Lullabies July 31, 1972 - 35A

Recording #35A

Place of Recording: Tierlul

Date of Recording: July, 31, 1972

Performance:

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: March 31, April 7, 1973

1 000 Lullaby.

Information: Mentions the grandfather or father or uncle animal. The child is mentioned in these ways. The children are divided into 2 groups: the babies to make them quiet, their mother sings lullabies like this to them. But those who are 5 or 4, their song depends what their mother is going to bring to be eaten. If they cry the 5-year-old, they will not sing a lullaby song, they will sing a love song or sing about what they are going to get to eat. Usually about something to eat) sang the common lullaby song. Because she usually doesn’t know the animals the child’s father was named after.

Text: Mentioning repeating, he can mention the different animals from these 4 groups of people. She doesn’t have an animal to name for her father; he doesn’t have an animal. Therefore, only repeating grandfather and uncles’ animals. When the woman pound corn the child cries, they will say your mother doesn’t know how to pound 4 Sophia’s of corn she knows only how to chew the boiled corn. My child cries because she is very hungry. Repeats. Your mother doesn’t know how to pound. If I chew, I fill my mouth up with boiled corn. Everybody does it.

2 073 Lullaby.

Information: This is the real mother of the child. Because she can name the child after the animals of her father. She is of the kingship. She can tell by what animals and what permanent things they are used to be named after in their village.) Named after the airplane from Juba. She is a daughter of a king. Can be named after the kingship whether they are crowned or not their children can be named after the kingship. By singing this type of song can identify the clan. Which clan is the mother or the husband? The boy and girl divided into 2 groups: boy after his mother and girl after her mother. This is the custom. Can identify the clan by what they name in the song. By the animal or by the permanent thing they used to be named after in their village. Such as a tree.

3 087 Dudbul.

Information: Singing for the chief. When this Dudbul is sung during the dancing, there are some people when they are mentioned in the song, immediately they will give a price: a spear 5 or 10 dollars. Because of that, the people who dance will repeat that part many times to make the person dance. Th one that gave something) Named after tortoise, she says, I’m one with the house and bed sheet walking around the ant hill. When it sees a person, it puts his head in.

Text: Many years passed while I didn’t get beads from you. (JWOK JAATO if a person gets something by chance, he will say God gave me the thing. Will not know you’re going to get that thing or not. Just by chance.) singer said, when I sing a song, I usually sing it for those who are supposed to help all the singers. And what is remaining only that bead, TEDO not DEMOUI bead but second in importance. 4 of them can be changed to 1 demoui. He’s complaining about his going to live with the chief because he thought if he sings a song for the chief, he will never get prize. He is mentioning his friends, to bring only one spear. When a girl didn’t get married, she will be given to a rich person, and some other girls will refuse and some will agree. This man mentioned that don’t be glad or don’t be happy because you are going to be sold and not real marriage. (Agwa’s mothers village named after palm trees. Believed by climbing up they had connection with God. In this song, give me 10 spears, you whose grandmother had connection with God through the palm tree. Agwa therefore knows that this grandmother was related to him.) He’s explaining when he went to those villages down at Gila, when he came back, he was expecting a prize. From those whom he mentioned in the song. Mentioning his friends name and explaining to them that something I used to beg is not given to me always.

4 235 Dudbul.

Information: These songs are from Gok. The above. Sung for the young generation telling them that our girls have been given to rich men. There is one girl from Gok very far away Akobo area. Means being with the old man she can look while she is living with him) this is common. Some ladies see their husband, is cruel or not fit to rule the family, they will make an agreement with somebody she loves, and if they fight, she will disappear to that man.

Text: The singer said why don’t you come back home. She said, fear of my death. If I come my father will kill me because he will consider me as a disturber. The girl said, let me look for a good place, a good boy, so what I come out I will be taken by that person. Repeats. Said those who are given to rich men they look like those whom their relatives died. (A great problem: if you tell your sister to be given to a rich person, she will never get or never drink. She will feel very angry. They are being compared with those who died. They look weak.)

5 291 Agwaga.

Information: By the previous king.

Text: A man named LIEC by saying that there is only one war left and I was supposed to go to the king for something, but I’m really busy by making that war, those who were against us ran away fearing us. Asking the previous king’s wife, she can give something to us. He had been given a second to demoui: TEDO

6 321 Dudbul.

Information; Man singing loudly from Pokwomo. The person who sang this song was from OKUNA this is the song of OLIEK.

