Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 333
Plate 44a shows the access point (1) to the shared entrance platform of Buba's (a) and his
neighbour's (b) house. If we compare Plate 44a with Plate 24a from the previous chapter,
where we showed how both neighbours were topographically positioned on the hillside of
Dzga, we recognise that the tree (c) and the two storage facilities in front of it (d) appear very
close to his neighbour's entrance side of the shared platform. In Plate 44a we can just about
see one of the neighbour's thatched roofs at the bottom left (e), and opposite to the right we
recognise the waypoint (1) connecting the shared platform with the main road or pathway (f).
In the background of Plate 44a we can see Buba's roof of thala (2), which emphasises the
length of his side of the shared platform. In this particular context our main point is to show
where Buba most likely would have blocked the road (1) for his har gwazgafte ritual.
Plate 44a: Possible important waypoints for Buba during har gwazgafte
It is at the waypoint marked '1' in the front right of the image above, where we suggest that
Buba barred the road for har gwazgafte, but we wonder whether this could have also blocked
the entrance to his neighbour's house. We see the main pathway (f) leading up along the foot
of the upper high terrace wall (g) with Stella and John leaning against it. We also see the high
terrace wall (h) forming the base of Buba's entrance platform, abutting with the front yard (b)
which was part of his neighbour's platform. We do not know, but there might well have been
an arrangement between them, and perhaps they even performed har gwazgafte together. This
is important, especially when we consider how little space there was generally available,
which throws a meaningful light on the already mentioned ritual density and the need for
regulation. To manage the shortage of resources by ritual means was not only typical for the
Dghweɗe, but for most montagnards of the northern Mandara Mountains, but we are not
aiming for a comparison at this point.
Plates 44b and 44c show two more views of Buba's entrance area. Plate 44b shows the solid
stone foundation of a room bordering the front entrance (a). We are not aware of the function
of this room, but do know that it was not part of the original house complex but was added
later, as we have documented in the previous chapter. We see John standing between the
doorposts made of wooden sticks (b) looking towards Buba's long entrance platform seen in
Plate 44c. We saw the same platform from the other direction in Plate 44a. In Plate 44c we
see the terrace wall (g) forming the platform border on the right. At the very end of the
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