Title of the work
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Country/countries of popularity
Original Language
Country of the Recording of the Story for the Database
Full Date of the Recording of the Story for the Databasey
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Genre
Myths
Target Audience
Crossover (Young adults and adults)
Cover
We are still trying to obtain permission for posting the original cover.
Author of the Entry:
Divine Che Neba, University of Yaounde 1, nebankiwang@yahoo.com
Peer-reviewer of the Entry:
Daniel A. Nkemleke, University of Yaounde 1, nkemlekedan@yahoo.com
Eleanor A. Dasi, University of Yaounde 1, wandasi5@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Hale, University of New England, ehale@une.edu.au
Peter Tancho (Storyteller)
Age of narrator: 75 (in 2018)
Social status: Notable
Profession: Farming
Language of narration: Bafut
Bio prepared by Divine Che Neba, University of Yaounde 1, nebankiwang@yahoo.com
Origin/Cultural Background/Dating
Nifo'o: The principal shrine in Bafut. It is believed that all the missing (dead) chiefs in Bafut reside there.
Background: Bafut is located in the North West Region of Cameroon, with an estimated population of about 140.000 inhabitants, spread over a surface area of 340 square kilometers. As Shu Abenego Che and Tanda Insidore in The History of Bafut* rightly put, the first Bafut people migrated from Lake Chad down to Tikari area Northwest of Foumban, which was a dynastic rule. In constant search for fertile land and a more peaceful settlement, they migrated again to Ndobo (present day Ndop), and then down to Bafut where they finally settled. They negotiated leadership with the aborigines, who were the Mbebili people, under the leadership of Niba Chi. The Mbebili people later accepted to be subservient to those who came in from Ndobo for peace to reign. Mbebili today is one of the villages that make up the Bafut Kingdom.
Occasion: Staged
* Shu Abenego Che and Tanda Insidore in The History of Bafut (accessed: April 20, 2018).
Summary
Once upon a time,
At nkwih tinso’o*
There lived an old man,
Who owned a raffia bush.
His name was Asa’ankieh,
This man was an excellent tapper
Nobody in the village could tap
The type of wine he was producing,
He could tap more than,
The present chief’s tapper.
THE RAFFIA BUSH HE HAD
COULD COVER MORE THAN
FIVE MOUNTAINS.
Since the raffia bush was too large,
And he had numerous palms to tap a day,
He was forced to construct a small hut
Near the Nifo’o,
Where he could stay,
And carry out his tapping regularly.
People who had raffia bushes nearby
Started a small settlement around the Nifo’o.
The people who settled there could hear
Strange voices coming out of the Nifo’o.
They could hear
Babies crying in the Nifo’o.
They could also hear
People hewing wood in the Nifo’o.
The whole place was always busy.
But when the people approached the Nifo’o,
Only the pool of water was seen there.
They attempted to throw stones in it
But no stone could enter it.
(Narrator turns to the audience)
Today if you throw a stone into the Nifo’o.
It will not enter there;
Even the leaves from the trees
That surround the Nifo’o,
Cannot fall into the Nifo’o.
My dear brother,
(says the narrator)
Nobody knew exactly
Where the noise was coming from
Nor those who produced it.
The noise was haunting.
(Narrator raises his hand and throws it on his labs)
(Audience interrupts)
“You know that goose pimples are appearing on my body”
“Are you a woman?”
(Narrator continues)
Each day when the tapper
Came to tap his wine,
Most of the calabashes
Were empty,
He let it go.
But the collection of wine
By this unknown person, persisted.
Many things came in to his mind:
Maybe the calabashes were porous.
He bought new calabashes,
But discovered that
It was not the problem.
He continued his investigation.
One day, he decided to hide
And trap down this thief.
As he laid on the ground to wait,
A raid of driver-ants and a stormy downpour
Chased him away.
The next day,
He thought all was over.
As he realized that the ants were no longer there.
He laid down once more
To track the person
Who had been stealing his wine.
He was again driven by,
The same raid of driver-ants
And a stormy downpour.
He attempted the third, fourth, fifth
Sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and
Tenth time.
The same thing happened.
He knew something was wrong.
He told his neighbours and many
Advised him to see a diviner.
Only a diviner would tell him what
Was going wrong.
He went out for one.
He met one,
He threw his nikwabi** on the ground,
“Jac jac jac"***
He shook the cowries in his palms
“Tsaki “tsaki “tsakin”tsaki”****
He threw them on the ground and revealed that
Nifo’o was a sacred ground,
Occupied by spirits,
He also revealed that
Missing chiefs in Bafut*****,
Have chosen Nifo’o as their place of habitation.
The diviner asked the man whether
He planted those raffia palms
He said, “NO.”
He advised him that,
Each time he taps his wine,
He should fill a clean calabash with some wine and
Keep it for the owner of the palm bush.
He showed a spot under a particular tree in the bush
Where this wine would be kept.
He returned,
But violated what the diviner said.
The next morning,
The wine was still emptied.
But this time,
The driver ants were not there.
He stood wondering.
Many questions were coming up,
Why did I not listen to the diviner?
But who is collecting this wine?
WHY? WHY?
As he was asking these questions,
There was a strange noise behind him.
He stood up,
Saw a very large snake,
I mean, a very large snake.
(Narrator insinuates) Such snakes
Do not appear today again.
The snake was moving towards Asa’ankieh.
He was petrified,
There was a strange noise behind him;
He wanted to run,
But stopped again
As the snake was at close range.
He discovered that there was a cowry on its head.
It opened a big lit that was hiding its face,
The face was that of a human being,
Asa’ankieh. almost escaped,
The snake cautioned him:
“Listen,
I am the late fon******,
I have been visiting this
Palm bush several times.
