A Drummer's Testament:  chapter outlines and links

Volume I:  THE WORK OF DRUMMING

Part 1:  ALHAJI IBRAHIM'S INTRODUCTION TO THE DAGBAMBA WAY OF LIVING

• 1.    The Benefits of Friendship and Why We Should Do the Work as a Group
• 2.    The Dagbamba Way of Living in the Villages and in the Towns
• 3.    The Sense of Dagbamba and Their Living in the Olden Days
• 4.    Respect and the Dagbamba Way of Living Together
• 5.    The Way of a Stranger and How a Stranger Should Live in Dagbon
• 6.    Greetings and Respect in Dagbon
• 7.    How Dagbamba Send Messengers
• 8.    The Debt of the Stomach
• 9.    Patience, Truth, and How We Should Do the Talks

Chapter titles above go to chapter outlines on this page.
Chapter title links in the outline sections below go to chapter portals.
Outline section links go to web chapter sections.

Volume I Part 1:  Alhaji Ibrahim's Introduction to the Dagbamba Way of Living

Chapter I-1:  The Benefits of Friendship and Why We Should Do the Work as a Group

A story to stand for the work; Dagbamba folk stories and proverbs on friendship and knowledge; the importance of good character

The story of the man and the dwarf

• 1.         introductory proverb
• 2-5.      the man and the dwarf meet in the bush
• 6-9.      their elders ask to meet the new friend
• 10-13.  they decide that the dwarf will go home with the man
• 14-16.  they discuss whether people will laugh at the dwarf
• 17.       a hunchback man laughs at the dwarf
• 18.       the dwarf treats the sickness of a blind man but adds to the sickness of the hunchback

Parallels to the friendship of John Chernoff and Alhaji Ibrahim

• 19.  the relation of the story and the project
• 20.  laughter and gossip about the friendship between John and the Dagbamba who work with him
• 21.  John in the position of the dwarf in the story
• 22.  how Dagbamba may be viewed by white people
• 23.  if the work fails, people will laugh at both friends

Intentions and foolishness

• 24.  what you wish shows your foolishness
• 25.  foolishness that has a purpose
• 26.  the importance of one's intentions
• 27.  John's intention to learn drumming; Alhaji Ibrahim's intention to teach him

The responsibility of those who teach John

• 28.  story of the thief and the basket; the thief's proverb
• 29.  explanation of the proverb with regard to the story
• 30.  explanation of the proverb with regard to how John's work will be understood
• 31.  explanation of the proverb with regard to those who teach John

Recollection of John's first training and Alhaji Ibrahim's advice

• 32.  John's frustration and Alhaji Ibrahim's advice about patience
• 33.  advice about the intentions in one's heart
• 34.  the heart knows whether the mouth is saying truth or lies
• 35.  Alhaji Ibrahim's advice that John should never be annoyed; Alhaji Ibrahim's awareness of John's seriousness about learning
• 36.  advice that John should make himself small and make himself a fool
• 37.  the friendship of the Dagbamba toward John is promised and steady

Namo-Naa's message and advice to John

• 38.  Namo-Naa's question about the two important meats: the heart and the tongue
• 39.  the heart and the tongue are the human being
• 40.  the heart and tongue let someone get something from another
• 41.  the heart is more important than the eyes
• 42.  the heart does everything

Drumming and living together will extend the friendship

• 43.  Alhaji Ibrahim could have refused John; but he gave John respect
• 44.  people know about the friendship of Alhaji Ibrahim and John; friendship should be based on truth in order to last
• 45.  future history:  John's children meet Alhaji Ibrahim's children; how friendship expands
• 46.  Alhaji Ibrahim and John should respect their friendship
• 47.  the friendship is known to people in Dagbon; John's lodging place
• 48.  many Dagbamba know about the friendship and are happy about how John is learning drumming
• 49.  Alhaji Ibrahim's wish that the work will go forward well
• 50.  Alhaji Ibrahim's happiness with the work and the extension of the work into these lectures
• 51.  the lectures will extend the drumming that is Alhaji Ibrahim's work

The seriousness of the lectures about drumming to Dagbamba

• 52.  John should help with the lectures to make sure the work will be good
• 53.  the work will require planning, togetherness, and patience
• 54.  drummers talk about tradition; serious; some parts are hidden
• 55.  chiefs give gifts to a drummer who sings about tradition; sometimes sacrifices necessary for some drumming talks
• 56.  drumming's importance to the respect of chieftaincy; drumming's relationship to chieftaincy from it's starting
• 57.  drumming adds respect to everyone in Dagbon and every type of activity
• 58.  some people believe that talk about Dagbamba custom should not be shared; they would blame Alhaji Ibrahim
• 59.  Alhaji Ibrahim remains focused on respect and friendship
• 60.  the talks will present challenges to the friendship

