A Drummer's Testament

Chapter II-23:  The Priests of the Land

Local gods and shrines; how tindanas inherit their chieftaincies; women tindanas; comparison of tindanas and chiefs; chiefs who are tindanas; the Dapkɛmas; tindanas and chiefs of Tamale; relations of tindanas and chiefs: drum history story of Mionlana Mahami and Tindaan' Ʒee

• Paragraph outline and links
• Proverbs and sayings
• Dagbani words and other search terms

Contents outline and links by paragraph

Introduction

• 1.    The gods and shrines (buɣa) of Dagbon; older than Muslim religion
• 2.    tindana:  person in charge of the shrine; “holds” the town

How tindanas inherit their position

• 3.    tindana's succession varies:  sister's son, first-born son, first-born daughter, alternates
• 4.    follow the family and the custom of the particular town
• 5.    how a tindana's line can separate within a family to brother's children or daughter's children
• 6.    how a tindana's line can separate to sister's children; resemblance to other inheritance
• 7.    two doors:  alternation of woman as tindana with male tindana
• 8.    how the two doors can develop in the succession pattern
• 9.    how the two lines share the work of the tindana
• 10.  resemblance of succession pattern to the chieftaincies of Yaa-Naa's daughters; examples
• 11.  example:  Kumbungu; some towns have more than one tindana; every town has its way

Comparison of tindanas and chiefs

• 12.  different from chiefs; don't use money or respect to become a tindana; only follows family
• 13.  tindana does not leave a town to go to another town; makes sacrifices and “holds” the town with the chief
• 14.  chief is a stranger; war by Naa Shitɔbu and Naa Nyaɣsi to take over chieftaincy of the towns
• 15.  tindanas are older than chiefs; their lines do not mix
• 16.  chief also looks after the town
• 17.  chief and tindana respect one another; tindana is older, but chief is stonger
• 18.  example:  Gukpe-Naa and land for building
• 19.  tindana knows the town because his family is from the town; works with the god

Becoming a tindana

• 20.  tindanas are “caught”; donkey tail symbol of chieftaincy
• 21.  succession is usually clear
• 22.  elders circle around new tindana and throw the tail; cannot refuse
• 23.  new tindana's life changes at once; enters a room for training
• 24.  shave head; kpɛya powder on head; beat Ʒɛm; walk through market
• 25.  market people lock up their goods or tindana's people collect it

Chieftaincies that resemble tindanas

• 26.  tindana in from the town and stays in the town; some chiefs also don't leave the town
• 27.  chiefs who are like tindanas:  Gushegu, Kumbungu, Tolon, Gukpeogu
• 28.  chiefs who do not leave the towns who are not tindanas:  Yelizoli, Nanton, Sunson; from Yaa-Naa's line; started with Yelizolilana Gurumancheɣu, Nanton-Naa Musa, Sunson-Naa Timaani
• 29.  some chieftaincies of women's children but not tindanas; strangers to the town
• 30.  Gushe-Naa, Tolon-Naa, Kumbun-Naa, Gukpe-Naa are tindanas; many resemblances

Tamale chiefs

• 31.  formerly ruled by tindana, Wulshe-Naa and Choggo-Naa; Nyankpalalana and Banvimlana also in the area; Gukpe-Naa and Dakpɛma were brought to Tamale
• 32.  Dakpɛma, the market chief,  brought by the Tamale tindana
• 33.  Dakpɛma given to Tamale tindana by Kumbun-Naa during Naa Yakuba's time
• 34.  tindana gave Dakpɛma walking stick and donkey tail for authority
• 35.  Dakpɛma starting:  stayed in tindana's house
• 36.  Gukpe-Naa a tindana in his town near Yendi, but a stranger in Tamale

Samban' luŋa story of Mionlana Mahami and Tindaan' Ʒee

• 37.  tindanas returned to towns after Naa Nyaɣsi's wars' Samban' luŋa example:  Mionlana Mahami, grandson of Naa Gungobli
• 38.  Sambuɣli:  god of Mion; new Mionlana must make sacrifice to it
• 39.  Tindaan' Ʒee and Mion people refuse to allow Mionlana Mahami to make sacrifice
• 40.  tindana hides woman in pot to refuse the sacrifice
• 41.  Mionlana Mahami abused by child
• 42.  the child explains the situation and advises Mionlana Mahami
• 43.  Mionlana Mahami goes with force to make the sacrifice
• 44.  the tindana and townspeople explain their refusal
• 45.  Mionlana Mahami makes the sacrifice; refusing a new Mionlana is a custom
• 46.  story shows that the chief does not know a town or its god
• 47.  Muslim chiefs therefore sacrifice to the town's god; Muslims do not make sacrifices

Conclusion

• 48.  talk of the gods relates to typical Dagbamba, not Muslims; next topic:  the main gods of Dagbon

Proverbs and Sayings

According to our custom, if you have no children, your grandson can stand as your son.

