#Post_burial_analysis.
Due to public demand I got to do this story.
You remember I did the story about funerals in my village. This is a continuation, it's a conversation that we must have. Now before or after the departed has been laid to rest, depending on their stature,age,influence,gender etc, there are certain 'formalities' that follow. I call them formalities because nowadays most people do not follow these things. I am in support since most of them are quit illogical.
Top on this list is "ke",others are "chodo kode","liedo" etc. Do not forget the award winning "tero buru" ,"matiang'a","golo" just before the burial. I bet most people derived sheer fun in all these. Take "tero buru" for instance. In this practice and tradition, village wags,village celebrities and children would gather in a group, clad in animal skins, painted with ash,carrying leaves and with cattle, mostly "ruedhi" (bulls), drums, jingles or "ajawa",blowing horns also known as "tung" others with a flywhisk...they'll assemble in the wee hours of the morning, or in the evening ,depending on the time the body would arrive, and walk many kilometers going to welcome or "romo ne maiti" these people, I must say are the funniest ever!
Now, growing up in my village of Kamkono, there was a great drummist, known as Abbas Owad gi Asimo. His theatrics and great tero buru skills are still vivid in my mind:Once,a great soldier, Akoko changed geography and I remember how we braved the morning chill to walk fifteen kilometers, with bulls,singing praises to go and "romo ne",things came to a stand still whenever the bulls were passing by, with funny theatrics and praise songs welcoming the hero rent the air. I must say others exhibited their gymnastic skills seldom paralleled while Abbas would beat his drums skillfully and sing himself hoarse in his traditional regalia. He was a darling to the children...
Then another time, the village tycoon "Ochola Ka Liech" kissed his life goodbye. I tell you, never have I seen such fanfare and frenzy in my village than was witnessed. This was one man who would single handedly murram an entire ten kilometers stretch of road without batting an eyelid. Abbas overdid it! I can still reminisce snippets of his song:
...Abbas owagasimo go bul oywagi; bul oywagi...
...mayie rere nondos, jaber Ondos...
...tand kitanda nondos, jaber ondos...
...jalo wuondi nono, Ochola kare tajri, Ochola kare tajri...
And we would sing our hearts crazy! Mark you during those days, there was no cooking in funerals! People would bring whatever food they had to the berieved family. "Nyuka gi nyoyo" was top on the list and we all loved it.
Now, after the burial of a father figure for instance, comes the "ke" in this, the family members are expected to perform horizontal gymnastics in their ordinal birth position. So the eldest son, upon finishing would hand over the baton to his followers 😂 😂 😂 how they did this I've never known. I can freely say that this thing does not hold water to me. I've never understood it, damn! However I bet it was the Society's way of compelling the woman to come closer to the man do that the deceased could be named, nine months later 😂 😂 😂, or, if you were not in good or talking terms that was the time to make peace. Whatever it was!
Liedo or shaving was symbolic, to show that you are mourning. Nowadays it's long gone! The would has metamorphosed and swallowed it. Not forgetting that "terrorism" is long gone as well....
I feel exceedingly culturally nostalgic this day.....
I remain
FK
Intelligence Analyst
Due to public demand I got to do this story.
You remember I did the story about funerals in my village. This is a continuation, it's a conversation that we must have. Now before or after the departed has been laid to rest, depending on their stature,age,influence,gender etc, there are certain 'formalities' that follow. I call them formalities because nowadays most people do not follow these things. I am in support since most of them are quit illogical.
Top on this list is "ke",others are "chodo kode","liedo" etc. Do not forget the award winning "tero buru" ,"matiang'a","golo" just before the burial. I bet most people derived sheer fun in all these. Take "tero buru" for instance. In this practice and tradition, village wags,village celebrities and children would gather in a group, clad in animal skins, painted with ash,carrying leaves and with cattle, mostly "ruedhi" (bulls), drums, jingles or "ajawa",blowing horns also known as "tung" others with a flywhisk...they'll assemble in the wee hours of the morning, or in the evening ,depending on the time the body would arrive, and walk many kilometers going to welcome or "romo ne maiti" these people, I must say are the funniest ever!
Now, growing up in my village of Kamkono, there was a great drummist, known as Abbas Owad gi Asimo. His theatrics and great tero buru skills are still vivid in my mind:Once,a great soldier, Akoko changed geography and I remember how we braved the morning chill to walk fifteen kilometers, with bulls,singing praises to go and "romo ne",things came to a stand still whenever the bulls were passing by, with funny theatrics and praise songs welcoming the hero rent the air. I must say others exhibited their gymnastic skills seldom paralleled while Abbas would beat his drums skillfully and sing himself hoarse in his traditional regalia. He was a darling to the children...
Then another time, the village tycoon "Ochola Ka Liech" kissed his life goodbye. I tell you, never have I seen such fanfare and frenzy in my village than was witnessed. This was one man who would single handedly murram an entire ten kilometers stretch of road without batting an eyelid. Abbas overdid it! I can still reminisce snippets of his song:
...Abbas owagasimo go bul oywagi; bul oywagi...
...mayie rere nondos, jaber Ondos...
...tand kitanda nondos, jaber ondos...
...jalo wuondi nono, Ochola kare tajri, Ochola kare tajri...
And we would sing our hearts crazy! Mark you during those days, there was no cooking in funerals! People would bring whatever food they had to the berieved family. "Nyuka gi nyoyo" was top on the list and we all loved it.
Now, after the burial of a father figure for instance, comes the "ke" in this, the family members are expected to perform horizontal gymnastics in their ordinal birth position. So the eldest son, upon finishing would hand over the baton to his followers 😂 😂 😂 how they did this I've never known. I can freely say that this thing does not hold water to me. I've never understood it, damn! However I bet it was the Society's way of compelling the woman to come closer to the man do that the deceased could be named, nine months later 😂 😂 😂, or, if you were not in good or talking terms that was the time to make peace. Whatever it was!
Liedo or shaving was symbolic, to show that you are mourning. Nowadays it's long gone! The would has metamorphosed and swallowed it. Not forgetting that "terrorism" is long gone as well....
I feel exceedingly culturally nostalgic this day.....
I remain
FK
Intelligence Analyst
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