February 20th Bororo Farm Palaver

Complaint of Ian , Clifford , Frederick . Frederick says that he doesn't want Bororo to come here. He says that cows don't stay up in the hills but come down to river where farms are. Mambila make ditches for irrigation and cows spoil them so that it does not irrigate and more especially drain plots. Cows compress the earth with their weight so that it can only be worked with great difficulty. D.O. Told them not to cut big trees so they plant small ones which cows trample. Darius according to them told Bororo not to spoil Mambila farms, but they hesitate to tell him when his rule is broken. Some time ago, but this year, a Fulani fined £1 for spoiling some farms. Later he brought back his cows on all of the farms as he said that he had bought the lot for £1.

Worst insult. Gul meachi=your mother's head or simply Meachi=which refers to your mother's pudenda

Women and man and woman or two women can drink from one cup. If two men want to show friendship they drink from one cup. Husband and wife don't share cup unless they are alone. You can only drink with your real sister if you are not in your compound. You can do it with classificatory sisters in your own compound. Can do it with friend female, such as your brother's wife anywhere. Not do it with pa or ma unless you pay them for right. Cannot do it with mother or father of wife under any condition, payment does not allow. Older sisters of wife you must pay, younger sisters need not pay can do. Older brother of wife you pay, younger brothers you don't have to pay to do it. For older sisters and brothers of wife you pay only once and from then on can do it always, for fa and mo. you pay each time. Its rare to do it with pa or ma, but common with others.

Order of Precedence in Drinking corn beer.

If someone gives you pot of beer, you give it to someone to divide. If you buy it you give to biggest man or to man you like. First cup to biggest man, the second to anyone you like. Frederick gets first cup if Rathbone , Obidiah , Adrian and Gregory there. If woman oldest present you give it to her. If all Kassala's there you give to the one you like best. Biggest man gets second cup immediately after everyone else served.


Previous Page | Contents | Next Page
Subject Index to fieldnotes