WHY THE BROOM’S NECK IS TIED
(As told by Nimobi Sagnan on 4th November, 2019 in Chamba, Ghana)
Introduction
The following story gives an explanation as to why the individual broom sticks of the local broom are bound together into a bundle.
The story revolves around the illicit amorous relationship between an ubɔr and his mother, which is witnessed and made public by the broom through gossip.
At the center of the tale therefore are issues of incest and gossip and their consequences – chief among them being the damage to ubɔr’s reputation and the broom’s perpetual suffocation as punishment.
To listen to the Likpakpaln narration, click here.
Story
A long, long time ago, n-ŋaan existed as individual broom sticks.
Whenever it was time to use it to sweep, all its parts were then brought together.
A rope was never tied around n-ŋaan’s neck as is the case today.
Do you want to know why the broom is now tied? Nimobi asks his audience.
Why; yes, tell us; we want to know,
audience respond variously. There once lived a great ubɔr who had several wives and children.
He was very wealthy and generous. For this reason, he was much loved and highly respected by all.
But ubɔr had a dark secret that was known only to n-ŋaan who lay in ubɔr’s mother’s room.
What was this secret? Despite having numerous wives, he was in an incestuous relationship with his biological mother.
At night, whenever his wives and children went to bed, he snuck into his mother’s bedroom and slept with her.
N-ŋaan, who lay in ubɔr’s mother’s room all the time, witnessed the abominable act but never opened his mouth to anyone about the illicit affair.
The affair therefore continued for a very long time without anyone’s knowledge.
One day the mouse, who also lived in ubɔr’s palace, was running across the rooms on top of the nlɔkja in search of materials to construct his bed, spotted n-ŋaan lying in ubɔr’s mother’s room, and descended to take some of n-ŋaan’s sticks to make his bed.
N-ŋaan however begged for his life in exchange for a big secret he was ready to divulge to the mouse. The mouse retorted:
“What can you who stays indoors all your life possible tell me that I don’t already know?”
After much persuasion, the mouse obliged and spared n-ŋaan’s life. The latter then told the former:
“Our ubɔr has been having carnal knowledge of his mother right in this room.”
The following day, whilst the mouse was on some errands, he ran into the cat who started pursuing him to eat him. When the cat eventually caught the mouse, the mouse in turn begged for his life, promising to tell the cat a big secret he alone was privy to. On sparing him, the mouse then told the cat:
“Our ubɔr has been having carnal knowledge of his mother.”
When asked how he came by that information, the mouse disclosed that n-ŋaan saw it with the naked eyes and told him.
Shortly after this encounter, the cat was on his way home and also ran into the dog and a hot pursuit ensued.
Just when the dog caught the cat and was about to snuff out his life, the cat also asked for clemency in exchange for a big secret he had heard.
The dog spared his life and was told about the affair between ubɔr and his mother.
The next morning, the dog went to drink water from the village river but ukpindaan wouldn’t allow him. Ukpindaan pounced on him to swallow him but the dog begged for his life, promising to tell ukpindaan a big secret if he let him live. The latter got curious, spared the dog’s life, and was told that ubɔr was in an amorous relationship with his mother. Armed with this information, ukpindaan spent the rest of the day sunbathing and narrating the story to all who went to fetch water from the river.
Ubɔr’s illicit affair soon became talk of the village and he eventually got wind of it and ordered the arrest of ukpindaan. When questioned regarding the source of his story, ukpindaan disclosed that the dog was the source. The dog in turn confessed, upon interrogation, to hearing it from the cat. The cat was also picked up for questioning, whereupon he revealed that the mouse told him. When interrogated, the mouse pointed ubɔr to n-ŋaan as his source. Ubɔr summoned n-ŋaan immediately and upon questioning, n-ŋaan said:
“I witnessed it with my naked eyes.”
Ubɔr became furious and ordered that from that day onward, n-ŋaan’s neck be tied with a rope to choke him slowly to death.
That is why to date, n-ŋaan’s neck remains tied. This is the end of my story. Whether my story is interesting or not, I hand over the mantle to Sanja. (Nimobi points at one of his audience to tell the next tale.)1
Note
1. In Konkomba storytelling, the storyteller can nominate anyone from his or her audience to tell the next story, as Nimobi does above.
Glossary
Ubɔr:
the political head of a Konkomba community. Ubɔr is usually the eldest male member of the royal family.
He inherits that position from his father after the latter’s demise.
N-ŋaan:
a local broom made up of tiny, soft sticks tied together with a rope into a bundle and
used for sweeping. One would usually have to hold it by the neck and bend down (rather than
stand) to sweep the floor.
Nlɔkja:
the main wood or log (ridge) at the center of the roof to which all rafters are tied before
thatch or aluminum roofing sheets are placed over a room or building.
Ukpindaan:
transliterated as “the owner-of-the-river.” It is the euphemism Konkombas use for
the crocodile out of reverence. The crocodile is believed to be the embodiment of the Konkomba
river god/goddess. As a result, Konkombas typically do not kill crocodiles even though some
people who do not subscribe to this belief do kill them. The actual Likpakpaln name for the
crocodile is unyii.