History of Katagwan and Gworok Language Translation To English (The Oegworok Orature)

KADUNA STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION GIDAN WAYA

 P.M.B. 1024, KAFANCHAN.

Research Topic: TOWARDS THE REVITALIZATION AND PRESERVATION OF THE OEGWOROK ORATURE

PRESENTED TO MR. AMOS D. BIVAN

COURSE CODE; ENG 325 (ORATURE)

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

13^TH JUNE, 2016

   GROUP MEMBERS

S/N	Name	Adm. No.	Combination
1.	Edward Joshua	2013/----	Eng/Sos
2.	Joy John Murna	2013/----	Eng/Sos

Introduction

The term Kagoro, refers to the people, the language and the land, the town is located about 240km, south of Kaduna state capital. It occupies an approximate land space of about 110km sq, and has been in that place for over 200years. Kagoro was an adjunct of Jema’a local government Area before it was carved out together with Manchok (Sheliyo) district to constitute the present Kaura Local Government Area.

            The origin of the people is traced to Bauchi Highlands where they migrated from to settle where they are today, a place named GWOROK.

“KAGORO” is an adulterated form of calling “GWOROK” by Hausawa, Fulani and other non-Kagoro speakers who made early contact with the Kagoro as a result of trade or those that sojourned into their land to settle down with them.

The People Anyed Agworog

Kā nāɧ ənyio Gworog, əkwān ə tərāg əbyin, ənyedgbϮshi, nbyāɧ  nwābku. Ājyi kā ulu’o ndyo nshio? Ābyin āgworog kā shio nyed utāg ukārāɧ  Kādunā. Kānāɧ ā wād uzā Kādunā nyed mutāk, suwāk zāɧ o, āshio kā. Nyio utāk, ānā wād fāntwām (Moro’ā ko Mānchok) bā bā byāɧ  tu tāmāk bāā fān kā uyoɧ  nāɧ  ogān ni nbyāɧ  ulwo iāhiwi. Kā kyo byoɧ  ti tyāg gāg ku bā tu ku bā byoɧ  tu nād umi Gidān Wāyā.

            ɧ yāɧ  nā torāk nāɧ  āgworog bā nyio Bāuchi. Nyio bābu cāt swāt ku bā gugud, ko cyo nwād ki cāt kyāɧ  yā bāst coɧ  kāi uluo byoɧ  b swān bə əfān ākyo āɧ yi Āfān əgworog ni. Āliād hyāb nbyāɧ  əghuwo cyo əgworog bā (ālyāg bā’ā) cyok bā swān bā āpāi ə byin, əwo utsun āɧ yi Ābyin Āgworog ni.

            Ānyed gbā dϮd Ϯd torāg nāɧ āyorok əgworog kā wuruk bu unuɧ  Āpāt kyo (Hāusā). Bāi ki lyāu nkyāɧ  cyo bā now lyrim dā āgyi əgworog yāgro? ĀsϮ yoroɧ  ā yorog ākyo swān swāt ku nāɧ  goro ni “Āgoro” bāā pāt sϮn bwāg myed nyo “kāwo goro” dā kun shio dug. Iko cyo utsun on lāg di “wə” āsϮ wā wəd “kā” ko sun wāg onwād nyo ni, “Kāgoro” bā ānyo ācyo əgworog sun ɧ yoɧ  bun sāk ālyorog kā “Āgworog”

The Culture

The culture and traditions of the Kagoro arre fluid as such the major tradition on which other aspects of cultures anchor is the Swong Aboi (Aboi Dance). This has to do with the initiation of men into a strong organization whose activities are restricted to men only. It was not an initiation into adulthood as the ages of the initiates were fluid. Precisely, a child of 6years and below could be initiated. This is negating the view some people might hold that it was geared towards adulthood. The occasion is usually held in April/May of every year. The boys to be initiated in most cases are usually of the same age group. Aboi dance in which the initiation takes place does not involve the females. In other words, young girls are not initiated in Aboi dance as done to the boys. Such boys can participate in performing some cultural rites such as “rain making”, circumcision of other boys, poisoning of arrows for hunting wild game, leading newly initiated boys in their activities during the initiation ceremony and the like.

