Appendix Ii. Fjort Songs : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], APPENDIX II. FJORT SONGS. THE following Songs and additional matter by Mr. Dennett reached the Editor's hands in letters after the rest of the book was in type. As they contained valuable illustrations of the native customs...
The Story Of A Partnership : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], THE STORY OF A PARTNERSHIP. There were two partners in trade, but they were of different tribes; one was of the tribe of Mandamba, the other of that of Nsasso. They were going to sell a goat. On their way to market...
Xxxii. Death And Burial Of The Fjort : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXXII. DEATH AND BURIAL OF THE FJORT. ONE of my cook's many fathers having died (this time, his real father), he came to me with tears in his eyes to ask me for a little rum to take to town, where he said his family were...
I. The Folklore Of The Fjort : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], NOTES ON THE FOLKLORE OF THE FJORT. I. THE FOLKLORE OF THE FJORT. By the Fjort I mean the tribes that once formed the great kingdom of Congo. From the Quillo river, north of Loango, to the River Loge, south of Kinsembo...
The Danger In Words : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], THE DANGER IN WORDS. The Fjort, as we have seen, is quick to give a subtle meaning to words that may have no evil significance. The following may help to bring this force of words before you. Kingolla one day went to B...
The Song Of Loango Women : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], THE SONG OF LOANGO WOMEN. 1. Munu u li vumba lelo u xinda ku vata mama. 2. Muango ma woho ba li aku bunkuela anja ku kuela mp. 3. Ku simba va nxenzo, ku simba va ku bella, malongo, malongo mabila nkumbu. 4. Minu uali aku...
Xxx. Why The Crocodile Does Not Eat The Hen : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXX. WHY THE CROCODILE DOES NOT EAT THE HEN. THERE was a certain hen; and she used to go down to the river's edge daily to pick up bits of food. One day a crocodile came near to her and threatened to eat her, and she cried:...
Xxii. How The Fetish Sunga Punished My Gre : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXII. HOW THE FETISH SUNGA PUNISHED MY GREAT-UNCLE'S TWIN BROTHER, BASA. BASA was my great uncle's twin brother, and a very clever fisherman. Every day he used to go out fishing in the river; and every day he caught gre...
Nkissism : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], NKISSISM. Nkissi means the mysterious power that is contained in plants and herbs and earth, or, as we should say, the medicine or poison. Hence it comes to mean any mysterious power-in short, a mystery. The power...
Xxi. The Crafty Woman Overreaches Herself : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXI. THE CRAFTY WOMAN OVERREACHES HERSELF. IT was market day, and all were intent upon going to Kitanda (the market). The first lady to arrive brought a large basket of chicoanga (native bread), placed it under the shade...
Vi. Another Vanishing Wife : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], VI. ANOTHER VANISHING WIFE. THERE were two sons of one mother, one named Mavungu, and the other Luemba. Luemba was a fine child, and grew up to be a handsome man. Mavungu was puny and miserable-looking, and as he came...
The Song Of Hunger : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], THE SONG OF HUNGER. 1. Xissanga e Buali bi koka mti 2. Muanyali ba nlainbili xikamvu 3. Xinkatu nkatu manyouga 4. Lembe li Ngongo ngeia tubanga 5. Tubanga minu i lembo 6. Xilunga o Quillo bi koka mti 7. Xilunga uaka xi nanu...
Title Page : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], NOTES ON THE FOLKLORE OF THE FJORT (FRENCH CONGO). BY RICHARD EDWARD DENNETT, AUTHOR OF "SEVEN YEARS AMONG THE FJORT." WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARY H. KINGSLEY. ILLUSTRATED. LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY BY...
Song Of The Burial Of The Fjort Prince : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], SONG OF THE BURIAL OF THE FJORT PRINCE. It has been a very difficult matter to get the song together. One cannot pick it up while they are singing it, for many of the words are new to one; and to sit out of sight, perhaps...
Xiii. The Younger Brother Who Knew More Th : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XIII. THE YOUNGER BROTHER WHO KNEW MORE THAN THE ELDER. IN a certain town there lived two brothers who could not agree with one another, the younger continually asserting that he knew more than his brother, thus enraging...
Xvii. The Turtle And The Man : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XVII. THE TURTLE AND THE MAN. A TURTLE and a man built themselves a small town, but because they had as yet planted nothing they suffered from hunger. "Let us build a large trap," said the turtle," that we may catch...
