya was known in her home village and beyond for preparing very delicious soup. On one occasion when she was out in the spring to collect water a gang of boys entered into her house to steal her pot of soup.  It was a clay pot (“livanya”).  In the scramble for the soup Evakise attempted to drink the soup direct from the “livanya” without using a spoon (“toe; ngele”).

“Manyaka  me  eya”.  Wonders shall never end.  The “livanya” stuck on Evakise’s face.  Attempts by Evakise’s friends and elders of the village to pull out the “livanya” from Evakise’s face failed.  Nyanga  Viya was informed of the incident.  She then returned to her house without delay.  She carried out mystic performances and gently pulled out the “livanya” from Evakise’s face.  Evakise suffered embarrassment.  Furthermore the aroma that emanated from the “livanya” caused Evakise to develop respiratory problems.

255. Bakweri Names of Months.

   
255.   Bakweri Names of Months.
("i-mbgwe-nde ja  loova"). 
 
mbgwende = a lunar month/calendar month. 
 
Mbgwenda  a  Lova = a lunar month. 
 
Lova = The Creator. 
 
lova = the sky;  
 
o-lova = high up in the sky.
   Bakweri English.