Proverbs about the work

• 61.  how Alhaji Ibrahim will plan to do the talks; has started well
• 62.  proverbs have an important roles in the talks
• 63.  proverb examples
• 64.  explanation of the relation of the proverbs to the work and the group

The importance of friendship

• 65.  proverbs about friendship
• 66.  friendship is senior to family
• 67.  if you die, your knowledge can pass from your friend to your child
• 68.  the strongest friendship: a husband and wife
• 69.  friendship is stronger than family in doing work

The importance of good intentions

• 70.  how good intentions will help the work
• 71.  John's patience shows good heart
• 72.  drumming has helped Alhaji Ibrahim; wives and friends
• 73.  drumming like a lion; hold onto it and see its benefits

The importance of learning in a group

• 74.  John should add people to himself in learning drumming
• 75.  easier to learn in a group; a group will remember things
• 76.  John should bring others; witchfire proverb
• 77.  followers will extend the work John has done
• 78.  drummers enter everywhere in Dagbon; people like drummers, especially women and children
• 79.  how the children in Dagbon know John
• 80.  John should learn in a group and share knowledge, not hide it
• 81.  do the work with happiness and laughter; be attractive to people
• 82.  a bad person who follows into the work will not spoil it

The importance of good character

• 83.  John has shown good character and patience in learning; does not get annoyed
• 84.  good character helps get what one wants
• 85.  good character is recognized by people; one's good reputation will spread to other places
• 86.  good character brings people into a group
• 87.  leave behind those who do not have good character

Conclusion: the fundamental proverbs of drumming

• 88.  the proverbs drummers first beat; Dakoli n-nyɛ bia
• 89.  conclusion:  the elders should be there for the children to learn from

Chapter I-2:  The Dagbamba Way of Living in the Villages and in the Towns

The attitude of modern children toward their tradition; how traditional values are taught in the villages; the character of villagers compared to town people

Wisdom:  asking and showing

• 1.    introduction; Tolon-Naa Yakubu's name:  “one person does not hold wisdom”
• 2.    the one who asks has more sense (wisdom:  yɛm) than the one who knows
• 3.    importance of showing sense to others
• 4.    holding sense without showing it is a fault to God

Education is not knowledge of tradition

• 5.    educated Dagbamba and teachers do not know the tradition well; limited in their knowledge and add mistakes
• 6.    benefits of writing down the tradition; importance of knowing one's tradition

Village evening discussions:  model for Alhaji Ibrahim's talks

• 7.    villagers hold on to the tradition more than townspeople
• 8.    evening discussions in the village are the same as how Alhaji Ibrahim is talking; older people gather outside house and talk

How village children learn customs

• 9.    village children respect old people; how a village child sits with his father and presses his legs while the father talks
• 10.  how the villagers gather and the old men talk
• 11.  examples of the types of topics; learn about customs; Alhaji Ibrahim grew up in a village, and even older people from the town ask him questions

Village children know Dagbani better than town children

• 12.  villagers speak Dagbani correctly; town children who don't know Dagbani words
• 13.  older people listen to town children and don't know if they are speaking Dagbani; village children pronounce words correctly
• 14.  town child who did not know numbers in Dagbani; used English
• 15.  Kissmal and Ben might not know Dagbani words used in idioms; example:  tafirli
• 16.  main lesson for village children is to respect old people; town children don't hold to that custom; villagers have sense and respect

Training of Alhaji Ibrahim and Alhaji Mumuni

• 17.  Alhaji Ibrahim born and raised in a village; trained by fathers the same way their fathers were trained; taught to fear
• 18.  how Alhaji Mumuni trains his children and talks to them

Differences between town children and village children

• 19.  town children don't sit with elders; roam and go to cinema, Simpa dancing; do not want to suffer like village children
• 20.  how village children do work farming and as messengers; town children are not as reliable

Comparing town life and village life

• 21.  comparing town life and village life; village children trained to suffer; limited food for children
• 22.  villages don't spend money much; don't dress up
• 23.  town person can cheat another; villagers are afraid to cheat
• 24.  villagers fear being taken to the chief; if village child does bad, the father will be taken to the chief
• 25.  Alhaji Ibrahim prefers town; maalams say towns are better; villagers have suffering and difficulties and fears, but they have sense
• 26.  villagers with large families are bolder, can even challenge the chief
• 27.  villagers don't travel, rarely come to town; old people just go to the farm and relax under a tree
• 28.  village children also don't come to town; follow fathers to farm; tend animals; village children don't trust town people

