Azaghvana E-Book 2003 - Flipbook - Page 394
The ngwa kwalanglanga performed their fstaha initiation in the house, while the ngwa yiye
performed in public. The ngwa yiye also had to show their fitness as the ngwa garda did, by
jumping off the two rocks. They also went around telling everybody that they had completed
the third stage of dzum zugune. They had reached a stage of independence and freedom of
expression which was not available in the previous stages. They had transformed into
accomplished adults regardless of their age, and had proved themselves in front of their
lineage elders, and had been initiated in public. They presumably could not wait for the final
fourth stage to ritually demonstrate their achievement as bak zalika!
Discussion of the fourth and final stage (bak zalika)
The first thing that stands out is that the expression bak zalika does not contain the word
ngwa, translated as 'dressing up', but instead the prefix bak, the meaning of which we do not
know. It also has the word zalika, and we do not know what that could refer to, other than a
lance to kill leopards. Interestingly, a zalika lance was already worn by the ngwa yiye, but it is
not listed as an object used by the bak zalika. We neither know whether there was any
exaggeration in their dress code, but only notice that they went out in what was presumably
full war gear. This included a war helmet, shield, bow and arrow with sheath, lance or spear
and perhaps a throwing knife. We neither know whether they wore a sheep or goat skin, or
whether they had any other body adornment, something which might have been good for
dancing but perhaps not for actual warfare. After all, it was the social unity and individual
freedom as an accomplished man that was being celebrated and they were not going to war.
While the tva (the 'red' or 'red cows') went to Yawa, and the lusa (the 'blacks' or 'black cows')
went to the rainmaker's house, the bak zalika would go to Fkagh Bak Zalika, which was also
known as Fkagh Vdungwe. Dressed in full war gear they ran as a group from one side of this
place to the other, telling everybody that they had completed everything and that now they
were free. They held up their shields, knowing that everything they harvested from now on
was all for consumption by themselves and their families. They no longer had to save for
dzum zugune but could eat whenever they wanted. After their appearance at Fkagh Bak
Zalika, they went to Fkaha ga Maruwa to watch the 'red cows' performing the dance
kwalanglanga, or they watched the 'black cows' performing the yiye at the ritual dunghole
with the lineage elders sitting on their rock seats near the rainmaker's house.
We notice from the above description that the bak zalika had become spectators now that they
had completed dzum zugune. In the context of this, they watched the other performers, in
particular the ngwa kwalanglanga and the ngwa yiye, performing dances bearing the names of
their dress codes. We also realise that the ngwa kwalanglanga were still referred to here as
'red cows', and wonder whether this is correct. However, we acknowledge at this point that
there was a dance called kwalanglanga, which presumably included rattles and ringing bells
as one of the signature items. We also know that the ngwa garda wore a smaller version of
those bells, as did the anticipating young men. They were possibly all dancing at Fkagh ga
Maruwa, including the public in their festive dresses. After all, Fkagh ga Maruwa was the
central place for such public events in Ghwa'a.
Not far away from the rock seats of the elders at Fkagh ga Maruwa was where the ngwa yiye
witnessed the rainmaker planting the spear, all dressed in the exaggerated war helmets
wrapped with sheep skin, at the same time dancing and presumably holding up the zalika and
balwaya or their magrata swords, shouting 'Yi Ye, Yi Ye'. Here the bak zalika are onlookers,
and we can imagine how the sound of the bells and rattles travelled up to them from Fkagh ga
Maruwa as they watched the ngwa yiye shouting and dancing. How accomplished and
enriched the bak zalika must have felt!
In terms of the seasonal embeddedness of dzum zugune into the Dghweɗe ritual calendar, at
least if we follow the memories of Zakariya Kwire, the day of ngwa kwalanglanga was also
the day of the ngwa yiye and bak zalika. Zakariya Kwire pointed out to us that these
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