“Mbwaa”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

By the mid and possibly early 20th century, "No living elder recalled the location of Mbwaa. Nor informants declare, did their grandfathers remember it.” In Meru folklore, this would date it's existence to before 1830.^[3]

Way of life

Trade

In the telling, the people of Mbwaa were traders. They sourced ivory from a group of people referred to as Nguo Ntuni who lived within small walled villages that were scattered at various points on the mainland and used as trading centers. They would then sell this ivory to a figure from a related Meru tradition referred to as Mukuna Ruku.

Mukuna Ruku lived behind a log stockade that the Nguo Ntuni had constructed on the mainland. He had red skin, which he kept covered at all times with cloth, a fact the islanders found odd. Mukuna Ruku is described to have been unique in that he never appeared or spoke to the islanders. Instead, men of Mbwaa left heavy loads of ivory at the narrow gate of the stockade. Then they beat upon a piece of wood that hung nearby (gakuna ruku: to beat a piece of wood) and having drawn attention they withdrew from view.

The gate then opened, and Mukuna Ruku took the tusks, leaving prescribed amounts of beads in exchange ("placing tucu, marutia , and ngambi (beads) into the horn"). He beat the wood once more to attract the islanders' attention, then left. No word was spoken on either side.^[2]

Fishing

As told, the economy of the island was based largely on fishing. Men carved small wooden hooks to catch tiny fish along the reefs.^[4]

Agriculture

Accounts indicate that men of Mbwaa also kept goats, sheep, and short-horned cattle. Through trade they acquired donkeys from a people re-called as Cucu (Somali). The donkeys drew water from shallow wells dug near the island's center. The wells also supported crops of millet and yams, supplemented by sugar cane, bananas, and sap from a palm that was brewed into beer.^[4]

Inconsistencies

In all accounts, the people of Mbwaa were conquered by an invading people that appear to have a different way of life. Inconsistencies however are found in the description of the invaders.^[5]

Arrival

In some accounts, the invaders arrive in a large sailing vessel that landed on the mainland opposite the islands western shore. Invaders from the ships then crossed the intervening waters on crude wooden rafts. Other accounts give a picture of a broader invasion.^[5]

Invaders

Some accounts refer to the invaders as Nguruntune, or red-legs, a term that the Batu speaking peoples used in olden days to refer to non-Africans such as Europeans, Persians and Arabs. Other accounts refer to invaders who wore a single, red cloth, tied around the waist and at the shoulder, and bound another around their heads. Each carried a short sword of the scimitar type, of which the blade curved backwards and only the outer edge was honed.^[6]

Conquest

In some accounts, there was a single battle in which the use of guns proved decisive and after which defeat was complete. In other accounts, the islanders did not resist. In all accounts however conquest was complete.^[6]

Aftermath

Inconsistencies also appear in the narration of the period after the conquest;^[7]

Flight

Some narrations of the account tells of a conscious decision to forever leave their homeland. Elaborate plans were made where specific clans were designated to carry and protect certain items while on the march. Those items noted are the yam stem, the goat and items held sacred to the community.^[7]

Persecution

Other narratives talk of a period of submission to the new rulers before which the islanders grew hostile, refusing to herd flocks and till fields as commanded.^[7]

References

1. ^Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.44 [https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft8199p24c;brand=ucpress online]
2. ^¹Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.44
3. ^Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.21
4. ^¹Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.20
5. ^¹Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.46
6. ^¹Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.42-46
7. ^¹²Fadiman, J., When We Began There Were Witchmen, University of California Press, 1994, p.48-49

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