The character of villagers

• 29.  villagers avoid town because they don't want to be involved in trouble; some old people pride themselves on never going to town; difficulties of villagers to get good food
• 30.  villagers do not talk about their problems; keep secrets; avoid entanglements
• 31.  villagers don't like to borrow money; prefer gifts
• 32.  villagers freedom is different from town; free from troubles
• 33.  villagers are happy with village life; eat the food from the farm; don't use money; peace of mind
• 34.  peace of mind of the villagers; clarity; town people get farming land from villagers; good relations

Modern times have reduced differences

• 35.  modern times:  town people and villagers are the same; villages are absorbed into the towns; the differences Alhaji Ibrahim talked about were more in the past
• 36.  less fear of the chief; village chiefs more empowered
• 37.  town people go to villagers for help; not the same distrust as previously
• 38.  village children have similar life to town children; mosque, football, films
• 39.  the differences Alhaji Ibrahim showed are from the starting of Dagbon; villages are modernizing

Some differences remain

• 40.  but many villages still holding strongly to custom; village children still more knowledgeable than town children
• 41.  Tamale children don't know Dagbamba customs
• 42.  town children should learn their customs in addition to school education; the way Alhaji Ibrahim's generation was is no longer there

Chapter I-3:  The Sense of Dagbamba and Their Living in Olden Days

The importance of knowing how one's parents and grandparents lived; recollections of precolonial and colonial life; types of work and the sense of Dagbamba

Knowledge of the past

• 1.    Alhaji Ibrahim's age; he has seen many things he talks about from the olden days
• 2.    example:  when cowries were money
• 3.    knowledge of past also comes from asking older people
• 4.    example:  Alhaji Ibrahim's father told him about hunger and how people ate taaŋkoro

Big differences from Alhaji Ibrahim's childhood

• 5.    not everyone asks; those who don't ask may doubt stories about hunger
• 6.    Gurunsi people traded children for food
• 7.    animals used to catch people; children had to be careful outside house at night

Money and the cost of living

• 8.    Alahji Ibrahim used cowries to buy food
• 9.    introduction of coins; coin names from cowries:  laɣ'pia, kobo, pihinu, etc.
• 10.  the amount of food one pesewa could buy
• 11.  the costs of things for Alhaji Ibrahim as a young man; the prices for animals

Foods and animals

• 12.  where people sold food on roadsides; costs of living during colonial time
• 13.  how Gurunsis carried chickens to Dagbon
• 14.  the uses of guinea fowls were in Alhaji Ibrahim's early days
• 15.  the uses of goats for sacrifices to house shrines; compared to sheep
• 16.  the uses of sheep among Muslims
• 17.  how plentiful yams were
• 18.  how butchers slaughtered a cow and why they would give meat to children
• 19.  how butchers shared meat to the chief and elders

Benefits of knowing about one's tradition

• 20.  many changes in Dagbon; children should know how their forefathers lived; a time will come when they will need to use traditional ways of doing things; examples:  fertilizer, grinding stone
• 21.  Alhaji Ibrahim's generation was in between the white-man's time and their forefather's time; differences in the generations
• 22.  children should know about customs and about their forefathers' lives; current generation thinks it has more sense
• 23.  not knowing custom leaves a child standing alone in the world
• 24.  the talks:  what future generations should know to call themselves Dagbamba; the talks are for those who will want them

Sense work and family lines

• 25.  the sense Dagbamba have learned is more than other tribes in Ghana; drumming and calling of names
• 26.  Dagbamba sense-work moves inside families:  drummers, blacksmiths, barbers, butchers; also weavers, leather-workers

Blacksmiths

• 27.  blacksmiths:  people from outside the family sometimes can learn it
• 28.  the work of blacksmiths; tools for farming, shaving and cutting; bracelets like baŋa and baŋgari
• 29.  blacksmith's work for drummers and drum-makers:  adzes, knives, chaɣla, feeŋa, luŋ-bansi
• 30.  blacksmith's work for chiefs:  weapons
• 31.  blacksmiths have respect from everyone because of the sense they have to make things people use

Weavers and other work

• 32.  weavers have sense; types of baskets and storage:  gamli, pɔŋ, kpanjɔɣu, pibirgu; puɣnai, zana mats
• 33.  sense of making different types of pots:  luŋli, kɔbaŋa, duɣu, yuli, kɔduɣu
• 34.  sense to make tandi for building blocks; putting roofs on rooms; weaving grasses onto roofs

Reflection on the work so far

• 35.  sequencing and pacing the talks; how Alhaji Ibrahim prepares for the talks
• 36.  transition to next talk:  the importance and strength of giving respect to others as part of custom

Chapter I-4:  Respect and the Dagbamba Way of Living Together

Respect and how Dagbamba show respect on the part of: those who live in the same area, their families, their in-laws; examples:  patience, temperance, not “showing oneself,” gathering and eating with others, respect for strangers

