A Drummer's Testament

Chapter III-9: How a Family Separates

How families separate through marriage of different lines, through mixing of chieftaincy and commoner lines, and through inter-tribal mingling

Figures

4. example: drummer's daughter marries blacksmith
5. example: soothsayer's daughter marries maalam
6. example: barber marries drummer's daughter
7. example: Alhaji Ibrahim's sister married a butcher; how the line is separating
8. Alhaji Ibrahim has given a daughter to a drummer; expands the line
9. marrying outside the family line kills the line
10. maintaining the connection of your daughter's children to their grandfather's house
11. marrying inside the line is not compulsory; a choice; mingling and friendship are senior to family
12. marrying inside the family; marrying cousins; common among typical Dagbamba
13. examples: Naa Zanjina's wife Laamihi; Naa Siɣli's wife Aminara
14. marrying inside the family keeps the family alive; funeral example
15. the family's door is its work; the separation comes with the childrens' children
16. the different doors have standing in tradition: butchers, blacksmiths, barbers, drummers
17. butchers' line from Naa Dimani; they have their chiefs
18. blacksmiths, barbers, and butchers are one family; some outside people now enter their work
19. children do their father's work; different work can separate the family
20. giving daughter to someone who does the same work holds the family together

21. example of how a line can separate or mix
22. Karaga Lun-Naa Baakuri from house of Palo; married daughter of chief; two lines
23. learning the story; Karaga drummer praised Palo-Naa Kosaɣim among grandfathers
24. how the door separated with Karaga Lun-Naa Blemah
25. all drummers from Bizuŋ; Abudu and Andani house drummers respect that
26. different towns' drummers are one family with different doors; from Bizuŋ and Lunʒɛɣu
27. separation from marrying different women; drummers are one family with different doors

28. child of a chief is a prince; marrying a chief leads to separation from family
29. child prince stays with mother's side, but no respect or allegiance to the mother's family
30. mother's side does not help a prince get chieftaincy; princes go to father's side
31. some chiefs share their children with their brothers or elders
32. chief's family does not extend as much as commoner's family

33. some mixing with other tribes, but the children are separated
34. mixing with a tribe like Mossi is different from mixing with Gurunsi; spoils family
35. Gurunsis were slaves; children won't participate in customs; quarrels in the house; bluffing
36. modern times more mixing; spoiling families; still an issue in Dagbon
37. all right to marry other tribe's maalams (Hausas, Zambarimas); children remained in Dagbon
38. marrying other tribes was refused
39. even useless Dagbana is better; the grandchildren remain in the family
40. Dagbamba respect a large and extended family

When the world started, we were all one.

The different lines come from the taking of women.

It is the taking of women that brings about the separation of the family.

There are many parts inside a family. There are four parts coming down to the father's house and the mother's house.

How a family turns to become another family, its ways of separating are many.

We don't want our line to die.

“Has he died in all?”

It's just like when you catch a fish and the fish jumps out of your hand and falls into the water: it will go to its house.

We are all one in Dagbon, but everybody has got his way.

Truly, we are all farmers, because whatever work you do, you have to buy food.

The separation of the family will be coming from the children your children give birth to.

All of us are one: everybody is a chief's son and everybody is a commoner.

How a family is, you don't doubt.

It is the taking of women that has come to mix the family.

He has seen chieftaincy and refused his family.

Chieftaincy can reduce a family.

Wherever the princes go, every commoner fears them, and we don't want to be involved with them and their troubles.

A chief's family too does not extend as much as a commoner's family.

Spoiling the family and repairing the family, the talks seem to look alike, but they are not.

Making the family well and gathering the family is our big talk.

It is now that everything is spoiled, and it is the eye-opening which has brought all of it.

We say that if you come from a small family, then you are useless person.

People will take your family to know you.