I like your wine,
Each day that you tap this wine,
Take that calabash
(He pointed behind Asa’ankieh)
Behind you
Fill it with fresh wine
And place it behind this raffia tree,
Upon your return the next morning,
Check the same spot and collect your reward.
My children,
Nkwih tinso’o is a small hill that leads down to Nifo’o.
This place is in Bukari*******
So this incident caused many problems at Bukari.
(audience) How?
(narrator continues) A dog that hurries
Much is always late.
Are you in a hurry?
Or do you want to go to bed?
(all) No.
(narrator continues)
Asa’ankieh almost became the greatest hunter in the village,
Everyday he collected a deer behind
His raffia palm in return for the wine.
It persisted for a long time.
The whole Bukari was against him
Because he was not from that village.
Some hunters were very angry.
Worst of all,
These animals were not taken to the palace.
The whole population was angry.
A message was sent to the Chief,
The Chief ordered the people to tie him up.
Who is he to be eating the Chief’s meat?
(Aside) you know that there are certain animals that
Individuals are not supposed to consume.
One morning,
The whole village entered Asa’ankieh compound.
He was caught and tied up.
He stayed in the house for some days,
The missing chief visited the raffia palm bush several times,
He discovered that his tapper was no more coming.
He visited the area several, times and saw nobody.
(the narrator arranges the firewood
That was burning and asks
Those who were sitting in the opposite
Direction to do same)
After sometime,
Asa’ankieh. was released.
Immediately he was released,
He went back to his raffia bush.
On his arrival,
The snake was there again
It opened its human face and asked
“Where have you been all this while?”
Asa’ankieh. replied,
“The Bukari people almost killed me
For eating the chief’s animals.
I was caught and tired up,
Look at my swollen legs.”
The snake said,
“I WILL PUNISH THEM
Go back to your house,
The village gong will be played
In the night by the town crier (herald)
He will be calling all Bukari people for a village hunt.
He will announce that monkeys
Will finish the corn at nkwih tinso’o.
This news will go round the village,
Everybody will be out,
Even the present chief,
Everybody will be out for this village hunt.
BUT DO NOT COME OUT
STAY IN YOUR HOUSE”
Asa’ankieh nodded.
He went back to his house
He did not tell the story to anybody.
At midnight,
Immediately after the crowing of the cocks,
The town crier came out
With his gong
(the narrator stands up)
BUKARI PEOPLE ARE YOU ALIVE EE
BUKARI PEOPLE ARE YOU ALIVE EE
EVERYBODY SHOULD COME OUT OOO
EVERYBODY SHOULD COME OUT OOO
FOR MONKEYS WILL FINISH OUR CORN AT NKWIH TINSO’O OOO
EVERYBODY SHOULD COME OUT OOO
FOR MONKEYS WILL FINISH OUR CORN AT NKWIH TINSO’O.
The news went round and
Everybody came out with his light.
Everybody, even the Chief
Came out with his light
But Asa’ankieh did not come out.
All roads were leading down to nkwih tinso’o.
Nkwih tinso’o is the last hill that you descend
Before entering Nifo’o
Everybody was only struggling with his light
To see the footpath
Thus everybody was looking on the ground.
Everybody was only descending.
As they were descending,
As they were descending eee,
They started entering the Nifo’o,
One after other, one after the other.
By the time they arrived,
The entrance had opened its mouth
And the water was no more producing any noise.
There was a big inlet and, without knowing
Everybody went in.
The Chief of Bukari was still behind
He was following gently with his own light,
When he wanted to look up,
He saw a waterfall above and cried.
OH! HO! MY PEOPLE ARE ALL GONE!
Immediately the waterfall started
Falling and blocked the way into the Nifo’o.
Before this the whole village
Was already in the abyss of the Nifo’o.
Only the Chief and the three attendants
Who were behind him
Remained.
That is why the population
Of Bukari people in Bafut is too small.
Part of the Bukari people are living inside the Nifo’o.
Narrator: Eh… eh my children…
Every year, sacrifices are being offered,
To the gods and ancestors of the Nifo’o
It has remained like that up to this day.
People do not throw stones into it;
People do not shout around this area;
Anybody who violates the laws,
Moderating all visitors to Nifo’o
Is never spared by its inhabitants.
Punishment to defaulters,
Ranges from mystical
And instantaneous dumbness,
Deafness, madness, blindness,
Or death.
Living examples are found in Bafut.
Apart from the extra –ordinary tranquility
That reigns around the waterfall,
The fall has much in stock.
As the water falls,
The ox-bow lake that it creates,
Remains clean.
* This is the last hill near the Nifo’o.
** Cowries mixed with stones and colanut peelings used by diviners to foretell events.
*** Noise produced as the diviner shakes his cowries to perform his ritual.
**** Ibid.
***** The Bafut people and other chiefdoms in the North West region of Cameroon believe that their chiefs do not die but get missing.
****** The word “fon” is the adulterated form of “mfor” (Chief or King) in most ngemba languages in the North West region of Cameroon.
******* A village in Bafut.
Analysis
The Nifoo is presented as the home of the living dead, gods and spirits of the land. These beings can serve as a blessing or curse to the living. The Bukari people were only translated from the world of the living to that of the living dead. Till date the place is seen as the home of missing chiefs.
Further Reading
Geldard, Richard, The Traveler’s Key to Ancient Greece: A Guide to Sacred Places, Wheaton: Quest Books/Theosophical Pub. House, 2000.
Gray, Martin, Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power, New York: Sterling, 2007.
Addenda
Researcher: Divine Che Neba.
Method of data collection: Note-taking.
Editors: Daniel A. Nkemleke and Eleanor A. Dasi.