            The tradition of ‘Aboi’ in Kagoro is to instill discipline on everybody whether male or female. Anybody can be discipline by the ‘Aboi’ if he/she goes contrary to what the community rejects such as stealing, going against parents unnecessary and greed, it help shape the youths to love manual labour and develop skill to face the challenges in life.

Nyo Nbyan Akwa Agworog Ba

Kyāɧ byāɧ bo ābyin Āgworog. Āgworog bā yet ānyed swon obwāi byo. Bā kwon toɧ hwod didyeb Ātyenci bā bābyo bwok ābyin kā, bā nyo sukwo owon nbyāɧ ākwāi; ānti nnwān zām byo māi ni ān nog kukwāi bānā ti tān. Kānāɧ ā turuɧ āzāh bā oyi kāi bā wod. Jenə zo swoɧ əbwāi ji. Āwod dyāɧ nnuān bā bāy sāy bā, ātyu āwo cāt āsiit gukā hyāy ni, ālien nāɧ kā byo lāg tson. Sukwo iko nā cyo bā tswāɧ əpyo bān wād əkwā ɧwon kā.

            Tyi nuān ku bā ābwoi ku ghāy. Ānti unyem dāk Ānyio nyo əzo əntorāk et ətyok, fuɧ nhed, utā, nbyāɧ ākum nkyāɧ əhwo nā sālāy imyāb bā dām, tswāɧ, tswoɧ nbyān nyo nkyān ənyio myim ni, əni nād bən gu bā ətyo nboi u əhwāt gu tsu tswo, jejen jyāɧ āntttn bāgn. Kə nāɧ kyāɧ ku yet tsān zo. Əghād ālyo lāg  nyo ntām, lāg cāt ənyed, kwān jyo, āyā dumā ɧyāɧ, nkum kā. Nboi u nu torāg kyāɧ nyo ku. Kānāɧ ānu’u nyo tān, ənyo tān, usārāk, ndə, zwā, nyinyāɧ ku nāɧ hui ānu’u.

A brief History of Katagwan

Katagwan was a giant, a hunter, a warrior, and a civil right defender, this village Dusai was his home, He lived and died in this village. He had a house and family. They remnants of his family are called the Kagwan clan. To prove that Katagwan was a civil right defender and believe on equal rights and justice; he taught his people how to practice equal right and justice in this manner; if hunters shoot an animal with their poisonous arrows, and there was an argument on who first hit the animal. Katagwan will stretch his long arm and pick the animal and drop it at the house of the right person that first shoots the animal for them to share when they return.

            The stream that passes through Dusai land, when it over flows its banks in the rainy season, he will stretch his long arm to serve as a bridge for his people to cross to the other side for farming.

            Katagwan had his footprints, that of his dog, and the mark of his spear on the following hills to mark his hunting zones and his kingdom. These footprints are on these hills;

a.       Aduwo Shuwai at Agban, Kagoro

b.      Dusai, Kagoro

c.       Afan Takad, in Takad chiefdom

d.      Rahama Hills in Chawai chiefdom

e.       Afan Atyap in Atyap chiefdom

f.       Afan Adan in Wadon, Bajju chiefdom

Katagwan never drank water from any source other than his specific source of water known as UDONG KATAGWAN, this is an underground source of water in a little cave on the foot of the hills.

            Due to his size, he could not sleep in their types of houses at that time; instead, he used a cave on top of the hill as his bedroom.

            Finally, he dug his grave by himself. The prints which he used to bring out the earth are marked on his grave. At his terminal illness, he went into his grave and lay in it and gave up his ghost. His people then covered the grave and gave him all the death rituals he deserved. He was greatly honoured by his people, neighbours and all well wishers and also a great legend.