Introduction

• 1.    Dagbamba character and way of living; complement to drumming talks; importance of respect in Dagbon

Respect

• 2.    relation of respect to continuity of custom
• 3.    give respect to people with position, older people; give respect to outside same as to your family
• 4.    respect to in-laws; both husband and wife
• 5.    essence of respect based on women; must give respect to get a wife and get children
• 6.    respect starts from respect to get a woman; true for all cultures; respect of women is inside all types of respect, including respect for strangers

Respect for people you live with

• 7.    story about family, friendship, and mingling; seniority or eldership of friendship to family and of mingling to friendship
• 8.    giving respect and living together with people:  bitter and sweet, quarreling and talking together again; importance of old people to show patience
• 9.    friendship can spoil and end; Dagbamba don't let quarrels go far
• 10.  Dagbamba share the problems of people they stay together with in an area, whoever they are
• 11.  the strength of living together in an area; sitting together can bring family

Respect and eating together

• 12.  how Dagbamba gather and eat; blame a person who eats alone as someone who doesn't want to share
• 13.  gathering and eating is strong in Dagbamba custom; how people group themselves to eat in a house or in within a nearby area
• 14.  gathering and eating together creates trust among people
• 15.  kpatabɔ; how children go from house to house to eat; how their fathers would gather outside the eldest's house
• 16.  if someone has no friends to eat with, he will call a grandchildren or even a small child to eat with him; doesn't want to eat alone
• 17.  women in the house also divide themselves into groups and eat together
• 18.  how a chief eats; eats alone but only eats a little then shares with those who are with him
• 19.  how someone eating medicine will gather and eat with others but will separate the food with the medicine

Respect and bluffing, or “showing oneself“

• 20.  Dagbamba do not like people who bluff others; princes who show too much price don't get chieftaincy
• 21.  people who show themselves often from families of slaves
• 22.  drummers use drums to show people's family standing
• 23.  respect to learning; Dagbamba don't bluff about having or seeking knowledge

Respect for strangers and visitors

• 24.  giving respect to all types of strangers
• 25.  how Dagbamba receive a stranger
• 26.  the happiness of receiving a stranger
• 27.  Dagbamba are distinguished among tribes of Ghana for the extent they respect strangers
• 28.  comparison of Dagbon and the South
• 29.  trying to get whatever the stranger wants
• 30.  finding out what the stranger wants; taking the stranger to those who will help
• 31.  differences of a stranger you don't know

How villagers receive strangers

• 32.  villagers keep fowls to feed a stranger
• 33.  if stranger will not stay in the village, the villager will give the fowl to the stranger to take away
• 34.  how the village children catch the guinea fowls from the napɔɣu
• 35.  how the villager gives the guinea fowl to the stranger
• 36.  how the women in the house and how the neighbors will share part of the stranger's food
• 37.  importance of sharing the meat properly
• 38.  takubsi:  a gift to the child who takes the food to the stranger; its blessings
• 39.  greeting the stranger with water; how Dagbamba without fowls keep dried fish in case a stranger comes

The blessings of strangers

• 40.  strangers bring good luck; money or wife
• 41.  special blessings if a birth in the house when a stranger visits; a baby girl may be promised to the stranger or stranger's child
• 42.  why people pray to receive strangers; stranger will speak well of them when he goes home; stranger will also receive them well
• 43.  how the blessings will extend to one's children if they travel
• 44.  relation of talk of strangers to talk of mingling and living together; both good and bad

Transition to further talk of strangers

• 45.  transition to talk of how a stranger should behave in Dagbon

Chapter I-5:  The Way of a Stranger and How a Stranger Should Live in Dagbon

How Dagbamba behave toward strangerrs; being a stranger and traveling; the benefits of traveling; bad things that can happen to strangers; how a stranger should behave with the people

Introduction

• 1.    Benefits of traveling:  experience
• 2.    traveling is good; traveler gains experience and knowledge, knows more than someone who hasn’t traveled
• 3.    traveling shows you your standard

Traveling and death; traveling and life

• 4.    traveling compared to death
• 5.    explanation of the comparison
• 6.    a traveler has no identity; a traveler can die
• 7.    living and dying compared to traveling in the world
• 8.    the good traveling is to where you know people; not like death
• 9.    newborn babies have the name “stranger”; everyone is a stranger or traveler in the world

