A Collection of Temne Traditions, Fables and Proverbs
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com I HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY FROM THE FUND OF CHARLES MINOT CLASS OF 1828 v \ A Collection of Temne. Traditions, Fables and Proverbs, with an English Translation; as also some Specimens of the Author's own Temne Compositions and Translations; to which is appended A Temne -English Vocabulary. By The Rev. C. F. Schlenker, Missionary of the Church Missionary Society. Printed for the Church Missionary Society, Salisbury Square. London. 1861. Printer: J. F. Stein kopf in Stuttgart. Preface. § i. i- he Collection of Temne Traditions, Fables etc., as contained in the I. Part of the following pages, was received by the author from one of the oldest Temne men living at Port-Loko about twelve years ago, who has since died. These Traditions etc. were of course delivered orally not in writing. As regards the Traditions about the creation of the world, and about the first people ; we may discover some traces of how sin and death came into this world; though of course much de viating from the truth, as represented to us by the Mosaic accounts. It seems, however, that some Mohammedan traditions have been mixed up with tbe original Temne ones. The translation of these Traditions, etc. in Part I. was made somewhat free; which the author thought himself justified to do; as there is a full Vocabulary appended for this Collection of Temne literature, by which the literal translation may be made out by the reader himself, if required. §2. The signification of the term: Temne seems to be „an old man himself." They derive it, as the author was told, from: o-tem, „an old man, an old gentleman," to which is affixed the reflexive suffix -ne, „self"; because they believe that the Temne nation will ever exist. The word ought, therefore, to be written „Temne", and not „Timne", as is often done, or even „Timmanee". IV Preface. § 3. The Temne country, as to its extension, reaches about from 11° 15' to 13" 10' of western longitude, and from 8° 15' to 9" 6' northern latitude. As regards the number of its inhabitants, it is difficult to state a sum which comes near the truth. The author is, how ever, of opinion that they will amount to from 90,000 — 100,000. But the Temne is understood in the Bolom country, and in those districts, which border immediately on the Temne country. The Temnes have by no means those strong characteristic negro features, which the tribes farther down to the south have. Their features come nearer to those of the Susus and Mandingoes, who live to the north of the Temne country. § 4. a) The principal Temne tribes are the following: 1. An-Temne a-tdron, „the eastern Temnes." 2. An-T6mne a-pil, „the western Temnes." 3. Am-Mabanta, „the Mabanta Temnes." 4. An-Kwea, „the Quea Temnes." The two latter tribes are on the right bank of the Rokel river; the Mabantas are higher up the river, and the Queas lower down close to the Colony of Sierra-Leone.*) b) The Port-Loko territory belongs to the western part of the Temne country, bordering on the Bolom country on the west. c) The town Port-Loko is in Temne called Bake Ldko, which signifies literally „Wharf of the Lokos." This town is situated at the top, or end of the Port-Loko creek, about 60 miles north-east from Freetown. The Lokos are a people of their own, having their own language or dialect. They were formerly inhabiting Port-Loko, from whence they were driven by the Temnes more to the interior north-east, where they are *) A tract of the Quea-Country has been lately reded to the English Government at Sierra Leone. - Preface, V now living, between the Temne and the Limba country. From this nation the town Port-Loko derives its name. d) Also the Baka people were living at Port-Loko in former times; from whence they were driven by Bey Farma the Con queror. They then went down to Sierra Leone, and from thence up to the Isles de Loss, where they settled again, and where their descendants are still living. (Cf. Traditions pag. 3.) § 5. Bey Foki, they say, preceded the first Alikali Kindo, also called Alikali Mdrba. The Gbara family gave the country into the hands of Morba, and named him Alikali; because they had the government of the Port-Loko territory. They did so, be cause the country was in a bad state that time. Kindo, or Morba lived before Alikali Fatima's time. Fatima Brema was the predecessor of Namina Modu, who was Alikali of the Port- Loko territory at the time, when the author was residing at Port-Loko. N As to the derivation and signification of the term „Alikali" see the word in the Vocabulary. — It ought properly to be written Alikali, not Ali Kali. § 6. The Temnes affirm that this present world is the second which God made, and the people inhabiting it the second race of men, and that when the present world comes to an end, and all its inhabitants are in Hades; God will make another world, and other people in the same way as he had done for the first and second world. (Cf. Traditions pag. 15.) As they affirm that the present world is the second, which God made; may we not here have a trace of the flood in Noah's time, by which the first world was destroyed? They also affirm that the first people, which God made, were neither white nor black; but of a Mulatto complexion, or of a brown or tawny colour. VI Preface. § 7. The traditions about the conduct of the first people, whom God made, are very descriptive of the character of the Temnes; thus they are at this day. Eating and drinking, and the lusts of the flesh, are still the objects for which they care most. Their God is their belly. These Traditions also serve to show what notions they have of God, or of the Supreme Being, and how contrary these notions are to the attributes of God, as re vealed to us in the Bible. While the author resided at Port-Loko, he was frequently asked by the natives for what they called ,, child medicine," i. e. a medicine to procure children with for persons who were barren. They would have given any thing for it, if he could have pro cured it for them. Of course he told them that he was not in the possession of such a medicine, and that it was God alone who could give us children, as they where his gift. (Cf. Tra ditions pag. 17. 19.) § 8. If one commits adultery with the woman of another man, they consider it a very serious offence, and the offender is se verely punished for it. If a man marries a woman, and finds her defloured, or not a virgin, he may send her back to her family; but if he finds her a virgin, he will, a few days after the marriage, send a present to her parents in token of her vir ginity, which present is called : a-bola, and generally consists of a gun, or of an iron pot, or of- tobacco, which is sent along with a white cloth, which latter article is always necessary for this purpose. (Cf. Deut. 22, 13. etc.) § 9. The Temnes use to kill deformed children after their birth. The persons, who perform this cruel act, are not the parents themselves; but particular persons called r'a ra-sam, pl. y'etr e-sam, lit. „a holy" or „sacred thing," or „a thing set apart from common use for some particular object;" and then as ap- Preface. VII t plied to persons: „people set apart from common use for a par ticular object." Thus the name of the work, which these people do, is applied also to the persons who do it, and we have here an Abstractum pro Concreto, as is sometimes the case in Temne. (For r'a ra-sam is generally not used of animate objects; though they may say r'a ra-hesam, „a living creature;" but here it is the adjective, which makes the word to signify an animate being.) These persons are said to perform this cruel act at night, when no other person is allowed to be present, while engaged in it. They either burn these unhappy creatures, or strangle them by stopping their breath. This accounts for the circumstance, that we see no deformed, or crippled children or persons among the Temnes, or but very very seldom. The reason why they act in this manner is no doubt because they attach some superstitious fear to such a deformed offspring, thinking that such a child would not only become an unlucky being itself; but also bring evil or misfortune upon the family. § 10. a) Of a proper resurrection of the dead on the last day, the Temnes have no idea; though they believe in some kind of judgment or retribution after death, or that their state after death will depend on their conduct here in this world. They believe that all men, who live in this world will go to the Hades (i. e. ro-krifi , *) „place" or „abode of departed spirits") , when they die, and will remain there for ever without a body; some in a happy, some in an unhappy state, according to their be haviour here.