A Drummer's Testament
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Continuation of the wars; Kumpatia and the conquest of western Dagbon; how Naa Siɣli gathered his army; the war against the Konkombas; the death of Naa Zanjina; how Naa Siɣli obtained chieftaincy; the Dagbamba campaign against the Gonjas; the defeat of Kumpatia and the aftermath of the war
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Supplementary material
[forthcoming]
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Contents outline and links by paragraph
Introduction: aftermath of the chieftaincy contest in Mamprusi
- 1. Naa Zanjina's Samban' luŋa talks are difficult and confusing; need patience to learn them clearly
- 2. aftermath of the Mamprusi chieftaincy decision; Naa Zanjina and Naa Siɣli return to Dagbon
Gonja chief Kumpatia invades Dagbon
- 3. Kumpatia the Gonja leader; his other names
- 4. Kumpatia invades Dagbon; the towns he collected; stayed near Sang at Chirizaŋ
Naa Zanjina and Naa Siɣli prepare for the war
- 5. Naa Zanjina prays with maalams at Sabali
- 6. Naa Zanjina's brothers refuse to help; Yelizolilana, Sunson-Naa, and the other contenders
- 7. Naa Zanjina asks Naa Siɣli for help; Naa Siɣli refuses
- 8. Naa Zanjina sends chiefs as messengers to Naa Siɣli; Kumbun-Naa and Nanton-Naa; Naa Siɣli refuses
- 9. Naa Siɣli makes chiefs dismount from their horses and stay with him
- 10. Naa Zanjina sends Naa Siɣli's friends, Talolilana and Puusamli; Naa Siɣli refuses them and holds them
- 11. Naa Siɣli's plan was to gather many people to become his warriors
- 12. Naa Siɣli gave them medicines for protection in war
- 13. Naa Zanjina sends Naa Siɣli's best friend, Diarilana Tusuwa; Diarilana's speech to Naa Siɣli
- 14. Naa Siɣli goes to Naa Zanjina; what Naa Zanjina told Naa Siɣli; Naa Zanjina also gathers warriors
Naa Siɣli's war against the Konkombas
- 15. Naa Siɣli invades Konkomba lands to prepare for war against Gonjas; gathers more warriors
- 16. the towns Naa Siɣli fought in Konkomba
- 17. Naa Siɣli kills the Dagbana tindana of Sakpiegu
- 18. Naa Siɣli in Sakpiegu; puts his mother Ziŋnaa as chief
The death of Naa Zanjina; Naa Siɣli eats chieftaincy
- 19. Naa Siɣli in Konkomba land when Naa Zanjina died; given chieftaincy of Singa
- 20. Naa Zanjina died at Agbandi; the burial of Naa Zanjina; trees grow from his grave
- 21. Naa Zanjina final words instruct the elders to give Yendi to Naa Siɣli, as Mamprusi chief said
Naa Siɣli's war against the Gonjas
- 22. Naa Siɣli takes the war to the Gonjas; how Naa Zanjina's brothers had refused him
- 23. Naa Siɣli had gathered people; how he had entered the war with strength
- 24. how the Gonjas had invaded Tolon and other villages
- 25. Naa Siɣli divides the Dagbamba army to encircle Gonjas; many Gonjas were killed
- 26. Kumpatia at Chirizaŋ; Naa Siɣli at Sang; their exchange of messages
- 27. Dagbamba horseboys behead a Gonja horseboy
- 28. Naa Siɣli's wives cut off the ear of Kumpatia's wife; Kumpatia prepares for war
- 29. Naa Siɣli and Kumpatia fight; Kumpatia runs into a cave
- 30. Naa Siɣli's drummer calls proverbs to encourage him; Naa Siɣli kills Kumpatia
- 31. Naa Siɣli's drummer gives him the name Baŋgumaŋa
- 32. Naa Siɣli dismembers Kumpatia and gives body parts to his warrior chiefs
- 33. Naa Siɣli captures and marries Kumpatia's daughter Puumaaya; her names
- 34. Kumpatia's daughter gives birth to Naa Siɣli's zuu, Tonglana Yamusah; Zuu-waa dance
- 35. recapitulation of the end of the war; Dagbamba return to their villages
Aftermath of the war and the legacy of Naa Siɣli
- 36. result: no more war between Dagbamba and Gonjas; Gonjas have few people but more land
- 37. Baŋgumaŋa in Naa Siɣli's Samban' luŋa because of the war; inherited from Naa Luro
- 38. Naa Siɣli saved Dagbon, but his door to Yendi is dead; Alhaji Ibrahim's line from Naa Siɣli
- 39. Naa Zanjina not a warrior like Naa Siɣli, but they were close
Confusion regarding how Naa Siɣli ate Yendi and held his chieftaincy
- 40. confusion among drummers about details
- 41. some have incorrect ideas about the transition from Naa Zanjina to Naa Siɣli
- 42. some have incorrect ideas about Naa Siɣli's death
- 43. Naa Siɣli killed Kumpatia and finished the war; went to Yendi and gave birth to children
- 44. talks that have many curves or parts can be misunderstood
- 45. drummers who learn from elders can change or add things
- 46. when drummers talk with mistakes, can challenge them with questions
- 47. summary of the general knowledge of Naa Siɣli's chieftaincy and Naa Bimbiɛɣu's succesion
- 48. importance of repairing the talks well; our reputation depends on truth
Perspective on olden days Dagbamba in the Samban' luŋa
- 49. slaughter a sheep for Naa Siɣli's talks in Samban' luŋa; drummers are reluctant to talk about it
- 50. reflection on the warlike character of early Dagbamba
- 51. people would leave their house and family; could be captured and sold
- 52. other tribes feared the Dagbamba; Dagbamba conquered by Europeans
- 53. living in current times is easier than olden days
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Proverbs and Sayings
“The way and manner in which you are able to go to Mamprusi to be the chief, you should do it in that same way and manage to fight the war.”
