Poetry of the Kuba People

The Kuba Kingdom is a pre-colonial Central African kingdom that existed in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). This kingdom was formed when the Kuba people from northern regions of Africa migrated to the area bordered by the Sankuru, Lulua and Kasai rivers in the 1600's. There they integrated with the many tribes already living in the region and formed a thriving multicultural kingdom. The Kuba brought with them an organized social and political structure which helped them gain power in the region and build a thriving kingdom that lasted for over 270 years (1625 to 1900). The kingdom included about 20 distinct tribes, each of which had a representative that participated in the governing of the kingdom.

The Kuba oral tradition is so accurate that when measured against Western estimates of how long the kingdom had been in existence the dates were spot on. The Kuba people still live in the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The following is a poem of the Kuba people.

~Death~

There is no needle without a piercing point.

There is no razor without trenchant blade.

Death comes to us in many forms.

With our feet we walk the goat's earth.

With our hands we touch God's sky.

Some future day in the heat of noon,

I shall be carried shoulder high

through the village of the dead.

When I die, don't bury me under forest trees,

I fear their thorns.

When I die, don't bury me under forest trees,

I fear the dripping water.

Bury me under the great shade trees in the market,

I want to hear the drums beating

I want to feel the dancers' feet.

Sources:

Humanities in the Ancient and Pre-Modern World: Wendel P. Jackson (General Editor)

History of the Kuba Kingdom: University of Kansas: http://bit.ly/oZbPyi

Kuba: Encyclopedia Britannica: http://bit.ly/o7pYti

Kuba Kingdom: Wikipedia: http://bit.ly/pUHIET

Photo by Kelene Blake: Display of African Masks including two Kuba Masks (lower left and center)

Poetry of the Akan People

The art and literature of a people is an important part of their history. African poetry and literature have been obscure for a long time, partly because of the reliance on oral tradition, but mostly because of the disruptive effects of colonialism on culture and education. This month I will be doing a series of posts of beautiful African poetry of ancient and pre-modern times. African poetry speak on a variety of topics such as religion, happiness, family, community, life, death, love, trust... the same things many modern poems are about.

In this post I present two poems from the Akan people. The Akan is an ethnic group found mostly in Ghana and Ivory Coast, but African diaspora world wide are influenced by many of Akan folklore such as Anansi (Caribbean) and Br'er Rabbit (Caribbean, USA) and Akan names are also seen throughout the worldwide diaspora. Some names of Akan origin that I have encountered in Trinidad include Cuffy (Kofi), and Cudjoe (Kojo).

The following are two short poems of the Akan people.

~The Creator~

The path crosses the river;

the river crosses the path.

Which is the elder?

We made the path and found the river;

the river is from long ago,

from the creator of the universe.

~Lament~

Your death has taken me by surprise.

What were your wares

that they sold out so quickly?

When I meet my father, he will hardly recognize me:

He'll find me carrying all I have:

a torn old sleeping mat and a horde of flies.

The night is fast approaching.

The orphan is dying to see its mother.

Sources:

Humanities in the Ancient and Pre-Modern World: Wendel P. Jackson (General Editor)

Akan People: Wikipedia: http://bit.ly/i6WjVL

Coromantee People: Wikipedia: http://bit.ly/pEdGN5

Photo by Kelene Blake