The Eyu and Motio Rites of the Bakweri

Culled from: Edwin Ardener. Coastal Bantu of the Cameroons. (The Kpe-Mboko, Duala-Limba and Tanga-Yasa groups of the british and french trusteeships territories of the Cameroons). London, 1956. 116 pp.

Formerly it was the custom to hold a large supplementary rite (Eyu) for an important man [upon his death]. This would be performed as soon as possible after the normal rites, but might be delayed up to six months or perhaps a year.

When the decision to perform the ceremony was made, his heir would send word for all the dead man's relatives to meet together and fix their contributions of livestock (chiefly goats) to the celebration. Large numbers of these were necessary to make the eyu a big occasion.

In Lisoka, it was said that the paternal relatives and the stocks of the deceased would supply most of the animals, the contribution of the maternal relatives being about one-tenth of the total.

On the fixed day three wooden slit-drums would be set up and beaten, and all the goats would be tied up in lines in the yard. Numbers of friends, relatives, and visitors from neighbouring villages would come to see the array of animals.

The contributions from relatives, as in the case of sase, were known as moleli, and many visitors would bring such contributions also. The goats were counted and their value estimated. A man well known for public speaking then announced how well the relatives had done for the eyu of the deceased, and recounted the possessions left by him and the number of wives and children, together with any warlike actions he performed in the past. This man (mote a mosea: "crier," or mokom'eyu, "announcer of eyu ") received a fowl.

The climax of the ceremony, known as MOTIO, then began. All those who had been in war wore ndombo grass round their necks and danced down the line of goats, carrying knives, slapping their right hands together and singing a war-song: "Yofe asa weli a s' ane maongo,"* while one of their number cut at the heads of the goats. The latter would be killed one by one, until a billy-goat which had not been castrated, and was reserved for the occasion, remained.

Then, a man who had killed someone in war (mot' a maongo) danced in front of the goat, over a plantain stem laid on the ground (said to represent the corpse), finally striking off the goat's head with one blow.

This man received the head (some say also the hind-quarters) and the rest was divided among the elders and ex-warriors. Women or children could not eat it. The meat of eyu was divided in proportion to the contributions of the members of the family and part given to the guests

The eyu ceremony bears certain resemblances to ngbaya (q.v.) in its destruction of large numbers of livestock. Its practice has similarly declined and shows no signs of revival. The custom of praising the dead man has, however, been transferred to the interment, when speeches of a similar character are made.

*Yofe asa weli a s' ane maongo: Literally " Yofe (a bird) doesn't fight without dying " (i.e., " dies before fighting "). This bird eats, without harm, mangrove (matanda) seeds, which are said to be poisonous. If yofe is killed and eaten, therefore, the seeds in its crop poison its killer. The song therefore means, " This man is dead but his relatives will avenge him."

Pictures by Harry McYemti from the Eyu ceremony of the Late Chief Peter Moky Efange of Soppo Wonganga, President of the BLCC

The climax of the ceremony, known as MOTIO, then began. All those who had been in war wore ndombo grass round their necks and danced down the line of goats, carrying knives, slapping their right hands together and singing a war-song: "Yofe asa weli a s' ane maongo,"* while one of their number cut at the heads of the goats. The latter would be killed one by one, until a billy-goat which had not been castrated, and was reserved for the occasion, remained.

Then, a man who had killed someone in war (mot' a maongo) danced in front of the goat, over a plantain stem laid on the ground (said to represent the corpse), finally striking off the goat's head with one blow.

This man received the head (some say also the hind-quarters) and the rest was divided among the elders and ex-warriors. Women or children could not eat it. The meat of eyu was divided in proportion to the contributions of the members of the family and part given to the guests

The eyu ceremony bears certain resemblances to ngbaya (q.v.) in its destruction of large numbers of livestock. Its practice has similarly declined and shows no signs of revival. The custom of praising the dead man has, however, been transferred to the interment, when speeches of a similar character are made.

*Yofe asa weli a s' ane maongo: Literally " Yofe (a bird) doesn't fight without dying " (i.e., " dies before fighting "). This bird eats, without harm, mangrove (matanda) seeds, which are said to be poisonous. If yofe is killed and eaten, therefore, the seeds in its crop poison its killer. The song therefore means, " This man is dead but his relatives will avenge him."

Pictures by Harry McYemti from the Eyu ceremony of the Late Chief Peter Moky Efange of Soppo Wonganga, President of the BLCC

Comments

[Moki Monono]

Some reflections on the possible symbolism of the motio.

I have seen the motio performed only a few times and each time it left a strong impression on me. I ask myself if any other Bantu tribe has anything which even remotely resembles this peculiar war dance.These are the remnants of our culture which express and show the genius of our ancestors.Its a pity the sympathy of the western world will prevent us from carrying this dance abroad. I wonde if there is a more painless way for a goat to be killed than during the motio.

Each time the goat is killed at the motio there is a collective shudder of horror, particularly from the women folk.The powerful and strong goat which only a few seconds ago was alive lies dead slain in a swift and to some horrifying movement of a very sharp cutlass and some unruly youths in a reenactment of ancient war dances bite the severed head of the goat and dance around in barbaric glee.The shudder of horror which often accompanies the death of the goat is cathartic, and like in Greek tragedy it serves to purge the emotions of fear and of the horror of death.It signifies to me the transience of life, the futility of human existence and endeavor and the impermanence of all things.A goat which was alive a few minutes ago is now dead.This death is not only that of an animal it is the death which is common to all humanity.

When the goat lies dead on the dancing field the first thought which may come to us is: "there but for the grace of God go I !" The experience is humbling and very shocking to people who are unaware of the fact that the goat will be killed in the end!

The eyu or motio or even the sassa have been criticised in this forum for impoverishing a community which is not very rich by a mass slaughter of animals.A francophone sociologist used the word a "hecatombe" to describe this rite. In precolonial Bakweri society when livestock was abundant the bride price of a young maiden was 50 goats.(I ask myself if the reduction of this very expensive bride price today worth 1.5 million frs at 30,000 a goat has not contributed to marital instability among the Kpe, if I may use Ardener's strange appellation for the Bakweris) A man who had two daughters only could then be expected to have left behind more than 100 goats. Hence the saying maintained even today that a man who has many daughters is rich.The slaughter therefor of ten animals at an eyu or motio would not the have impoverished the community at the time.

Even today the sassa need not impoverish anyone as i have seen sassas performed with a single chicken, We should also not forget that the Ewinja songoh alone is a sassa which reportedly is adequate to dispatch he spirit of the dead to the land of the ancestors. Sometimes the saasa is postponed indefinely after the ewinja if the family fofoles!

R.Moki Monono

(originally posted on Fakonet)