Xiv. The Chimpanzee And Gorilla : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XIV. THE CHIMPANZEE AND GORILLA. A NATIVE friend of mine, who considers himself a great hunter and naturalist, told me that, his plantations having suffered severely from the depredations of the gorilla, he had determined...
Xxiii. The Rabbit And The Antelope : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXIII. THE RABBIT AND THE ANTELOPE. IT was during an almost rainless "hot season," when all who had no wells were beginning to feel the pangs of thirst, that the rabbit and the antelope formed a partnership to dig a deep...
Xxvi. The Leopard And The Crocodile : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXVI. THE LEOPARD AND THE CROCODILE. ONCE a man and his many wives lived in a certain town far away in the bush. His wives refused to work, and he was at his wit's ends to know what to do to feed them and himself. One day...
X. The Wonderful Child : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], X. THE WONDERFUL CHILD. A MAN had two wives named Kengi and Gunga. One day he called them to him, and said that he was going to Loango to buy salt, and so might be away some time. He left them both well. Some time after he...
Xx. The Wild Cat And The Gazelle : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XX. THE WILD CAT AND THE GAZELLE. NENPETRO (kind of wild cat) and Nsessi (the gazelle), agreed that in case of famine the one might eat the other's mother. The famine came. Nsessi killed Nenpetro's mother and ate her; but...
Xxviii. The Bird Messengers : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXVIII. THE BIRD-MESSENGERS. ALL the towns in Molembo or Neotchi were suffering terribly from the awful scourge or evil wind (the disease we know by the name of small-pox). And the chief prince called the princes and people...
The Song Of Life : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], THE SONG OF LIFE. I now have the pleasure of enclosing two photographs, representing, the one a string of symbols or headings of a native song, and the other the boy singing the song from the string. The song itself...
Preface : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], PREFACE. 'THE following collections reached my hands in a more or less fragmentary state, The bulk of the work had been written at one time, and little was needed to put it into a state for publication. But other portions...
Xxix. Nzambi Mpungu's Ambassador : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXIX. NZAMBI MPUNGU'S AMBASSADOR. NZAMBI Mpungu heard that some one across the seas was making people who could speak. This roused his ire, so that he called the ox, the tiger, the antelope, the cock, and other birds...
Xviii. Killing A Leopard : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XVIII. KILLING A LEOPARD. I CLOSED the autobiography of a Fjort in "Seven Years among the Fjort" thus: "We were obliged to hurry back to town, however, as notice was brought to us that some one had killed a leopard...
Iv. How Nsassi Got Married : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], IV. HOW NSASSI (GAZELLE) GOT MARRIED. NENPETRO had two Wives, and they each gave birth to a beautiful daughter. As they were a rich family, they determined not to take a present for their daughters on being asked...
Xii. The Twin Brothers : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XII. THE TWIN BROTHERS. A CERTAIN woman, after prolonged labour, gave birth to twins, both sons. And each one, as he was brought forth, came into this world with a valuable fetish, or charm. One the mother called Luemb...
Xv. The Antelope And The Leopard : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XV. THE ANTELOPE AND THE LEOPARD. The leopard one day bet his life to the antelope, that if he bid himself the antelope would never find him. "Well," said the antelope, "I accept your bet. Go and hide yourself."...
Ii. How A Native Story Is Told : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], II. HOW A NATIVE STORY IS TOLD. PERHAPS it may interest you to know how a story is told. Imagine, then, a village in a grove of graceful palm trees. The full moon is shining brightly upon a small crowd of Negroes seated...
Nzambi's Daughter And Her Slave : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], NZAMBI'S DAUGHTER AND HER SLAVE. Nzambi had a most beautiful daughter, and she took the greatest care of her. As the child grew up, she was kept within the house, and never allowed to go outside, her mother alone waiting...
Ix. The Wicked Husband : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], IX. THE WICKED HUSBAND. "Cut you more palm-nuts? why, I am for ever cutting palm-nuts! What on earth do you do with them? I cut enough in one day to keep you for a week," said the husband to his wife. "Nay," said the wife...
Palavers : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], PALAVERS. It has struck me, as it must have struck all residents in Africa, that the force of reason and logic, as illustrated in his many palavers, plays no mean part in the life of the Fjort. A discussion takes place...
