A Drummer's Testament

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you are going to send someone to do some work for you, you should send the one with sense and not the one who can walk.

“Get and taste”: that is when you will know whether you will be satisfied.

The ladder you climb to look at something far away, that is the same ladder you have to use to come down.

Collect my child, collect my work.

“You fall and I fall”: that is what makes the playing of the dogs nice.

If somebody doesn't know you, he won't do you any bad; it is the one who knows you who does you bad.

They are asking of you.

However useless or weak a work is, a goat will be afraid of it.