Kagoro Proverbs

1.      Tswo tāboi yā tsun tswā’ā (kāgoro)

To help someone without expecting anything (English)

2.       Chong dāb u shāi gwugwu ā ku (Kāgoro)

Walk without matching your shadow (English)

3.      Ā chio ā nu kiag ā fang ā jung āngwān gu kā, kā ufāg tswung āh? (Kāgoro)

Will a father carry a stone and give his son if his hungry? (English)

4.      Kiāng ākāu bāndāng āyin ā di ni, yāun ā wo yāt shinsshio uni, kā āfāg ā yiyā, junjun kiāng, ā nu tābā yāu ādi ku dāk (Kāgoro)

What an elderly man have seen, you that is still growing up, even you climb the tallest tree, you cannot see it (English)

Stories in Kagoro

1.      Ākwāi ā chio ān biyāɧ uɧwān bān āt krāp, nāɧ bān chuɧ ni, ɧwān kā sā tuk tā kā, usu shwot,  āchio āsu yi ni, dā ā chiāɧ ulu’o kā dā. Ā su lāk chio uɧwān ku sānu. Bā su chigā bā bu chyet ku. Āntāt uluwo gyāɧ āchio ā su tuk tāg ā su shwot. ɧwān kā ā yi, kāt bābā ābu chiāɧ ulukā dā, nāɧ ān shwot kwā ni? (Kāgoro)

There was a man and his son, they were walking to the farm while they were walking, the son hit his leg and fell down and the father said; my son, don’t you have eyes? Instead of saying sorry, They continue walking then the father hit his leg and fell down and the son laugh and said; daddy, you no longer have your sight too, you also have fallen down. 

2.      Ā swām nbiyāɧ āgwāt nāt tsāɧ, nāɧ bā nnāt ni, āwun bās u yin krum nān bān āt bile ni ā wān āgwāt u ā su ye ākwāi kurum ku checherāck āmā ā swām āye āi ɧu tu yim kurum ku ā wān āgwāt ā su ye. Bā sufārā kwān bā āgyān. Nnāg bā shio bu kwān ku ni ā wān uvwu su bāi u su bāi u su yin kurum ku. Nāɧ bān yuɧ kwān ku nib ā su chāt kurum ku yuiye. (Kāgoro)

There was a rat and rabbit, they went to steal money, when they stole the money and went home, the rabbit said rat let us share the money, then the rat said no we won’t share it equally, that he stole the money while the rabbit watched over. Then they started fighting and a dog came from nowhere and stole the money from them. (English)

A Lullaby/Abwon Nmarag

A brave child of his mother can never be left alone in the wilderness for the wolves spirit will send heroes for deliverance.

Ābwon Nmārāg

Tswān sāg ālyo  āyān

Āni wān kā uyid nnuād

Ābwo kā nbwāg ubwā uyid dāk

Tswā āyān ji ni chio ushio

Sān nbwāg wālyāg

Bwok Aofan (Afan Festival)

One other dominant tradition in Kagoro is the Afan Festival which is celebrated every 1^st January. The phrase “Afan festival” has been coined to meet modern meaning. Originally, the tradition was done and is still being done after the purification of the kagoro Hill for the different abundant natural resources the people of Kagoro got from God through the Hill. Such resources like; abundant rain fall which makes fertility possible and results to good harvest. During the festival, traditional dance are organized, relations visit one another, and parties are organized by all villages. It is a period the population of kagoro increases because most sons and daughters of kagoro residing out of Kagoro often come home to see their parents and celebrate the occasion together. It is the period visitors love most in Kagoro because of the festive atmosphere and attention given them.

Afan Festial-Bwog Afan

Āgworog bā byo kyāɧ əkwo əɧyi bwog əfān ni. Sukwi bā nyio kun wād nkyāɧ ənyio uzāh kā (Āgwāzā tuzā, wo nyo ābyin kā nbyāɧ tuzā ji ni) nyio bā dyo bā ālyo kā ni. Nkyāɧ nāɧ kāi ndāh, usārāg, turuɧ ufā cib, turuɧ əpio syed, shyād nyām bu uyid eoɧ dyo buli, bāy bu zāh, nbyāɧ əkum nkyāɧ ākyo Uzāh kā nyio ni.

            Bwog di nyi? Āni turuɧ tintān tyenci bā bānād bā fuɧ əfān kā, ənkwon uzāh kā ntoɧ, ān torāk Uzāh kā dyeb konyān tuzā gukā. Kānāɧ bā bwog ətyāk , əyi cyok əbāy gereb ku. Bu gereb ku, ənbyo ānyed nswoɧ gwugwā, zwunwuk, kodāy, zwunzwom ucyo, zwunzwom ucyon, hwo, əɧwuruɧ, gugwā, swoɧ jāu myin nshio, bān hyāu Ϯtnton, ānshio wāliāk bā.

