Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 186
In the context of that, we identified the Vaghagaya branch of the Mughuze-Ruwa as the most
recent pre-colonial settlement development, something we already pointed to in our previous
chapter, where we presented traditions of warfare alliances. We also discussed pre-Korana
lineage groups, and realised that the collective memories soon become less specific the
further back in time we go. We also included much of Mathews’ report from 1934 in the
chapter, in particular concerning the many oral narratives he provides about the different
versions of Mughuze. His insights also lead us to acknowledge an important link between
southern Dghweɗe and the western foothills of Hiɗkala. We picked up on that link again
when discussing Kwalika, and showed how the Ɗagha Kadzgwara might have played a role
in the past as owners of clan medicine against pre-colonial Mandara slave raids along the
western foothills.
We eventually discussed Thakara of Ghwa'a, and showed how Ngara was perhaps a fictional
ancestor linked to Thakara rather than to Ruwa, but that Ruwa was the better remembered
ancestral figurehead. We were able to underpin this with the story about Ruwa's 'horn'
(drawa) as a symbol of fecundity. We were able to show that the oral history linked to the
lineage tree derived from Thakara was less conflict-driven, and that perhaps Ghwa'a had
always been a safer place than southern Dghweɗe. We also emphasised the role of Ghwa'a as
an ancient ritual centre due to its prominent summit signified by the three rock pillars of
Durghwe visible from the western plain. We mentioned the various specialist lineages found
across Dghweɗe, all of whom were integrated into the Dghweɗe house of Mbra, and we will
discuss their ritual roles in greater detail in the dedicated chapters of Part Three.
In the next chapter we will present the case of Hembe and Mughuze as a prominent narrative
about outsiders as founders. This represents a key element for the ethnogenesis of the
Dghweɗe but also raises certain epistemological questions. In the light of that, we revisit our
comparison with the noble strangers as legendary outsiders and founders of the early preIslamic Wandala state. We also present key elements of the founding legend of the Zelidva,
and tell the legendary story of how the grandson of Ghwasha returned from a long journey
from the western plains, with special clan medicine in his bag given to him by a female water
spirit to revive his children and thus increase in number.
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