How being a stranger is bad

• 10.  traveler should not have expectations
• 11.  traveler can unknowingly stay in a house with bad people
• 12.  strangers are warned about dangerous places or things in a town, but not about which people are bad
• 13.  strangers and townspeople do not talk about other people to one another
• 14.  a stranger and townspeople will be watching one another
• 15.  stranger will learn about a town before leaning about the house where he stays
• 16.  a stranger does not know the town he visits
• 17.  a stranger can lose his wife to a townsperson
• 18.  a stranger can stay in a bad person’s house
• 19.  a stranger should watch his householder’s character or will face difficulties
• 20.  a good stranger can defend a bad householder
• 21.  a bad stranger’s acts can cause a problem for a householder
• 22.  a stranger needs to be watchful; importance of luck

How strangers are good

• 23.  it is good to stay some days in a town; the townspeople will not know him
• 24.  if stay some days, stranger will get to know the town
• 25.  a person cannot hide his character
• 26.  townspeople who see that a stranger is good can give a wife
• 27.  a good stranger receives unexpected gifts and benefits
• 28.  a stranger can get respect he does not get in his home
• 29.  a learned stranger can give benefits to a town
• 30.  a stranger can come to know more about a town
• 31.  how John has come to Dagbon to learn

How a stranger should live with the townspeople

• 32.  how a stranger should try to fit in with the ways of a town
• 33.  the stranger should eat the local food
• 34.  the stranger should know that people will be studying him
• 35.  a stranger should not be proud; should have patience and respect
• 36.  a stranger should greet people
• 37.  if a stranger does not greet people, people will not look after him
• 38.  if a stranger greets the townspeople, they will help him
• 39.  a stranger should accompany the townspeople, but should not enter their quarrels
• 40.  a stranger should bring gifts and greet
• 41.  how John gives gifts to old people
• 42.  give gifts to children, or food
• 43.  a good  stranger will get benefit in return

Conclusion

• 44.  end of talk on strangers

Chapter I-6:  Greetings and Respect in Dagbon

Greetings and festivals; the importance of greetings; how Dagbamba greet; greetings and respect; greetings to different types of people: chiefs, rich people, maalams; gifts and gift-giving; messengers and greeting; greetings in the household; greetings to in-laws; greetings during the festival months; how Dagbamba greet their friends in different villages; how Dagbamba receive one another in greetings

Importance of greetings in Dagbon

• 1.    talk of greetings fits into many different talks
• 2.    greetings express good intentions and respect

Morning greetings in the house and neighborhood

• 3.    morning greetings between husbands and wives
• 4.    morning greetings to mother and wives
• 5.    wives greet one another and elders; kneel to greet senior person; give respect
• 6.    children in their own houses will come and greet their parents
• 7.    lengthy greetings with senior people in the area:  are we sleeping?
• 8.    if sickness or a problem, the area people will also come and greet; send messengers if serious

Festival day greetings

• 9.    happiness and good wishes; people go around and greet
• 10.  send children to greet people in other towns; greet people you don't usually greet
• 11.  giving gifts on festival day
• 12.  eating better food and being satisfied also part of the festival day
• 13.  send children to greet at all your in-laws' houses, with gifts
• 14.  send children because the householder should remain to look after the house

Eldership and greetings

• 15.  later, those you have greeted will also return greetings to you
• 16.  greeting example:  “leave you in front”; Alhaji Ibrahim's eldership from sharing drumming money
• 17.  send the messenger back with a gift
• 18.  as people go to live in different towns, send greetings to their elders in other towns

Greetings to friends

• 19.  take a gift that the friend likes; the whole house will respond
• 20.  the friend will take you to greet the people in his town; old people will bless the friendship
• 21.  the people in your friend's house will be happy with your gifts
• 22.  the townspeople you greeted will return the greetings with food
• 23.  you will get gifts when you leave for home; greetings show that one lives with people
• 24.  good to take someone along when going to greet; will see your respect
• 25.  greetings are friendship; be careful about greeting someone who cannot receive you well
• 26.  should greet the person who greets you; he will receive you well
• 27.  how Alhaji Ibrahim gives and receives gifts like that when visits friends in other towns
• 28.  good to visit and greet so that people meet and see the friendship

Greetings and respect

• 29.  greetings show character; someone who does not greet is seen as selfish
• 30.  should even greet people who do not greet you
• 31.  watch greetings and see people; different intentions
• 32.  greetings show respect; different greetings to chiefs, elders, money person

Greetings to money person

• 33.  money man and the chief greet and respect one another
• 34.  poor person who greets a money man shows happiness
• 35.  people greet the money person because of his money
• 36.  sometimes money person has more respect from friends than from family; shows how he treat them

Greetings to an old person

• 37.  everybody respects an old person because of the blessing of long life
• 38.  can greet any old person because of old age; squat when greetings
• 39.  respect an old person you do not know; gifts

