KISWAHILI: TEMBELEA KWENYE MTI MBICHI, MKAVU UTAVUNJIKA.
Methali hiyo yaongelea juu ya utembeaji wa mtu fulani kwenye mti mbichi badala ule uli mkavu, kwa lengo la kmwezesha kufika salama. Methali hiyo ilitumiwa na watu wa kabila la Wabena wanaokadiriwa kuwa 1,322,000.
Kabila hilo ni miongoni mwa makabila ya kibantu yaliyomo nchini Tanzania, linalopatikana hasa katika sehemu za Njombe, Makambako na Morogoro.
Hapo zamani wabena waliishi katika sehemu za Pwani wakiwa pamoja na kabila la Wazaramo. Walijishughulisha na kazi za kufua vyuma.
Mwanzo wa kabila hilo ni ukoo uliofahamika kama ni wang’o. Hivyo watu hao waliitwa wang’o. Jina la wabena lilianzishwa na shujaa wa kizaremo aliyeitwa Pazi ambaye ndiye aliyekuwa mtawala wa sehemu hiyo. Inasemekana kuwa ulitokea uvamizi wa watu walioitwa wakamba ambao walifika eneo la Pwani na kufanya vulugu kwa wenyeji wa hapo.
Kwa bahati nzuri shujaa huyo Pazi alichukua baadhi ya wapiganaji wa wang’o na wazaramo ili kuwaondoa wakamba na akafaulu kuwapiga na kuwafukuza mpaka kukawa na Amani.
Wang’o walifurahi na kabla ya mapigano hayo walimwahidi Shujaa huyo Pazi kwamba, ikiwa watawashinda wakamba basi wao watazivunja silaha zao na kuzitengeneza zingine iwapo itawabidi kufanya hivyo.
Baada ya kuwashinda wakamba, wang’o wakazivunja silaha zao kama walivyoahidi. Hivyo ushujaa huo wa wang’o ulimshangaza sana shujaa Pazi mpaka akabadili jina lao kutoka wang’o akawaita WABENA MIGOHA.
WABENA maana yake ni KUVUNJA na MIGOHA maana yake ni MIKUKI. Tangu hapo wakaitwa wabena migoha badala ya wang’o. Shujaa Pazi alifanya hivyo kwa ajili ya kuzihifadhi kumbukumbu kwa vizazi vijavyo ambapo ilikuwa ni kawaida yake kufanya hivyo.
Wabena hao, na wazaramo waliongezeka sana kwa kuzaliana. Hivyo wabenana walipendwa sana na shugaa Pazi na hata wenyeji wao kwa sababu ya tabia yao nzuri ya ujasiri wa kufanya kazi.
Watu hao walianza kutawanyika kwenda sehemu mbambali hadi wakafikia mkoani Njombe ambako ndipo makao yao hasa hadi sasa. Mnamo mwaka 1850 wakoloni walipoingia nchini Tanzania walilikuta kabila la wabena migoha likiwa na watu wengi sana. Wakoloni hao walikuwa na waandishi wao ndio waliofupisha jina la wabena migoha na kuwa WABENA na ikabaki hivyo hadi hii leo.
Wabena hao walioishi Nyanda za juu walijishughulisha na kilimo na ufugaji. Lakini wale walioishi kwenye mabonde na mito shughuli zao zilikuwa ni uvuvi. Watu hao wana ujamaa na ushirikiano hasa wakati wanapobadilishana mali na vyakula, na pia ukarimu ambao unaonekana hasa kwa maendeleo ya binadamu.
Mtafiti mmoja wa kibiolojia Profesa Msemwa aliandika hivi katika utafiti wake alioufanya mwaka 2001 kuwa “Maeneo ya Njombe walikuwepo pia wakulima na wafua vyuma katika karne ya tano au kabla ya hapo.”
Utafiti huo aliufanya wakati walipokuwa wakichimba ardhi kutafuta masalia na dhana mbalimbali zilizotumiwa na watu wa kale na kupata vipande mbalimbali vya vyungu na viwanda vya chuma katika maeneo yaliyokaliwa na wabena kama IGALA, ISITU, TARAFA NA UHOMINYI.