            Ānin ɧyonāɧ ənyed cicən bān nturāk cāt bā ku tuzā koyān. Bā ni nwāk ānyed cicən jen bān dyād nkyāɧ āgyi bābā ti ni, nbyāɧ tsutswo bābā fog ni. Ān-gyā nkyāɧ yā bə dϮdϮd, ən show sākwod nāɧ ātsāk sākwod, əkān, ncāt, tābwāy, nām, bədϮdϮd.

            Nnwām ənyio ānyo ji swoɧ bwok Āfān ji ni, “nwām utsā zwād jyuɧ bu kozān əlyo fāy” (first Jānuāry of every month). Ko cyo tsun ə vuwāk āncyo nuwām bereb bā ābyin Nigeriā ɧeyen.

Marriage

Marriage is that relation between a man and a woman in which the independence is equal, the independence is mutual and the obligation reciprocal. The Kagoro marry and give in marriage just as any other tribe does. The difference Kagoro may have slightly with other tribes is they way and manner in which they contract and perform the marriage. By tradition, three forms of marriage could be performed; child marriage, adolescent marriage and second marriage.

Marriage in Gworog People (Ngyeran Agworog)

Gbā nāɧ əkum ənyed kā kpəmp yen bə əgworog bā, bāy ā nyārāɧ nā dāb u byo ghāy ku shi dāk. Hyui ākwā əbyin əgworog kā. Əgworog luwāy nyāɧ nā dān ntyen shi ttt nād usārāg ətād. Āgworog bā bu byo luwāy nyerāɧ ɧwon, nfuɧ nbyāɧ bwāy əyugn āfyāɧ

Child Marriage

In kagoro, thev father could choose a wife for his son based on the tradition. When a baby girl is born, the father could make his intention know that the girl should be reserved for his son. The father stressed this intention by giving the infant a ring, bangle or penny (kobo) on behalf of his son.

Didan (1991); the initial arrangement of giving the infant a ring, bangle or penny the father made was to ban any other person from making a proposal so same girl.

This method was very successful among the kagoro for performing marriage. A virgin was to get married during the rainy season after all planting has been done. After the period of planting millet (a type of grain produced in the area) has elapsed, she will now put on her marriage costume and the husband celebrates the occasion by killing a dog and sending the neck to those who helped him in the courtship. The remaining part of the slaughtered dog is sent to the father in-law. The essence of this fixed period of marriage for virgin is to enable them weed the crops the husband planted in anticipation of their coming

Child Marriage-Luway Ngwon Nyeran

Luwāy nyerāɧ nwān ku bə əbyin nbyāɧ ənejed əgworog bā di əni. Nān əkān nyo ni nwād kukwāi swād əgworog bā. Ācyo ɧwon gusyem u ni coɧ cāt ko cyām usā ənyo ən byin ɧwon gunyem ni, āwəd gu əndəb ənāh. Ānāh kā ni yed cyān kwā zo, sāy əfuruɧ ɧwon gusyem u nu nwāg ānkyāɧ nān kurum unuān ni (cowries)

Gbənāɧ Didām (1991) Ānkārāk ni “kyān ākwo cyo ənwād kurum unnān ku kunuɧ cyo əno ɧwon ni, ubu byāɧ sāy səgbugn bə ənyed əbyo nā cāt ɧyāɧ tuzā ɧwon gu nyem kāni” sukwi bu turāk nāɧ luāk nāɧ lwāy ənā buɧ gwon gu nyem bu nnwād yā uswon nbyāɧ ushām ɧyān.

            Bə ābyin ābyāɧ əgworog bā, əbyo jen əzo ān luwāy ɧyerāɧ nā ni. Ā luwāi nyārāɧ nāb ā əwān, kānāɧ ə tyāg fwāy nyāg nā. nyāg nāɧ zwug ni, sworāg, nbyāɧ əkum kyāɧ kā.