Greetings to maalams

• 40.  every kinds of person respects maalams and Liman
• 41.  typical Dagbamba who are not Muslims greet Liman for medicine and prayers for farming
• 42.  money person also greets Liman for prayers and help
• 43.  Kamo-Naa also greets Liman for medicine and talismans
• 44.  the chiefs respects the Limam; helps the town to be cool

Respect to chief of drummers

• 45.  Namo-Naa or Lun-Naa; commoners, princes, and chiefs all need drummers

Conclusion

• 46.  people get respect because of what people want; different from greetings to family, friends, and festival greetings

Chapter I-7:  How Dagbamba Send Messengers

How Dagbamba send messengers to greet others; types of people who are messengers; how a messenger uses sense

Relevance of the talk of messengers

• 1.    sending people is important part of custom; an aspect of the talk of respect
• 2.    relation to Dagbamba way of living and identity of Dagbamba

Example:  getting a wife

• 3.    when asking to marry, send a messenger instead of going oneself
• 4.    send a friend to get “our” wife; get advice from an elder
• 5.    a messenger should have sense; know how to talk
• 6.    after the wife is promised, the messenger continues to represent the husband
• 7.    the messenger and other messenger will represent the husband at the wedding
• 8.    messengers give respect to both the receiver and the sender; don't approach others directly

Example:  chiefs

• 9.    commoners do not go directly to the chief's house; only certain elders do that, like drummers
• 10.  one does not address the chief directly; speak to an elder who talks
• 11.  one explains one's purpose to the elder first; helps exchange ideas; adds to respect of chief

Example:  princes

• 12.  a prince sees elders before greeting his own father
• 13.  how princes send messengers to the chief who controls a chieftaincy they are looking for

The respect of a messenger

• 14.  sending a chief or a chief's elder; high respect
• 15.  why a messenger gives respect to the sender
• 16.  messenger a witness to one's way of living; someone who lives with people
• 17.  messenger a witness to gifts and transactions
• 18.  how messengers add other messengers to themselves
• 19.  a respected or older messenger more likely to succeed

Examples:  how Alhaji Ibrahim is sent as a messenger

• 20.  example:  Alhaji Ibrahim as messenger or intermediary between child and parent
• 21.  Alhaji Ibrahim as intermediary between husband and wife
• 22.  how a husband's messengers will beg for an offended wife
• 23.  messengers help people talk to one another; how friends exchange services as messengers

Example:  sending your wife to a funeral houses

• 24.  the respect of sending your wife to a funeral
• 25.  the work and behavior of the wife at the funeral house

Some vicissitudes of sending different people

• 26.  the problem of not having a good messenger
• 27.  how a messenger shows whether he is sensible or foolish
• 28.  sending sisters or wives; sending parents

Funeral houses

• 29.  the strongest messengers are for funerals; sometimes necessary to protect oneself from danger at the funeral house
• 30.  why a funeral house can be dangerous
• 31.  example:  jealousy against Alhaji Ibrahim's sister's at a funeral house
• 32.  Alhaji Ibrahim's sister's madness

How messengers can bring information back to the sender

• 33.  messenger can hear about and prevent a plot
• 34.  how messengers can bring luck or good news

Trading and borrowing

• 35.  messengers role in trading
• 36.  example:  what John would do for a messenger who came from Dagbon to his town
• 37.  importance of trust in the messenger, especially when borrowing
• 38.  sending your wife to borrow money

The importance of messengers in Dagbon

• 39.  sending of people as messengers is prevalent in Dagbamba society
• 40.  how a stranger gets a messenger
• 41.  necessity to get a messenger from the town itself to see a town's tindana
• 42.  messengers important to everything one wants or does in Dagbon
  

Chapter I-8:  The Debt of the Stomach

Problems of working together as a team; practical problems of poverty and their relationship to commitment to long-term collaborative projects; issues of sharing potential benefits and maintaining continuity of the team

Introduction:  three things to pray for

• 1.    good health is more than wealth; the foundation of everything; householder needs health
• 2.    need health to travel
• 3.    first prayer:  to do the work, pray for health
• 4.    death is second:  need to pray for life
• 5.    third prayer is protection from Satan, or gossiping

Protecting the friendships in the team from gossip

• 6.    John should stand in front to protect the group from gossiping and those who would spoil the group
• 7.    Alhaji Ibrahim classifies the relationships within the team:  Kissmal (the duiker), Ben, Mustapha (the mouth)
• 8.    the team should encourage each other's friendship, greeting one another and not talking about the others
• 9.    how a bad person can tell lies and separate the friends
• 10.  holding truth will keep everyone cool; the group is good; Alhaji Ibrahim like a plant and the others are branches

