Bakweri words of wisdom: "Lii-na ndi ai-nda, Moto asi-nda".

Proverb No.02.
 
Lina ndi ai-nda ! Moto asinda !
(Man's lifespan is short;
whereas his name lives long after he has died !).
 
Ekanga = a relic that an ordained traditional Doctor invokes every time at the commencement of business.
Natine = original; the founder.
o-velimo = in the world of dead persons.
mbako = verdict.
liwondi = a pole.
liseko = a cocks-comb; plural, "maseko".

Asi nanu:
Nalionge came out of the clinic of Mola Mosongo 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 Nalionge witnessed a traditional doctor at work. He took note of the medicinal leaves the doctor used, and of how the doctor carefully laid the leaves serially on a piece of a plantain leaf on the floor. Then 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 mentioned at the commencement of business. After the doctor had put his finger on wood ash, he licked the ash, and spitting on the leaves, the doctor made a long recitation. Part of the recitation was:
 
"impo, impo, impo.
Nama  kowa  likowa, nase-mbaneya, le-mba-neya.
Na  neene  Lifanje;
Lifanje  ae-ne  Eliyo;
Eliyo  ae-ne  Isume;
Isume  ae-ne  Mokose,
Mokose, mondi  nange  ame-ne  Teke  na  Molowe,
vamave,
i-Nganga ja  woso  ima  gbwe-yana  ene  e-Kanga".
 
The Doctor continued to spray his spit on the leaves in the course of his recitation.
On their return journey, a discussion ensued between Nalionge and his father, Mola Nganele:
Nalionge:
"Taata !
"Where are those persons that the Doctor mentioned in his recitation ?
 
Mola Nganele:
"o-velimo" (in the world of dead persons).
 
Nalionge:
"Taata: when did they die" ?
 
Mola Nganele:
"Several years ago. The majority of them died long before the advent of the White man into this land".
 
Nalionge:
" The persons who bore those names died hundreds of years ago. Why  are their names still alive; and why does the Doctor mention those names in  his citation."
 
Mola Nganele:
"The names that Mola Mosongo mentioned are names of doctors who had earlier held and used the "Ekanga" (relic) that Mola Mosongo is currently using. Mola Mosongo invokes the deceased doctors to join him in carrying out teatment.
 
Continuing, Mola Nganele said:
" Yes !
Names live longer than the persons who bear the names.
Nanu ndi ese eveli !
Lina  ndi  a-inda,
Moto  asi-nda " !
 
Moto ae-na  a-liya  anu-Se luka, e-gbwe ya  mee-ya to  laka nau tei;
Ndi, lina la moto  a-liya anu-Se, ve-gbwe na ve-gbwe we mee-ya.
 
(This is how the world is:
The life span of Man is short;
whereas his name lives for long after he has died !
Man may live up to 100 years and slightly above;
but his name may live for hundreds of years).
 
When a person dies, his name survives him like a widow. The life span of a name is determined by the services (noble or notorious) that a deceased person rendered to the communty, and also by the experiences he had.
 
Continuing, Mola Nganele said:
Let me mention a few names that will be remembered in this land for many more years to come.
 
(a) Mola Mbosi:
He was the most celebrated and renowned physician and psychiatrist of his time. He was very kind to his patients.
 
(b) Yonda Mosongo:
More than 100 years ago, during a community clearing of the road between the villages of Muea and Gbwitingi, Yonda Mosongo of Gbwitingi pinned a branch of a tree on the side of the road at Wonyanga, and then hung his hat on that branch. That branch developed to a large tree with several branches.
Travellers, especially those from Muea Market, rested under the tree, and then named the tree "Liwondi lamba Yondo" (Yondo's Pole). The site on which that tree stood bears the name "Liwondi lamba Yondo" up till today.
 
(c) Chief Mosoko:
He was one of the traditional rulers who were judges at Bakweri Customary Court of Appeal in Buea. Whenever it was his own turn to indicate in whose favour he considered judgement would go, Chief Mosoko would state:
"I concur with the opinion expressed by the last speaker, my Good Friend Chief......"
(Mbafe na kaa-ki ndi enge mbako meene yamba Mwai..........ao-vi; or,
Mbafe  na-kaki  ndi  anga  meene; or,
Anga meene  wondi  mbafe  naveli  oo !)
Chief Mosoko's evasive attitude became widely known as:
"e-Mbako yamba Mosoke ! ", that is "Mosoko's verdict = adopting a passive attitude.
 
(d) Kuli Isuse:
Some of his activities baffled e-Mokpwe It is said that if he pointed a finger at a flying hawk, the bird would immediately drop on the ground dead, and ridden with live maggots. It is also said that he chewed and swallowed burning pieces of wood.
e-Mokpwe did not imagine that Kuli Isuse too would die.
Hence the funeral song (mosoko mwe elongi):
"e-Kpweli  ema  wo-wa  fe  Kuli  Isuse !
e-mwe-ndene o-vilimo !
ene kpwela Loova, je-gbwe-ya ne !"
(Death took away even Kuli Isuse !
and conveyed him to the world of dead persons !
What can we do with death,
Death that has been decreed by the Creator !"
 
(d) Gbweme:
He was a marksman and a hunter of elephants. He was  regarded as the protector of farms against destruction by elephants.

(e) Wana Efulu:
nick-named "Maseko Motova" because he maintained a hair cut of six cocks-combs.
He was the most entertaining wrestler of his time.
 
(f) Mota Mwese:
It is said he was a terrorist, and a murderer.
 
"Lina ndi ai-nda ! Moto asi-nda"  has been converted to a popular funeral "mosoko mwe elingi".
 

Oma nanu:
Mbua Ndoko, na meyana me Mokpwe.

Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa
Tel/Fax: 332-25-35
Mobile/Cell: 986-24-61