Appendix I. Nzambi : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], APPENDIX I. BY MARY H. KINGSLEY. NZAMBI. IN the preceding pages Mr. Dennett's observations have been given just as they have reached the hands of the Folk-Lore Society; but there are many more of his observations...
Xxv. The Fetish Of Chilunga : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXV. THE FETISH OF CHILUNGA. AT a place called Chilunga, north of Loango, there is a fetish called Boio, who by his representative in the flesh, a princess, rules the country with a rod of iron. His dwelling-place is...
The Song Of The Snake : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], THE SONG OF THE SNAKE. 1. Sanguila mboma kumina muntu. 2. Mbelli sandaugu nkambu ku vonda muntu. 3. Aula mani Zinga bazolila muliambu. 4. Bakana ku vonda, ba vonda kua u- 5. Macosso rnuana Danka banzola maka lilanga. 1. [Si...
Viii. Ngomba's Balloon : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], VIII. NGOMBA'S BALLOON. FOUR little maidens one day started to go out fishing. One of them was suffering sadly from sores, which covered her from head to foot. Her name was Ngomba. The other three, after a little...
Nkissinsi : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], NKISSINSI. And now it is that we come to Nkissi, the spirit, the power, the mystery, that is contained in the Bilongo, or medicines, in the earth, and trees, and herbs. The father of the tribe carefully guarded one spot...
V. The Vanishing Wife : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], V. THE VANISHING WIFE. Two brothers lived in a certain town. They were called Buite and Swarmi. Swarmi was married and had servants to wait upon him; but Buite was alone and despised. As Buite had no one to cook for him, he...
Xvi. How The Spider Won And Lost Nzambi's Daughter : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XVI. HOW THE SPIDER WON AND LOST NZAMBI'S DAUGHTER. NZAMBI on earth had a beautiful daughter; but she swore that no earthly being should marry her, who could not bring her the heavenly fire from Nzambi Mpungu, who dwelt...
Xi. How Kengi Lost Her Child : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XI. HOW KENGI LOST HER CHILD. Nenpetro had two wives, Kengi and Gunga. So he cleared a piece of ground for them, and divided it, giving each her part. And they planted maize, and beans, and cassava; and soon they had plenty...
Xxxi. The Three Brothers : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXXI. THE THREE BROTHERS. IN the beginning, when KaCongo had still one mother, and the whole family yet lived on grass and roots, and knew not how to plant, a woman brought forth three babes at one birth. "Oh, what am I...
About Nzambi : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], ABOUT NZAMBI. It is the most difficult thing in the world at present, I think, to get a clear definition of Nzambi Mpungu, or of Nzambi, from the natives themselves in a direct way. Some say that Nzambi Mpungu made...
Xxvii. Why Some Men Are White And Others Black : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXVII. WHY SOME MEN ARE WHITE AND OTHERS BLACK. IT was in the beginning, and four men were walking through a wood. They came to a place where there were two rivers. One river was of water, clear as crystal and of gre...
Introduction : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], NOTES ON THE FOLKLORE OF THE FJORT. INTRODUCTION. Ever since the Folk-Lore Society did me the honour to ask me to write an introduction to these stories, I have had a gradually intensifying sense of my incapacity to do it...
Xix. The Gazelle And The Leopard : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XIX. THE GAZELLE AND THE LEOPARD. THE gazelle said to the leopard: "It is now the dry season, and we should be cutting down the bush, that our women may plant as soon as the first rains come." "Well", said the leopard, "I...
Vii. The Jealous Wife : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], VII. THE JEALOUS WIFE. Two wives busied themselves preparing chicoanga, or native bread, for their husband, who purposed going into the bush for six months to trade. Each of these women had a child; and the husband, as he...
Iii. How The Wives Restored Their Husband To Life : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], III. HOW THE WIVES RESTORED THEIR HUSBAND TO LIFE. A CERTAIN man, named Nenpetro, had three wives, Ndoza'ntu (the Dreamer), Songa'nzila (the Guide), and Fulla Fulla (the Raiser of the Dead). Now Nenpetro was a great hunter;...
Xxiv. The Fight Between The Two Fetishes : * "Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort", by Richard Edward Dennett, [1898], XXIV. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO FETISHES, LIFUMA AND CHIMPUKELA. Now this is a sad but true story, for it is of recent occurrence, and many living witnesses can vouch for its truth. Poor King Jack, late of Cabinda, now...