            Nnuām nyerāɧ nā, ənyād u nā fyed ubwā, əwəd ətəm bu tsokku tu nwāk gpāndān bā byo byān gu cāt li ku. Āwəd ətām bu əkum nām kā ubwā bā əkwāɧ u, əwān ānyed ntām ābyo nā fyāy yāg ku buli ākwāɧ kā kunnuɧ gukā ni. Yāk əkwo gu kāp əbā wān bu tābāy bāku. 

Marriage Of A Divorce

In kagoro, reasons for which women were divorced by their husbands in the past are not much different from what is obtainable today depending on individuals and nature of the offence. Generally speaking, nobody retained a woman that was associated with witch-craft, flirting, and bringing dishonor to the family. It is possible for a woman to seek for divorce if the husband cannot feed her well.

Marriage Of Divorce-Swat Uli

Swāt uli ku bə əbyin əgworok ku di niyo? Kənāɧ ənā tϮn əbyug swāt-uli, Uni bāy kənāɧ əbyugəbyo gbəb əpyo, lāg tswon, tuntug, huwi ətyog əyed, tsāɧ; nwāy nwād ətyog gu’u shi, nbyāɧ əkum kətuk nyio kwo cyoɧ bu bzān əyorog uli kā ni. Uni cyo ətyog u, jen gyāɧ nbyān uli kā bā tϮn ābyug u ə nād swāt uli.

            Jen gyān tufān əbyug kā, kā kāɧ ātyog yāu byon əbyug gu’u tufān kyānyā, kwān, nbyāɧ nyo əbyug kyān əkwo nā torāk gu yet ābyug ni dāg. Uni cyo əbyug āpyo gu, ānād swāt uli

Marriage of a Widow

When a womans husband is dead, levirate takes place (an arrangement is made within the family whereby a brother to the deceased or a relation within the clan to keep the widow as his legally married wife). The person may not necessarily be unmarried nor is it competent on the woman to accept this arrangement. In this case the families that are followed in earlier discussed areas are hardly followed. The arrangement for the brother to take over the roles of retaining his late brother’s wife is purely a family affair that does not involve people outside the family. For that, no ceremony is performed in terms of celebration where friends and others are invited to come, drink, dance or live.

            It is also a responsibility on that family to send somebody to notify the parents of the widow of her new husband.

Marriage Of Widow-Bway

Āgworog bā byo əkwo əgyān tuzā əbyug əwo əhwu əwān ni, wu’o əɧyi gpotyok ābyug ni. Ku kyāɧ dyāɧ dyo di niyo? Kə nāɧ əhu’u ābyug əwād, nwād gāg əko ənyio nswād nāb u nkwāi ni, kwāi ji byo gāg ākwo ənsāy  tānkāy kpoyug ənyio. Bun kwāi ji, ən tsā buli nyerāɧ ənāb cuk. Āfāg ko shishio ətyog əbyug u cāt, kā nānāɧ gu cāt dāg, āsϮ wurug ndyo pkāi, bə bun tusā ji nkwāi ji. Kānāɧ shishio u cāt, ənā wād gu ā sāk gu, kānāɧ shishio u lāg ətio əgyān ntā uli kā bun kwāi, guo nā’u sāk ənāb u.

            Kənāɧ əbā shio ātyo nā sāk ji kpāgyug ji ni, əwəd əyi təm bu təm tāg ənyed ɧwon ānāb ji (əkwāɧ bā). Kwog ulu’o kwo sān ulu’o kāni.

Bearing Of Children

When a child was born in Kagoro, the mother had to breast feed that child for three years during the period, in addition to the breast feeding, the child was given “Gafub” (herbs collected from particular plants which were boiled and given to the infant to control constipation, purging and high body temperature). In the morning, the child would be taken out for sun-bathing so that the bones grow stronger.

            As soon as a woman has put-to-bed, she had to stay indoor for three months, until she is certified that bleeding she experienced in the process of delivery has ceased. Her staying indoors was to stop her from getting involved in any hard work; with exception of roles she would play like feeding herself, the baby and sweeping her living room.

Bearing Children-Ti Nnuam

Āgworog bā byo kyāɧ-dio, kānāɧ jen byin əbyug. Nyio bā byo ukwon ənyio ənā nwāg ābyug ufāh u āntsoɧ jen byin ji. Kānāɧ ābyug byin bāy cyog, əgworog bā byo ukwon bā əyorog ubyn ngwon cyog ku. Ukwon bā āyorog uyed gāfug (trāditionāl hārbs).