Questions about the benefits of the work

• 11.  this topic has a twisted way; story of how mouth is sick, and the parts of the body refuse to treat it, except stomach
• 12.  Alhaji Ibrahim the mouth, and John and the others are the stomach
• 13.  John's reasons for coming to Ghana and Dagbon, and whether he has benefited
• 14.  everyone does work to get some benefit, or what he wants
• 15.  some people in Dagbon blame Alhaji Ibrahim for working with John; others advise him to charge John heavily; people believe that John is doing important work
• 16.  example of trader who talked to Alhaji Ibrahim about John
• 17  even people in Alhaji Ibrahim's house criticize him for working with John, but Alhaji Ibrahim values the friendship with John

Friendship and money

• 18  Dagbamba don't value money over friendship; some people refuse to let their daughters marry rich person
• 19  but money is important; one needs money for everything; can even mean life if a person is sick and needs treatment
• 20  money has good and bad influence; the friendship between Alhaji Ibrahim and John has not been spoiled by money matters
• 21  a person uses money to get what he wants
• 22  Dagbamba value friendship over money; should do work well without thinking about money, and will benefit

Patience and the benefits of one's work

• 23  one shouldn't be impatient for the benefit; example of stirring porridge water
• 24  the benefit of good work may extend to others even if John and Alhaji Ibrahim are dead
• 25  when doing work one should not look for quick benefits, only pray for benefit; drumming like that:  work done with truth will last
• 26  benefit can be in the form of a good name; one should start work without big ideas

Money and the work of custom

• 27  we don't know how we will benefit from this work; if it becomes a book, only some people will be interested; it's not for the market
• 28  work about custom is not for selling, but everywhere people look for it; John should not worry about the benefits of the work
• 29  Alhaji Ibrahim is happy with the work; John can swear on Alhaji Ibrahim that the work passed from him; John should not worry
• 30  people trying to spoil the friendship between Alhaji Ibrahim and John will talk about money

Friendship and debt

• 31  friendship is like a debt that cannot be paid; the name of Savelugu-Naa Puusamli
• 32  we should pray for protection against selfishness
• 33  one should not ask too much from a friend; one can only give to one's extent
• 34  you should only do for your friend what you have the means to do
• 35  friendship doesn't have accounting; example of John breaking a drum Alhaji Ibrahim lent him
• 36  the exception is medicine; medicine requires gift or payment even from friends or relatives
• 37  Alhaji Ibrahim is not charging John; Alhaji Ibrahim's name:  Money finishes, but wisdom does not finish.
• 38  to stay in friendship, one should not try to do what the friend wants; one should not do what the friend doesn't want

The friendship between Alhaji Ibrahim and John

• 39  the friendship within the team has reached true trust
• 40  many people are happy with the friendship and are praying for John
• 41  John has come alone, but America is getting respect; John should be taking the good name of Dagbon to America

Giving gifts

• 42  Ghana is in difficulties; when giving, one should try to gather something substantial and give it at once, not bit by bit
• 43  Catholic fathers in Africa are rumored to leave large gifts in the bush
• 44  giving gifts:  it is good to give something that people can see, something to stand for the friendship
• 45  the person who gives gifts is someone who can afford to give
• 46  one who gives gifts does it for himself; the benefit of a gift extends; example:  praying mat or ablution kettle
• 47  gifts are more than alms; how they extend and add to friendship
• 48  giving shows that a person has got something before deciding to give; giving is good for the one who gives, the one who received, and to God
• 49  proverbs about this talk; it relates to Dagbamba way of living and to the way of drumming
  

Chapter I-9:  Patience, Truth, and How We Should Do the Talks

The nature of long talks; different types of lies; how to listen to the talks; patience and asking questions; instructions to John about “repairing” the talks

Starting the work

• 1.    importance of truth; must talk what Alhaji Ibrahim knows
• 2.    John will need patience
• 3.    the talks are gradual; John is not broadcasting them prematurely

How the idea of the talks has evolved from the friendship of John and Alhaji Ibrahim

• 4.    Alhaji Ibrahim has been reluctant; sacrifices needed; the friendship has reached trust
• 5.    proverb about who will watch a groundnut farm
• 6.    an old person is someone who holds words, has wisdom
• 7.    wisdom requires sense and discretion; Alhaji Ibrahim and John are old men because of knowledge
• 8.    Alhaji Ibrahim wants the talk of drumming to join to the Dagbamba way of living; there should be no mistakes
• 9.    Alhaji Ibrahim will talk what he knows, and he will consult elders to continue; will talk into details with truth

