Agwagas Jan 6, 1973 - 41B Tierlul

Recording Series B 2B

Place of Recording: Tierlul

Date of Recording: January 6, 1973

Performance:

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: April 25, 1973

1 000 Dudbul.

Text: I’m begging Odiel (A king) to give him something in the future. Asking him in the song so he can give something in the future, not a small thing, a cow or a demoui. I include the king in my song because I really love him. Don’t prevent to give me a price because I don’t have another father besides you. Praising his generation, you are the leader of dancing in our village. Who will volunteer to give me a price? Our wife called AWILI made a beer which refunded back the money that had been paid to her parents. Said, I’m in a circle of poorness, He has no single thing or a big thing also to help himself, he is poor in everything. He has nothing at all. A man named after permanent thing in the village said he didn’t thing that that man is going to prevent him from getting something. Praising the wife of the man who prevented him from getting something. Compares his wife as a German lady. She will make a beer for us in the future. (Meaning uncertain re. German) (In an area there are people who are named after German – during the WW2 a German in the area – people were named after him at that time. An Italian man also, those who were born during his time were named after him.) In Pinyudo village can see people who were named after these individuals.) when you see this age group, named after German, praising one lady in the village, saying during the starvation when she pounds corn people become excited that the bullet was shot – sounded like a bullet. A man named OCALLA married a girl and he was not having enough money to pay for her. Because of this he went away and the singer praised him in the song saying, your poorness made you go on a long journey and if you were having enough money, we would have taken the wife you married. Praising a man named after ants saying that finish your part so that I can request those of our group. Praising the wife of that man named after ants. Her activeness she is a good worker. She took a pounder when it was still very dark (Means she was wanting to pound corn when it was very dark) Praising his group saying those who have given him a price repeats your gift. You pay to me for the second time.

2 120 Agwaga.

Text: Those who boast there is no leader whom we didn’t fight with. We fought many leaders. (Fought all leaders who were around them) Our village is very large and once they agree to fight, they will defeat those who fight against them. Those who boast by telling lies they influence those DEGRA people to fight against us unfortunately we fought with AJWARA people and chased the away. Praising their chief like a lion who used to eat the princes (Means the chief killed the princes and not the common people) (A lion always eats the important people) Repeats.

3 171 Agwaga.

Information: He took the people as the protectors of the ladies. Because their village is very large, when there are small villages around them attacked the ladies are brought together to Tedo.

Text: Don’t fear because the people of NADHI are fighting against themselves (Means, those that are named after Nidhi are fighting against Nuers. In our area, those who are named after Nidhi are from the Nuers. It is not a town but a permanent thing that people used to be named after. When those who were named after that fought with Nuers, they took them as Nuers. Praising the elders of that village. He’s praising two leaders who were fighting against each other. They fought because of the lie that had been said and the secrets of their villages. When they fought with Nuers also, nobody ran away from the young generation. They fought until they defeated the Nuers. Repeats. (History: we have an Agwa and Opiew have a different father. His Grandfather collected all Anuaks. A big leader when he attacked Nuers, they attacked and captured many, many cows. But the villages they attacked they defeated the Nuer when to report the war to all the Nuer area. The large groups of Anuaks brought back the cows and the grandfather of Opiew remained with a medium group of Anuaks. Many, many Nuers came for war. They fought a big war (3 days) At last his subjects were finished because the Nuer kept on coming. He was left alone. His finger swollen like his arm. He killed many, many Nuers which are not counted. He stood up and gave himself to the Nuers because they kept on coming. Those who remained with him were finished. Except those who brought the cows. He gave himself up because he couldn’t shoot because of hand being swollen. The big war between Nuers and Anuaks. The Anuaks were the people along Gilo river, many years ago. Anuaks had many guns and the Nuer had a few guns and many spears.) can easily be shot if they have only a spear.) (Nuers still fear the people along Gilo river but they do not fear those along Baro river.) The next war which we are going to fight vultures will become tired just eating the flesh of the people. Insulting, when they fought the people of OGOG the villages around them were very small they fought OGOGA and another village. People of OGOGA will never be able to make dancing in their village. The war that we fought with these small villages if it is expressed or told by liars it will be expressed in a long story. A man also who was absent during the war, he cried if I had been here, I would have fought and the singer said don’t cry and don’t worry, because this is not the last war that we are going to fight. There will be more wars. When they defeated the people of OGOGA, they destroyed the grain being planted in the field. Because they ruined the grain, all the villages in the area became upset with Tedo people. The singer said that those who are upset, where were they when we fought Ogoga people. Repeats.

4 418 Agwaga.

Information: A very old song. Mentioning the man OKEEN.

Text: Large intestine of cow when it is killed, given to old women or old man to eat. Young or middle aged will never have it, only the very old. They call Nuers as nomads, Anuaks made a plan to go and fight against the Nuers. One man was in a hurry to go and fight when he sees the nomads with their cows in a certain place he was wanting to go and shoot before the others reached the place. Always we Tedo people we are the warriors and those who cry that they are being destroyed we are not the people who destroyed them but they destroyed themselves. Something from their insides destroyed them. We fought and people drank beer (Means the beer they captured) Instead of fighting Nuers they those who were in the border of Nuers – Anuak – they fought the people of Tedo. Who involved you in our problems? We don’t have cows to be captured. We used to fight against Nuers always not some other small villages. Wherever our warriors or fighters go they will be worried or hunger in the village where they attack. (Difficult to translate – our commander gave a spear to us – means he took us in a good way to attack the enemy. You elder to give this village to this generation because our village will be destroyed.

