Febuary 2013

Dan Duke, Wycliffe Missionary

February 2013 — A window into the Bagyele world!!!

Greetings from Cameroon!

          I’ve been here since July 6, 2012. After nine months in the USA, I had a lot of catching up to do when I arrived. I’ve been working with a team from Leiden University to collect recordings and study the Bagyele language. These recordings and the dictionary we are making will be the basis for my PhD dissertation in African Linguistics from Leiden.

         In this issue of the Dan Chronicles, I would like to share some extracts of the hours of Bagyele recordings we’ve been working on. Soon all of the over 40 hours of recordings will be available on a website for everyone to see or hear. For now, I will give you a little preview. Enjoy!

Song : We are leaving!

“My people, come, we are leaving! Let’s go! Where are we going, my God? 

What will do I?  Where will I sleep? Let it go. Let’s just leave.”

Comments: In many sad songs the Bagyele call out either to “mother” or to “ zambe” (the Creator). Here they express one of their main strategies for survival: keep moving. These days, however, there is often no place for them to move on to.

Folktale: Who stole the honey?

“Nzambe went to collect honey from one of his trees. When he climbed up to the

bee’s nest, the honey was already gone! All the forest animals were gathered to be

questioned about the theft. All denied taking the honey, but Wa’a the chimpanzee

kept swatting at bees who were attracted to him. Watch the gestures!”

          Comments: This is one of many stories told to encourage us to always be generous and bring a lot of groceries and money whenever we come to visit them at camp. “Watching the gestures” means “understanding the social situation and knowing how to treat people.” We usually bring a lot of gifts, but from their point of view, we never bring enough.

Song: If I stay where I am, I will die

“If I stay where I am sitting, I will die. Oh my people, if I stay here I risk dying. Oh my mother!”

Song : Who will carry Mba?

“Mba (a personal name), who will carry him? The early morning light has come.

The day has arrived. Oh my mother, let us go.”

           Comments: When someone is sick in the settlement or in the camp, or when someone is bitten by a snake, getting them to where they can be treated is a big problem. Recently a young woman from Kwambo camp nearly died from a snake bite which could have been treated in a hospital only 10 miles away. In her case, she did survive, thank God. Many do not.

Praise God and join me in prayer for:

Continued health, although I do need to lower my blood sugar more.

Success in attaining all of our goals for recording and transcribing texts in the Bagyele language.

New motor for my vehicle, almost fully repaired now.

I’m beginning to understand Bagyele finally!

Good opportunities to witness to the Bagyele language workers