Pamoja na hayo yote wabena walitumia hadithi, methali, nahau, ngoma, nyimbo, michezo na misemo mbalimbali, katika kufundisha na kukosoa jamii hasa kwa malezi wa watoto na vijana katika jamii.
Baadhi ya nyimbo, ngoma, na michezo mbalimbali zilitumika wakati wa maburudisho au wakati wa sherehe au misiba. Ugendelage uludodi ulukafu luladenyeka ni miongoni mwa methali walizozitumia katika kufundishana maadili katika jamii.
Methali hiyo, inafundisha watu juu ya kuwa na unyenyekevu katika maisha yao ili waweze kufanikiwa vizuri. Unyenyekevu huo, hufananishwa na mti mbichi ambao huavunviki unaposukumwa na upepo.
Inawashauri pia kuacha kiburi kwa sababu hicho hufananishwa na mti mkavu unaoweza kuvunjika unaposukumwa na upepo. Upepo huo ni matatizo mbali mbali yanayotokea katika maisha ya mwanadamu. Ndiyo maana watu waliwaambia wenzao kwamba, “mtembelee katika mti mbishi mkavu utavunjika.”
Vijana walipooana wazazi au mzee wa ukoo wa kila upande walikuwa wanatoa baraka kwa watoto wao kabla hawajakaa pamoja kwa lengo la kuwatakia mema katika ndoa yao. Hivyo wazazi hujipatia umaarufu wakati kama huu kwani baraka yao ilikuwa ya muhimu sana na ilingojewa kwa hamu.
Wazazi hufurahia kwa huwaambia vijana wao Mugendelage uludodi nye vana vesu maana yake Nendeni na amani watoto wetu au mutembee salama na mjaliwe mafanikio katika ndoa yenu.
Baraka nyingine ilitolewa kwa kijana, baada ya ndoa walipojaliwa kupata mtoto ilimlazimu kijana kuondoka nyumbani na kwenda kuishi mashambani au porini mbali na familia yake. Lengo ni kumpatia mke wake nafasi nzuri ya kupumzika anapomnyonyesha mtoto na kuwa na afya nzuri ya kupata mtoto mwingine.
Hii ilikuwa kama njia ya kuwasaidia wazazi kutokuzaa watoto kwa mfululizo kila mwaka. Hivyo wazazi walimbariki kijana na kumtakia safari njema na afikapo kule aishi kwa Amani.
Methali hiyo, huhimiza watu kushirikiana katika utekelezaji wa majukumu yao kwa kusaidiana na kuishi pamoja kama ndugu wakati wote. Kwa maana hiyo, watu hutumia methali hiyo kuwaaga wageni wao kwa kusema kwamba, “mtembelee kwenye mti mbichi mkavu utavunjika.” Hiyo ni namna pia ya kumshukuru mtu kwa wema wake na kumtakia Baraka ya kutembea akiwa na tabia ya unyenyevu kule aendako.
Wanafamilia pia walipenda kuitumia methali hiyo kwa kumuaga mwenzao aliyetaka kwenda kwenye shughuli za kiuchumi ukiwemo uwindaji kwa kumtakia safari njema aendako na arudi salama.
Kol 3;15 “tena iweni watu wa shukrani”
Flp 4:6 Katika kila neno kwa kusali na kuomba,pamoja na kushukuru,haja zenu na zijulikane
Na Mungu
1Thes 5:18 ….Shukuruni kwa kila jambo
Law 22; 29. unapomtolea Bwana dhabihu ya shukrani,itoe kwa namna ambayoitakubalika kwa niaba yako
Kol, 3; 16. neno la Kristu na likae kwa wingi ndani yenu, mkifundishana na kuonyana
Lk 10: 25-37. Msamaria mwema
Lk 18: 15-17. Yesu awabariki watoto wadogo
ENGLISH: WALK ON A FRESH TREE, THE DRY ONE WILL BREAK.
The proverb talks about someone walking on a fresh tree instead that of a dry one, with the aim of enabling him/her to reach safety. The proverb was used by people of the Wabena Ethnic group who are estimated at 1,322,000.
This ethnic group is one of the Bantu Ethnic group in Tanzania, which is found mainly in parts of Njombe, Makambako and Morogoro.
In the past, the Bena people lived in parts of the Coast together with the Wazaramo ethnic group. They engaged in the work of iron manufacturing.
