Fetichism in West Africa : $b forty years' observation of native customs and superstitions
John Stuart Mill · en
The name of the other one, that was under the eaves of the hut in which I
slept, was Kâkâ-gi-bâlâ-dyambo-gi-bâlâ-vě. These are Shekyani words,
and mean "A-great-log-may-rot-but-a-spoken-word-dies-never." That meant
that if an enemy came and injured any one in the town, the wrong would
never be forgotten and would surely be avenged. That idol might almost
stand for a statue of Vengeance.
The above proverb comes from a tale of a cruel old Shekyani chief.
PART II. BARBARITY.
Once there was a very powerful Shekyani chief named Ogwedembe. He had many
sons and daughters and slaves and slave children and nieces and nephews.
He had also a brother. His principal delight was in fighting and killing.
Ogwedembe used to go out on excursions, and would say to his company, "Now
we are out of town." That meant that all restraint was cast aside, and
that he was ready to kill the first person they might meet, even without a
cause.
One day when they were out and were passing through a thick forest, they
saw a man up a tree who had come for palm-wine and had filled two of the
gourd-bottles used for that purpose. So Ogwedembe shouted to him, "Indeed!
what are you doing there? Have you not heard that Ogwedembe and his
brother are out of town? Come down quickly and meet us here!"
The man did not dare disobey, and came down. Ogwedembe took the gourds,
and said, "You may have one; I and my brother will drink the other." After
the drinking, Ogwedembe stripped the man of his clothing, leaving him
standing naked and trembling. In his terror the man did not attempt to
escape.
Ogwedembe drew his knife, and repeated his questions, "Who told you to
come here? Did you not know that Ogwedembe and his brother were out in the
forest? Now I will fix you; and you can carry the news to your town that
Ogwedembe and his brother are in the forest."
He then seized a portion of the man's body, and with his butcher-knife
horribly mutilated him. The man started, bleeding, to go to his town, and
died on the way.
The section of country in which Ogwedembe's portion of the Shekyani tribe
lived was south of Gabun, toward the Orungu people at the mouth of the
Nazareth branch of the Ogowe River. Sometimes he and his brother would
travel in their war canoes all the way from their place, and, passing
Gabun, would go on northward to attack the Benga of Cape Esterias without
cause and in sheer ruthlessness.
Some of his daughters and sisters were married to Mpongwe chiefs at Gabun.
At times his daughters and nieces would go and visit him. They would be
received with firing of guns and other great demonstrations, and on
leaving would be laden with presents.