5 505 Agwaga.

Information: There is a man named after Hippo.

Text: He is informing him that we have a collection of guns on which we are going to try against Gilo people. (In Anuak area, when you see many people having guns, they will decide to try their guns by fighting against another village whether they will be defeated or not) Attacked group of people who were in a forest who were hunting. They chased them away and some were killed by the buffalos. The revenge which we were longing for was finished. Because, many villages along Gilo consider us as Nuers. Those liars or those that keep telling rumors to the Amhara, repeats. Attacking them the eat they did to certain Gilo village. They killed one person which they made hyenas very glad to have the flesh.

6 612 Obero.

Information: A common word for common people: Obero. When you want to call many people in a group you say Obero. It is like an informer people that our village is the best village. Which you see people happy or laughing to see each other.

Text: There was a meeting in the village and the chief himself was blamed because people say that He’s not able to make a speech in front of all the people. You being a chief was not from your strength but it was from your grandfather which is called OCWAR. You finish my marriage money by giving me 15 spears. There is a man named after a buffalo said repeat your price or your gift so that I cannot miss it. Many years ago, our village was in highest position and those who are changing my songs into an insult I will abuse them indirectly, and there will be no way which they can attack me if you are against people who are in your village people will consider you as nothing. (Means you will never get honors from the other villages) There is a man named hyena, praising him. When it smells something so it crosses the river a man also named after an elephant. An elephant has a round foot. Singer took an elephant foot round as a container. Praising him that you are the eiders of the meeting in our village. Praising a man who is named buffalo. And another named after a fish. A certain fish which is used to have a fence to catch it. When it comes to eat the bread of that fence, you can catch it.

JANUARY 7, 1973 POKWO CHURCH

7 701 Obero.

Text: Before we heard something like the gospel, we were being tired of the devil. Repeat. Jesus was the father of the earth which people accept him as their Savior. Satan which used to cheat people is the bad god. When Jesus comes back, he will defeat Satan. Before we heard anything, we were blind in the world. Jesus who is the owner of this world will be praised by many people and Satan which used to cheat people when Jesus comes, he will be burned with his children in the fire.

8 733 Obero.

Information: Leader, congregation with drums and bells.

Text: When Jesus takes our spirit, he will make another person. A new man. Praise Jesus in your heart so that you can get a new life. We are poor Jesus help us. Sins make us poor. Save us. Save us. We can praise Jesus to give us his spirit he who died on the cross sent by Mary to die for the people. Repeat.

9 784 Obero.

Text: God is above all who keep us in the earth. Nobody who creates things in his hand except God; He can come and chase away the devil. Our big God went away and the snake came and cheated people and people lost without getting the way of God. They got nothing from God after being cheated. Repeats

10 817 Obero.

Information: Sung by a man who used to sing dancing songs. He is interested in dancing songs but he wrote this one also. In 1965 he sang 2 gospel songs, He's a Christian, was not baptized, has fallen back.

Text: I’m asking Jesus to come and chase away the sins from us. We can pray God to give us health and we can start early in the morning during Christmas time, the God who is in heaven. He’s the man who died as our Savior and after 3 days he rose up from the death. Those who does mistakes though they are in the forest they can realize their mistake and pray to God and those who are praying Satan will be destroyed. Repeats.

11 869 Obero.

Text: God, we believe you and we refuse the gods of the earth. The Savior will come and separate those who believe and those who don’t believe. Jesus who died for us is now in the light. Or in the kingdom of light. The kingdom of God is without death. Those who are the servants of sin when Jesus comes, they will be separated and those who are praying to God, will go with him together.

12 (11) 917 Agwaga.

Information: Why do they sing slowly before they add the drums? Part of the culture, are going over the words, when king is preparing or decorating himself, they will sing it slowly to let him finish himself first, the make the king prepare. When he sends a messenger, saying I’m ready to come, they then will sing it quickly and beat the drum. (When the drums are added, and the tempo is increased, a repetition of the part that was sung slowly) this and the above in the Pokwo church service, with drums bells, leader and congregation.

Text: When will the Savior come? He will come sometime in the future because he is still with his father. He died on a cross to give us a new life for our sins. Those who are preaching in the village they preach what is written in the Bible and the Bible said that we better change or we better believe. Because when Jesus comes any person will not have a chance to believe. He comes to judge at that time. why don’t we believe what was sent by God? Jesus was sent to give us life. The bad things or the bad doers will be away from us one day. We can beg Jesus Christ who is our precious treasure.

13 (12) 1061 Agwaga.

Information: This song sung by a lady in Akobo. The same song continues to end of tape but tape finishes before song conclude. All above songs in Pokwo church service.

Text: When will our God come to clear away the sins? Who gives the way of life? Jesus who is the precious one will come sometime in the future to open the eyes of blind men. Help us God because we are just swimming in the sea or sins. You are being pushed to the way of God. When our God comes you will receive a new life. (those who refuse to believe in Christ) Christ’s name is being preached or told in the whole world. Our sins I realize when I was worried. God of Judgment when he comes, he will help us. Don’t believe untrue gods because Hes leading with your spirit into the fire. When we praise him, we praise him with our gladness and he will come and collect our spirit. Repeat