The beginning of this ethnic group is a clan known as wang’o. So those people were called wang’o. The name Wabena was established by a Kizaremo warrior called Pazi who was the ruler of that part. It is said that there was an invasion of people called Kamba who came to the coastal area and did violence to the local people.
Fortunately, the hero Pazi took some Wang’o and Zaramo fighters to get rid of the kambas and succeeded in beating them by driving them away until there was peace.
Wang’o were happy and before the fight they promised the Pazi Warrior that if they defeat the kambas then they will break their weapons and make others if they have to.
After defeating the kambas, the wang’o broke their weapons as they promised. So the bravery of wang’o surprised the hero Pazi so much that he changed their name from wang’o and called them WABENA MIGOHA.
WABENA means BREAKING and MIGOHA means SPEARS. Since then they were called wabena migoha instead of wang’o. The worror Pazi did it to preserve the history for future generations where it was his custom to do so.
Those Wabena, and zaramo increased greatly by breeding. So the Bena people were very loved by the Pazi chieftain and even their natives because of their good character and courage to work.
The people started to disperse to different places until they reached the Njombe region where they live until now. In 1850, when the colonists entered Tanzania, they found the Wabena Migoha ethnic group with many people. They had their own writers who shortened the name Wabena Migoha to WABENA and it remained that way until today.
The Bena who lived in the highlands were engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. But those who lived in the valleys and rivers, their activity was fishing. These people are social and cooperative especially when they exchange property and food, and also generosity which is seen especially in human development.
One biological researcher, Professor Msemwa, wrote this in his research which he did in 2001 that “There were also farmers and blacksmiths in the Njombe area in the fifth century or before that.”
He did the research when they were digging the ground to look for various remains and ideas used by the ancient people and found various pieces of pots and iron factories in the areas inhabited by the Bena like IGALA, ISITU, TARAFA AND UHOMINI.
With all that, the Bena people used stories, proverbs, idioms, dances, songs, games and various sayings, in teaching and criticizing society, especially for the education of children and youth in societies.
Some songs, dances, and various games were used during entertainment or during celebrations or tragedies. Ugendelage uludodi ulukafu luladenyeka is one of the proverbs they used in teaching each other values in the society.
The proverb teaches people to be humble in their lives so that they can succeed well. That humility is likened to a fresh tree that does not break when is blown by the wind.
It also advises them to give up pride because it is likened to a dry tree that can break when is blown by the wind. The wind is a variety of problems that occur in human life. That is why people said to their colleagues that, “walk on a fresh dry tree the dry one will break.”
When young people got married, the parents or elders of each side used to give blessings to their children before they stayed together with the aim of wishing them well in their marriage. Thus, parents gain fame at times like this because their blessing was very important and eagerly awaited.
Parents enjoy it by telling their young people Mugendelage uludodi nye vana vesu which means Go in peace our children or walk safely and be blessed with success in your marriage.
Another blessing was given to a young man, after marriage when they were blessed with a child, the young man had to leave home and go to live in the fields or the forest away from his family. The goal is to give his wife a good chance to rest while breastfeeding and to be healthy enough to have another child.
This was as a way to help parents not have children in succession every year. So the parents blessed the young man and wished him a good journey and when he arrives there he may live in peace.
The proverb encourages people to cooperate in the implementation of their duties by helping each other and living together as brothers at all times. For that reason, people use that proverb to say goodbye to their guests by saying, “walk on a fresh tree, a dry one will break.” That is also a way of thanking someone for his kindness and wishing him the blessing of walking with a humble attitude where he is going.
Family members also liked to use the proverb for saying goodbye to their partner who wanted to go to their economic activities including hunting by wishing them a good trip to where they are going and a safe return.
Col 3:15 “again be a people of thanksgiving.”
Phil 4:6 In every word by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your needs be known
And God.
1Thess 5:18 …. Give thanks for everything.
Leviticus 22; 29. when you offer the Lord a thank you sacrifice, offer it in a way that will be acceptable on your behalf.
Col, 3; 16. Let the word of Christ dwell abundantly in you, teaching and admonishing one another
Lk 10: 25-37. Good Samaritan.
Luke 18: 15-17. Jesus bless the little children.
Sukuma Legacy Project 