Click to download PDF version: 3.87MB - Global Grey

More documents

Recommendations

Info

95 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett CHAPTER XII. SACRED LANDS AND RIVERS Sonio.-Killing the King.-The Provinces.-The Formula.-Maluango's Lesson. I COULD not, if I would, give you an exact account of the meanings of the names of all the rivers and places in Luango, so that I will restrict my study to the river Kuilu and its tributaries, and the names of the provinces into which the composite kingdom of Luango, is divided. Starting south of the Kongo we find the name Solo, or SONIO, as that of a province in Kongo's composite kingdom. When the natives talk of the banks of a river they stand with their backs to the sea, and call the right bank the man side and the left bank the woman side (the word Solo might be translated as the power of life in fatherhood). Now just opposite to the province of Sonio on the woman side of the great river Kongo, we have the province of NGOIO (the power of life in motherhood). NEAMLAU told me that he had the right to take the cap of NGANGA NGOIO, but that as this chief was always killed on the night after his coronation he did not care to do so. It is said that when Kongo sent his sons to govern his provinces, he sent NGOIO with them as a kind of high priest, and undoubtedly the NKICICI BUNzi has its home at MBAMBA in this province or district, and its NGANGA also. But both Sonio and Ngoio are names used at times for the whole kingdoms of Kongo and Kakongo, which makes me think that these names are really their sacred names. Certain it is, that just as MAKONGO had to marry a princess Of SONIO, so MALUANGO had to marry a princess of NGOIO. And just as Sonio and Ngoio for the natives represented Fatherhood and Motherhood, so BUKOIO, the sacred name for Luango, represents, as an effect, offspring (or as a cause, birth-giving power). There is a legend which throws some light on the thoughts of the BAVILI regarding their origin. It runs thus BUKOIO BUNTANGUA! The birth-giving power of the sun (Luango). LUKATU BAKA 'NGILA MADONGA UNA 'N NUKA 'NCIA CIALI, translated to me " though the fish-basket be empty there still remains the smell of the fish," which I think means to say that although Luango, may not be the really great kingdom, yet, as the descendant of Kongo, it at least has some of the renown attached to that great father kingdom. In other words, if Maluango (great MFUMU in his own kingdom) is not the MFUMU, Still, in relation to Kongo, he is MANIFUMU. www.globalgrey.co.uk
96 At the Back of the Black Man's Mind By R. E. Dennett This connecting of the seed of the great Kongo with the sun, 50 taken in connection with the name NGOIO (NGO NDE the moon) is very suggestive, for it leaves us to suppose that the Father Kongo must be on a line with some higher power, the moon being an intermediate effect, while the sun (the offspring and the propagator) becomes the intermediate cause, just as the offspring Luango is-that is, the father, through the mother, has a son who in his turn shall propagate his image. I know of no NGANGA BUKOIO in Luango and very few people seem to know that BUKOIO BU NTANGUA is the sacred name of the country. But MAMBUKU is the very powerful chief of the province of BUKU. The people are now seldom, if ever, called to meet the king in his XIBILA and so valuable traditions are being lost, and it has become very difficult to piece together even the headings of these lessons, and of course, quite impossible to give them in his words. I will now give you the names of the provinces and rivers. And here let me clearly state that the order in the following formula of twenty-four Bakici baci was obtained by the help of two or three intelligent non-Christian natives in an attempt to complete the philosophy of the Bavili. I therefore, first give a list of the titles and lands, and secondly in table form the order as established by myself and the natives. The contents of the sacred groves are the same as those given in chapter IX. In discussions it always appeared to me that these natives instinctively connected the animals, trees, and omens with the foregoing groves discussed in the last chapter, but they could give me no intelligent reason for so doing, save that they were all BAKICI BACI. SAMANU is the most southerly province of Luango on the sea coast, just on the northern bank of the LUANGO LUICI or CHI LUANGO river which divides it from the mother province KAKONGO. The natives say that SAMANU means the waters of purity. XIBANGA is the most northerly province divided into two parts by the waters of the KWILU river-the part to the north being the home Of XIKAMACI, where they say a pretender to the throne of Maluango is never wanting. The meaning of XIBANGA is of the quality of seed. LUANJILI is the province joining the two above provinces together with the exception of the sea frontage of BUALI, a strip of land containing the road from Buali to the beach. It is in this province that the kings of Luango are buried. LUANJILI means of fused rocks. XIKAMBA is the centre inland province facing the Mayombe on the east, and its meaning is of the quality of informing or calling. It joins NKONDI to MBUKU. 50 See p. 104 www.globalgrey.co.uk
Page 2 and 3:
AT THE BACK OF THE BLACK MAN'S MIND
Page 4 and 5:
TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE CHAPTER I
Page 6 and 7:
1 At the Back of the Black Man's Mi
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16 and 17:
11 At the Back of the Black Man's M
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51: 45 At the Back of the Black Man's M
Page 106 and 107: 101 At the Back of the Black Man's
Page 150 and 151:
145 At the Back of the Black Man's
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
show all

Click to download PDF version: 3.87MB - Global Grey

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?