Some things can look like one another but they are not the same.

As the tindana is there, then the chief is the stranger in the town.

The tindanas have the same name as the soothsayers: “If he tells you, you shouldn't accept and you shouldn't refuse.”

Someone who loves family will not get someone who loves him.  (Kpatu-Naa Shetu)

Everyone knows what he knows at his own place.

Dagbani words and other search terms

• Chiefs of Yendi
• Naa Abilaai Nagbiegu  (Naa Abilaai Naɣbiɛɣu)
• Naa Gbewaa
• Naa Gungobli
• Naa Nyagsi  (Naa Nyaɣsi)
• Naa Shitobu  (Naa Shitɔbu)
• Naa Tutugri  (Naa Tutuɣri)
• Naa Yakuba
• Naa Zanjina
• Naa Ziblim Bandamda
• Naa Zolgu  (Naa Zɔlgu)
• Yaa-Naa, Yaa-Naas

• Chiefs and elders
• Gushe-Naa Amidu
• Gushe-Naa Moro
• Kpatu-Naa Shetu
• Kugalogu-Naa Samaata  (Kuɣalɔɣu-Naa Samaata)
• Kumbun-Naa Zimbaa Pannyu'ma
• Mionlana Mahami
• Mionlana Torgu
• Nakpanzoo-Naa Zara
• Nanton-Naa Braimah
• Nanton-Naa Dokogu  (Nanton-Naa Dokɔɣu)
• Nanton-Naa Mahama Yindoo
• Nanton-Naa Mahama
• Nanton-Naa Musa
• Nanton-Naa Nyerga  (Nanton-Naa Nyɛrga)
• Savelugu-Naa Bukari Kantampara
• Savelugu-Naa Mahami
• Sunson-Naa Timaani
• Yelizolilana Gurumanchegu  (Yelizolilana Gurumancheɣu)
• Yelizolilana Lagfu  (Yelizolilana Laɣfu)
• Yelizolilana Yidantogma  (Yelizolilana Yidantoɣma)
• Yimahi-Naa Fajimah

• Chieftaincies and titles
• Banvimlana
• Choggo-Naa
• Dakpema, Dakpemas  (Dakpɛma, Dakpɛmas)
• Gbonlana  (Gbɔŋlana)
• Gukpe-Naa
• Gushe-Naa
• Kumbungunlana  (Kumbuŋguŋlana)
• Kumbun-Naa
• Nanton-Naa
• Nyankpalalana
• Savelugu-Naa
• Sunson-Naa
• Tolon-Naa
• Wulana
• Wulshe-Naa
• Yelizolilana

• Names and people
• Holy Prophet Muhammad
• Kissmal [Ibrahim Hussein]
• Miriam
• Saambugli  (Saabuɣli)
• Tincheli-Naa
• Tindaan' Zhee  (Tindaan' ʒee)
• Tincheli-Naa

• Musical terms
• Bimbiegu  (Bimbiɛɣu)
• Samban' lunga  (Samban' luŋa)
• Zhem  (Ʒɛm)

• Miscellaneous terms
• bugalana  (buɣalana)
• bugli, buga  (buɣli, buɣa)
• buntaanga  (buntaaŋa)
• calabashes
• chieftaincy, chieftaincies
• Dagbani
• housechildren
• housepeople
• kpeya  (kpɛya)
• meenga  (meeŋa)
• Muslims
• nahiba  (ŋahiba)
• pakpon  (pakpɔŋ)
• tinga lana  (tiŋa lana)
• tingbia n-nye o  (tiŋbia n-nyɛ o)
• tindana, tindaannima
• tindanas
• yerayera  (yɛrayɛra)

• Towns and places
• Accra
• Banvim
• Choggo
• Dagbon
• Diari
• Gukpeogu
• Gushegu
• Kakpaguyili
• Karaga
• Karaga Nangun  (Karaga Nanguŋ)
• Katariga
• Kugalogu  (Kuɣalɔɣu)
• Kumbungu
• Kumbuŋguŋ
• Lamashegu
• Mion
• Nakpanzoo
• Nanton
• Nyankpala
• Saasigli  (Saasiɣli)
• Salaga
• Sambu
• Savelugu
• Singa
• Sunson
• Takoradi
• Toligu
• Tolon
• Yelizoli
• Yendi
• Yimahigu

• Cultural groups
• Ashantis
• Dagbamba