            Kānāɧ ābyug cyo sālāy, (deliver or give birth). Ānā swān but uh nbwo zwād tsād (three months) nwād əswog ānyio gu wuyem ni. Ānā swān ntsoɧ cəd, ənā nyeni ndyen? Du ino kyān yā kā nāɧ gu bā now yā kyānyā bə āpyo gu , swo bə əpyo gu, lyāɧ wu’o, kwi nkyāɧ, nbyāɧ ə kum kyāɧ dyep ākyo nā torāk corok ni.

            Nwāy ɧwon ku yed kyāɧ dyep kwo bə əgworog bā. Āni nwāy ɧwon kā əntyāg lilyo fiyāɧ tϮ nād tād. Nwāi ɧwon ku nhiyāi nwād ‘gəfug’ (trāditionā hārps) ən dwoɧ ɧwoɧ kā huwod, ufā cib, əpyo syed, nbyāɧ əkum zwān kā. Tsutsonkā, əni sāk ɧwon bu nuwām ku, təbāy tənuām āswoko bābu nuām ku, nuād cicid bā nbyāɧ kukub bā byo cəd. Ānā nyo ənyio bānād lilyo tāb ā nāt nātāt. Āwād āyi now nyo bun kā nāɧ cicādā nnuān bāni.

Circumcision

The Kagoro in there tradition practice “Tichon” (circumcision of the male children) when they are about 6years and above. This was done according to age group boys of a given age were pooled and circumcised on the same day. After the circumcision, they were kept together in a hut built at the back yard for at least one week. While there, an elderly person was assigned to stay with them and dress their wounds in the morning when they wakeup. This service is repeated until the wounds gets heal. This group of circumcised boys is usually kept away from women and other children so that the wounds are not tempered with. The best time for the exercise was during the harmatan. It is a period that they wounds would dry and heal easily. Unlike other tribes, the kagoro do not circumcise their female children.   

  

Circumcision-Ticon

Əgworog bā byo tϮson kānāɧ əbyo ko əbyin ɧwon, gusyem, əni cyo kā cyo ən torāk yet ətyok. Əny nyo nkyāɧ ənyio bu zām əzo ābyin ni. Ābyug əwo byin ni, əni swān nbyo zwād jyen jyāɧ nnuām nyio. Āni wād əcyo əswob bā zām əzo nājy, bā fəd kuni, əntsoɧ jyen corog bāji. Əny nyo nkyān ənāy bu əwān kyo. Nnuād wun kuku wum fəd ku, ku corog nāɧ jen nin shyo kyāɧ nyi nyāɧ ku ozo’o, iko yed. Āgworog bā ti con jib u unyem nā dāk. Kyān əwāyko. Nnuād ānyio, gworog ku yet ənyed fād nyiyāɧ byo. Ācyo Huhob ādsān sϮced zām.

Conclusion

The tradition of the Kagoro people was best practice by the olden people not like the present people of the kagoro land, the  most significant practice in the culture of the Kagoro is the celebration of Kagoro day (Aofan Festival) which is usually celebrated every 1^st January of every month, this celebration is still practice in the modern days.

Recommendation

The people should play a vital role in safeguarding the language and the culture of their people by documenting them in form of bible, books or songs in order to be preserve for the coming generation, our culture need to be modified so that it will last, not change or die-off.

            Songs, dances, music are also important factors that enhance the identity of our language.

            We therefore should not say that we must choose the best of our traditional culture to preserve that. We should say that we must maintain our identity, but we must be able to adapt to our values, our habits, our ways of thinking and acting through our language to make us stronger.

Reference

1.      Social Organization and Economy of Kagoro By M. G. Smith

2.      Cosmology, Practice and Social Organization Among the Kadara and Kagoro By M. G. Smith

3.      Oral Interviews.

a.      Baba Kalat Awayak

b.      Baba Gbozai Biliyok

c.       Baba Bituk Sankyang

d.      Baba Kanai Gado

e.      Baba Tachio Sambo

f.        Abobi Yohana: