Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 355
'Gulve' was a rock in the southeastern corner of Gudule where the drums were beaten. From there
one could look across the range of the northern Mandara Mountains towards the west in the
direction of Gudulyewe (Gudur), which could allegedly be seen from the rock of Gulve. Bulama
Ngatha (1995) believed that they waited until their brothers in Gudulyewe beat the drums, and
that was when the Gudule could announce the bull festival. They subsequently continued the
making of the ritual beer, which soon lost its original sweetness and turned acidic as it fermented.
When the beer was finished it was kept in large pots, to be transferred into a beer pot with a small
aperture (tughdhe) when the public was dancing and praising the owner of the bull to be released
and sacrificed. But before this the tsaga stick had to be planted:
On that first day, they make one long stick called tsaga (from shiwe or lave tree). This stick has been
already cut maybe two months before. The stick is now placed at ghar malga (foundation stones of
the upper passageway). While this takes place there is lots of dancing going on at the same time and
others are drinking beer. Around the tsaga stick they attach a zana mat called kwatimba. This mat has
been made purposely to cover tsaga during the bull festival. The kwatimba mat is put around the tsaga
stick on top of the flat roof [gaɗike] like a tent. The whole flat roof including the stick tsaga, which
has branches sticking of the top of the tent, will be decorated with clothes. In the past, these clothes
were kept for only the bull festival and funerals.
There were variations on when the stick of tsaga was cut from a shiwe or lave tree (see Table
7a). Bulama Ngatha (1995) believed that those who could afford to sacrifice a bull would
delay har khagwa and combine it with the start of the bull festival, and cut it the day before.
Whatever the case, after the beer had been brewed and transferred into the tughdhe pot, the
tsaga stick was placed onto ghar malga. This was the upper passageway with the large
foundation stones which formed a step behind the granaries leading up to the lower and upper
room complex of the house.
Figure 21a: Tsaga branch and kwatimba tent
In Figure 21a we can see the tsaga
branch sticking out through the flat roof
and the mat called kwatimba around it
like a tent. We see how some branches
are splaying out at the upper end of the
tsaga stick, above the tent of kwatimba.
The splaying branches of the tsaga stick
were decorated with items of dress only
used for the bull festival and funerals.
We infer here that the reference to
funerals was relevant, and that the
sacrifice of the bull was a sad affair for
the father of the house.
We know that his bull had lived in the
lower room connected with his upper
room for up to two or even three years.
While all of this was happening, the
gathering crowd outside the house
danced while others drank the freshly
brewed sorghum beer. Next, the Ɗagha
diviner arrived:
Before they release the bull they call the
diviner (Ɗagha). The Ɗagha finds out whether
there is something wrong with the bull. If the
bull is so fierce that he might fight people,
then they use some vavanza (Cissus
quadrangularis) to calm him down.
In the early afternoon they call the eldest of the
descent group, who now performs pagh yewe
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