A child whose hand is clean is the one who will skin the elder's goat and will take all and will only give the liver to the elder.
It is nothing, but it is something.
My guinea corn has dried, and I have collected it and put it down in the room.
A prince who has not eaten chieftaincy cannot lead a war.
“I don't refuse anything.”
“Problems are over tomorrow.”
The male elephant's chest cannot be moved.
What made him a man, and he will make a guinea corn farm and eat it by himself?
What made him a man, and he can make a yam farm and eat it by himself?
“Naa Siɣli is an okra plant stick that is not strong.”
They will look for me, but they will not see me.
The stomach is cool.
The cooking pot that they use to cook a monkey, the same cooking pot is not forbidden to be used to cook a dog.
The knife doesn't care whomever it meets on the road.
Whom does the knife leave?
Puumaaya bia: Stomach-is-cool's child
Suuchɛŋuni bia: Whom-does-the-knife-leave's child
Nuzaalana: Left-hand-owner
If a truth curves so many ways, or if you are going to talk the truth and it is not straight, sometimes it turns to be lies.
The lies that are straight can turn to resemble truth.
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Dagbani words and other search terms
- Yaa-Naas
- Naa Andani Sigli (Naa Andani Siɣli)
- Naa Bimbiegu (Naa Bimbiɛɣu)
- Naa Darizheguu (Naa Dariʒɛɣu)
- Naa Jinli
- Naa Luro
- Naa Saalana Ziblim
- Naa Sigli (Naa Siɣli)
- Naa Tutugri (Naa Tutuɣri)
- Naa Zagli (Naa Zaɣli)
- Naa Zanjina
- Yaa-Naa
- Titled and other persons
- Aminara
- Dalunlana Blemah
- Diarilana
- Diarilana Tusuwa
- Gbonlana (Gbɔŋlana)
- Golingoling (Goliŋgoliŋ)
- Kaasuwa
- Kalugsi Dajia (Kaluɣsi Dajia)
- Kasulana
- Kumbun-Naa Jengbarga (Kumbun-Naa Jɛŋgbarga)
- Kumbun-Naa Sulemana
- Kumpatia
- Laamihi
- Lungbunglana
- Lunzhegu (Lunʒɛɣu)
- Mamprugulana
- Mba Ibrahim
- Mba Mumuni
- Nanton-Naa Dakogo (Nanton-Naa Dakɔɣo)
- Nanton-Naa Sulberibo (Nanton-Naa Sulbɛribo)
- Nuzaalana
- Pakpong (Pakpɔŋ)
- Puumaaya
- Puusamli
- Singlana
- Singlana Aduna
- Sulemana
- Sunson-Naa Timaani
- Suuchenguni (Suuchɛŋuni)
- Talolilana Kobli
- Tonglana Yamusah
- Vo-Naa
- Yaa-Naa
- Yelizolilana Gurumanchegu (Yelizolilana Gurumancheɣu)
- Zabag'bila'bia (Zabaɣ'bila'bia)
- Zingnaa (Ziŋnaa)
- Zoggolana Dasana
- Zugulana Ali
- Miscellaneous terms
- Bangumanga (Baŋgumaŋa)
- Bem bo ma, be pam bo ma je (Bɛm bɔ ma, bɛ pam bɔ ma jɛ)
- bug' toli (buɣ' toli)
- bugli (buɣli)
- Dagbani
- dawadawa
- gbong (gbɔŋ)
- golingoling (goliŋgoliŋ)
- gungong (guŋgɔŋ)
- guinea corn
- Holy Qur'an
- horseboys
- horsepeg, horsepegs
- housepeople
- Jebuni (Jɛbuni)
- Kambonsi
- kapok
- kparachia [Oncoba spinosa Forssk.]
- maalams
- Mol' zhee tab' looli (Mol' ʒee tab' looli)
- M'puumaaya
- Samban' lunga (Samban' luŋa)
- tindana
- tobu kabiga
- zuu
- Zuu-waa
- Towns and places
- Agbandi
- Baakuya
- Bolgatanga
- Chirizang (Chirizaŋ)
- Chirizangzoli (Chirizaŋzoli)
- Daboya
- Dagbon
- Diari
- Koling (Koliŋ)
- Kpandai
- Kpunkpam (Kpuŋkpam)
- Kumbungu
- Lungbunga
- Mamprugu
- Naakpalba
- Nanton
- Oti
- Sabali
- Sakpiegu
- Sang
- Singa
- Sunson
- Sunson Gbing (Sunson Gbiŋ)
- Taloli
- Tampion
- Tampionwogu (Tampioŋwɔɣu)
- Tolon
- Toma
- Tong
- Voggo
- Yaawura
- Yelizoli
- Yendi
- Zoggo
- Zulogo
- Zulogo Kpaliyogu (Zuloɣo Kpaliyɔɣu)
- Cultural groups
- Dagbana, Dagbamba
- Gonja, Gonjas
- Konkomba, Konkombas
- Mamprusi, Mamprusis