Issues of mistakes and lies in talks about Dagbon

• 10.  types of lies:  adding talks beyond the extent of knowledge; talking without full understanding; trusting too much in what one hears
• 11.  the book John showed him had lies; the informant was not knowledgeable
• 12.  someone might lie to maintain his position as an informant or assistance
• 13.  someone might lie by choice, distorting talks that are supposed to be secrets or need sacrifices
• 14.  drummers are not supposed to talk openly about some things; forbidden; also receive blame
• 15.  some drummers will refuse to talk forbidden topics
• 16.  fear goes far into the past; Alhaji Ibrahim feels that wisdom should be shared if it can help people

Resistance to talking about Dagbon and opposition to Alahji Ibrahim's work with John

• 17.  John will meet refusal, lies, and truth
• 18.  the knowledge in drumming is different from other types of knowledge, like farming; some Dagbamba think it should not be shared to outsiders
• 19.  some drummers and other people have been talking against John learning; jealousy
• 20.  some whites have advised Alhaji Ibrahim to charge John heavily
• 21.  others judge and assume things about Alhaji Ibrahim because of his friendship with John
• 22.  Alhaji Ibrahim doesn't pay attention; learning drumming should have no charge
• 23.  Alhaji Ibrahim considered only considered the respect John gave; all the elders encouraged him
• 24.  the reasons people have against teaching outsiders are nothing
• 25.  when some gets something good, others will demean it so that the person will discard it; then they will take it
• 26.  others like Ibrahim Mahama have encouraged Alhaji Ibrahim to show John well and make Dagbon known
• 27.  formerly Dagbamba did not like white people
• 28.  times have changed; people do not fear one another as before

Alhaji Ibrahim's knowledge as his heritage to be passed on with truth

• 29.  in Alhaji Ibrahim's family, they don't like liars; modern times has more liars
• 30.  the early white people got mixed up talks; their informants did not talk correctly
• 31.  Alhaji Ibrahim will talk what he learned from his elders; happy to do so because of friendship
• 32.  the person who learns your work is your child; John is always in touch with them
• 33.  Alhaji Ibrahim has taken John as his child in drumming; continue the knowledge
• 34.  Alhaji Ibrahim's knowledge from his elders and his experience; truth endures
• 35.  people remember truth, not lies
• 36.  lies are like urine, do not go far

Trust and learning

• 37.  truth stands on solid ground; someone; John has a reputation for truth, people trust him
• 38.  some people may not trust this work, but will find it difficult to challenge
• 39.  some people just argue without having knowledge; others can compare John's work to others
• 40.  people can argue from different understanding, but these talks are reliable; family talks their fathers
• 41.  differences in drumming talks from the extent; some have more details
• 42.  differences in learning can bring arguments, but drummers do not bluff those who are more learned
• 43.  what you hear might be wrong, so you should show the person who showed it to you
• 44.  some who tells truth will not suspect a liar
• 45.  patience helps; the talks will go far, like truth; liars have no patience for truth
• 46.  truth and lies contrasted; truth has strength to build something on
• 47.  liars find difficulties:  getting wife, borrowing money, being in a group

Separating a few types of lies that have benefit

• 48.  lying to prevent a quarrel; messenger repairs a talk
• 49.  separate the exceptions of lies that can be good
• 50.  repairing a relationship
• 51.  the reconciliation
• 52.  the lies have repaired the relationship
• 53.  lies to save a marriage; go between a separated couple
• 54.  adding people to help intercede
• 55.  the reconciliation of the married couple
• 56.  the blessings of repairing a marriage
• 57.  lies to prevent a fight between towns

The importance of seeking truth

• 58.  all other lies lead to trouble
• 59.  truth moves everything forward
• 60.  a human being should search for truth; use patience and truth to live with others

How the team should work together

• 61.  to work together, one should not see or hear too much; not be annoyed
• 62.  the team should maintain unity
• 63.  communicate so that no one is disappointed
• 64.  Alhaji Ibrahim wants to do the work
• 65.  John should help Alhaji Ibrahim plan the arrangement of the talks
• 66.  John should keep track of the talks and ask for necessary clarifications
• 67.  John should stay focused on the talks
• 68.  John should record the talks and keep good records
• 69.  John should keep track of the translations for errors
• 70.  John should add his own sense to make the talks nice
• 71.  John should not add to good talks, but the talks should go into details
• 72.  John should remind Alhaji Ibrahim of issues; they should go over the talks to check for mistakes
• 73.  John should ask question for verification so that the talks will not have mistakes
• 74.  John should hold questions and not interrupt too much, be patient to see where the talk is going
• 75.  questions are like junctions and can divert a talk into another direction; difficult to get back on track
• 76.  proverb about chief's housechild will not struggle to hear Ʒɛm
• 77.  explanation:  be patient and the talks will eventually come to answer the questions
• 78.  we have to follow the talks to see where they will go; take time with them
• 79.  we should take the talks step by step

Conclusion

• 80.  transition to the talks of drumming