Text: Sung to the chief telling him that you’re the bank of money. Like a palm tree. (Said because palm tree is always very tall. If you go up on a palm tree you can see everything around the village) There is a person who is named after a crocodile, he is requested to give the price to the singer so that the singer would not go very far way. Early in the morning, I’ll go to our mother. He took the previous chief’s wife like mother. To give me a bracelet. Like those who were given before. (Said, he is going to repeat and others re going to sing with him.) Mentioning his friends, the first one named after a pelican. Asking them to unite with him. Work with him together. If the elders agree on the price the price will be given out immediately any song sung for a price their named will be mentioned in a group or sometimes personally. Said our chief accepts my song by shooting bullets. Though he was sick he woke up and tried to shoot bullets. (Mentions he accepted the song that was sung) excuse I used to come from one village whether I can accept any ideas or prize from the elders as well as my friends

7 464 Dudbul.

Information: Sung by man above. Said because the Chief was put in prison because one person from his village killed NUER and the chief was taken to GORE.

Text: Said for the king, when he gives the money out, he will never consider its very important thing. Said, because I’m fit to be in all villages in Anuak area, I can be named after any village. The name of our chief is heard from GORE.

8 489 Agwaga.

Information: Sung by man above. Accompanied by those in circle. (One kind of dancing when the chief dances. People will dance around him. And he will look as he is going to kill somebody. He dances very seriously. If he goes to another side of dancing, people will run away and if he goes to another side, they will do the same thing. In the song the singer was comparing him with an elephant.)

Text: Singer said if he is a king, he would have taken OCWOK (Like bank where demoui are kept for a king. In the hand of one king. That king can give out to any person who he likes. Especially during the war, one demoui called OCWOK which is not supposed to be given out. And is a permanent head. If the chief is a king, he will have this OCWOK. Bank of Demoui)

9 514 Dudbul.

Information: Sung by man above. Sung by himself with no help. This song is from OKUNA from the man called BUNGKEDI.

Text: The first thing mentioned he’s a person who doesn’t have parents. Mentioning the name of the people and their wives after their animal’s those who used to give some prices, they are giving them for their benefit. They want to make themselves known to many people Explaining, telling his friend that he is not a good singer but he’s by the condition to sing the song. His poorness. Forced him to sing the song. He says, the part that I mentioned myself in the song. (He married a girl from kingship, so he said this is my part and this is my wife’s part in the song. (The old men will go to the girl’s parents with a spear wrapped in white beads, give that to them showing their happiness over the marriage.) they will be told to prepare for demoui. After a month or 1½) In the song he said that an also mentioned that those who don’t have parents, who is going to give the spear to the parents of the girl. Those who support with food, I can name them like my mother. (His song is mostly for something to be given to him) Because many people dislike him, he said has having bad luck. Some say he is a disobedient boy. He must not be given a price. He explains in the song, If I was cruel, my cruelness would have been known by those who unite with me or those villages to whom I used to go. Said that if I go away from your village, who is going to blame you. He mentioned one of his friends by saying you show me the way where the poor people used to go and get money. (the way of the gold mine) He said to one of his friends, you better marry, I don’t want to marry because I have seen many things, in the marriage of the young generation. He said our government is coming and I’m going to transfer to our chief. His compound. To have something from the chief. He said to the chief don’t be tired, of the rumors that you hear from the common people. You have been given many prices to many singers, and I didn’t want anything important thing like a demoui, but I want only a spear or bracelet just to make myself known to many people that I have been given ap price for my song. A term, RUDO when there is no starvation. He mentions, when there is no starvation, we singers can move on one village to another and he mentions his friend who is named after RUDO.

10 828 Marching song.

Information: Sang this song when they swore not to eat salt. When the people swore not to eat something, they will call for a big dancing in the village and people will come after dancing they will announce that from today, we swore not to eat this kind of thing. These people swore not to eat salt.

Text: This man mentioned in the song, when we swore not to eat salt, the beating of the drum was sounded like the AMHARA bodyguards. When we swore not to eat salt, it means we are stopping those who are bringing salt from the highlands to the lowlands, stopping the traders. A part of economic fighting. Our chief rules like making the place of 3 chiefs or having the position of 3 chiefs.

11 861 Like marching song but not a marching song but close to Dudbul.

Information: Close to the Dudbul (when there is dancing in the village, to make everybody ready to go and dance they will sing this type of song. Not in the dancing field. The boys tie metal things to their legs and decorating themselves for dancing. If everybody finishes a singer will sing this kind of song and they will dance by jumping and will run after their leader men singing, we are ready to dance now.

Text: When we promised to swore not to eat salt, the group of the girls marching the old ladies were crying saying were do the young generation go. By hearing the sound of this trumpet (notice imitation). Said, this is the village of LEEC WAROKEEDI. We weren’t to eat something which can make the body swell. (Sometimes when people make salt in the morning it can make their bodies different so are referring to salt) The marching we are going to do will be heard in Asmara.