Welcoming a stranger in Dagbɔŋ

 Welcoming a stranger in Dagbɔŋ

"Kum biԑɣu yuuni,ban konŋ Ӡԑri ni bam bra". The sumptuous soup popularly known in the local dialect as "Bra" in Dagbɔŋ was one that was considered as inferior of all soups in the ancient Dagbɔŋand it is in contrast to the status quo in Dagbɔŋ. Many who cooked and served meals with "bra" in those ages in Dagbɔŋ could be said to be in the misery of poverty and the more reason why,it's ill-advisable serving and welcoming strangers with this particular soup in Dagbɔŋ. One can choose to welcome his/her stranger with any other soup apart from "bra". We often hears the famous sayings in Dagbɔŋ that; "B ԑ yuunila san-ninni ka duɣiro bra" & " Saan galinŋ ka niri ni tooi duɣi bra". Assuming any of the paramount chiefs in Dagbɔŋ pays you unexpected visit, it will be unwise to the customs serving the chief with "bra" or a bosom friend whom you've not met for ages surprisingly pays you a visit,it's demeaning to your friendship to serve him with "bra" as his welcoming meal.

           In Dagbɔŋ whenever renowned personalities or people we so revered much pays visitation, it is highly recommended and sanctioned by customs to welcome such fellow with a domestic fowl(Noo). As somebody with well to do with who thinks the fowl will not be satisfactory to the status of the personality in question, you may choose to show the domestic fowl to the visitor as what will be used to welcome him but slaughter a much bigger animal,probably goat,sheep or if you like cow to be served to the visitor. Whenever a domestic fowl is shown to a visitor,the visitor is supposed to wipe the head of the fowl and then order that, the fowl be kept in a coop or pen officially signifying that,it should be slaughtered for onward nourishment. Example is when a Yaa-Naa(Gbunni lana ŋɔ,Jamani bititali ŋɔ,Gbungbun lԑԑ Ku konŋ kobli,Yoɣuni soɣabiԑri,Salaa Naa,Baɣili Naa,Gungona Naa, ŋun su saa ni tinŋ-Lana,Saa zuɣu ni tingbani Lana,Kunkuna naɣarima,Piri namda duri zoli n-Kari tizuɣu ni O Ӡi dunia,Gbewaa mbala! ŋun kuri ka chԑn dara Gbewaa mbala!, ŋun fari ka chԑn chԑra,Gbuɣin Bla na pora O Ku ŋubi mori shԑԑ nimdi Naa Gbewaa mbala! ŋun paai bala kati paai koba, ŋun bari malimali kati bari malimali noli Naa Gbewaa mbala!,Ӡԑrila kuliga kati Ӡԑrili kuliga noli Naa Gbewaa mbala!,ka O nori moɣu kati doli nori moɣu noli Naa Gbewaa mbala!) pays you either a commoner or a famous personality a visit and you have nothing to serve him as a visit meal,it is incumbent you source that you'll use to welcome him from friends or you seek for help from neighbours to welcome the king.

          Apparently, in the ancient Dagbɔŋ, when a host welcomed his visitor(s) with "Bra",such host could be wallowing in abject poverty and ill-prepared for his visitor(s) "Jangbariga yi tabsila o shԑ kobli ka naayi kpԑ sinŋni". Let's take a look at this historical except ~ when Naa Luro(Baluro baa bԑ ŋmani badariga,Paɣa tiro  bԑ ŋmani paɣa fariga,Naawuni dabli Ku banŋ ninni fashԑԑ O tumani,Zoligu bia Naa dabli) eldest prince was Tituɣiri(Zim ko tuuni konŋ bara ka bandanŋ fabla zanŋ nyu,Nabia ŋun ŋmԑlim O Ku lԑԑ Nam O toli,pohim kpԑnŋ ni nam tiri) whose maternal grandfather happens to have been Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato. When Tituɣiri was paying his grandfather a visit, he went along with about hundred-thousand and ten(tuhi kobga ni pia)  seabirds(Naɣapiԑliga/Naɣapiԑlisi), "Gab-ŋmani" and a white-horse(Wari-Nyaan Piԑli/ Piԑli-zaa. Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato felt excited about his grandson's gesture and visit and ordered for a fowl to be shown to his guest( Tituɣiri) but afterwards, slaughtered a sheep and a cow as their welcome present. Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato is reported to have shared tears of joy which baffled Zuu Tituɣiri. Zuu Tituɣiri queried his host why he wasn't happy about his visit but was rather seen crying. Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato said;he needed to have taken the gesture of visiting Zuu Tituɣiri and Zuu Tituɣiri at this point remarked that-"Kabrita yi bԑ ka Sara bԑ, di zaaha nyԑla saɣim". That was exactly what Zuu Tituɣiri said to Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato "Shiwoo Naa,Kukpirigu Naa". Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato gave his daughter by name Napaɣa Ӡitana to Naa Luro Bla and their Union bore Zuu Tituɣiri. Remember, Napaɣa Ӡitana was Dagbɔŋ the chieftaincy title of Napaɣa Dapini as expected to be given to all wives of the king of Dagbɔŋ and Naa Luro happens to have been king at the time.

          It important to note that, When Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato was welcoming his grandson (Zuu Tituɣiri), Gushԑɣu Naa Jaato  commanded

Waashԑ  paanu to prepare the sheep he gave out to welcome his guest and nourished it up with Tz whiles Natomo paanu was also ordered to cook the cow that was also part of the welcoming present to the guest and nourished it up with a FuFu. Zuu Tituɣiri we are told forwent the cow with Fufu for the sheep with Tz which was badly prepared in such a way that,it was undelicious. Zuu Tituɣiri was later joined on his eating table by one of his confidante/lieutenant whose motive was to find out why Zuu Tituɣiri forwent the cow with Fufu for sheep with Tz. Zuu Tituɣiri also followed that with a question of why he wasn't eating with his co-equals but rather chose to join he( Zuu Tituɣiri) to which the confidante/lieutenant answered"N- di bori ni gbaaga la ŋmani". Zuu Tituɣiri never uttered a word until the  confidante/lieutenant tasted the sheep with Tz meal which he quickly puked out and when Zuu Tituɣiri asked why he did that: The confidante/lieutenant  said 'Saɣim maa tomi,ka malisi ka lahi garisa'. Against this backdrop, Zuu Tituɣiri wiped the head of the confidante/lieutenant and ordered that, the confidante/lieutenant be sent into a thick forest and beheaded. Zuu Tituɣiri was seen wailing with questions of ;~"Din dahindin dali ka n-yԑn di tom n-ti paa malimali" and responded in equal measure by also saying that, Zuu Tituɣiri with the exercise of patience surely shall taste joy from the bitterness of life with the passage of time.

Image :Lamashe Naa Abu Seidu.