23
the dead man, along with more alcohol) :
Eat, eat all alone. Drink, drink all alone.
When you have eaten enough, eat more. When you have drunk enough, drink more. Lay up sacks and gourds to take the Ancestors, They who lie under burning skies on the scorched
earth,
Under icy skies on dark earth That they may eat and drink.
(He now explains to the dead man that this cock will lead him to the Ancestors, telling him to take shelter when necessary under its wing, and to imitate it in everything)
24
Sho, hey ! You are leaving for good.
You stand before the two spirits that guard your
parent's room.
One stretches his arms wide to stop you from
The other spreads his fingers to block your
passage,
Saying : You are a good son, a bearer of spirits You can come, but you won't be able to go back. You must answer : It's because the medecine
stayed in the plant in the cleft of the rock.
My mother went to call in the plant but the plant
didn't answer.
The helping spirit stayed in the crevice in the cliff.
25
to come.
When the spirit tried to follow him, it couldn't
catch him up.
It staggered and died, the satin web was torn. The body swayed and fell, the satin web lay at its
feet.
After the thirteen days allotted to men you can no
longer communicate.
After the thirteen days allotted to spirits you can
speak with the spirits.
Your feet glide and carry you following the
spirits.
That's what you must say, and the two guardians
of the door
Will let you pass, Neng Chu !
25
Sho, hey ! You are really leaving. You come to
the huge sky, the vast sky.
The Fourth Mandarin, the Hearth Spirit, the
Kitchen God
All strech their arms wide to block your passage,
saying :
You are a good son, the spirits are with you You can come all right, but you won't be able to
go back.
You must say : It's because the medecine stayed
with the plant in the cleft of the rock.
The helping spirit stayed behind in the crevice in
the cliff.
The shaman went to call it but the spirit was slow
in coming.
catch him up.
It staggered and fell, the satin web was torn,
The body swayed and died, the satin web lay on
the ground -
Your feet glide and carry you off among the
spirits.
(The next stage of the journey is a boat crossing) 29
Sho, hey ! You are going to arrive at last. You have come to the top of the cloudy
mountain.
At the foot of the other slope, on the black river,
the wild river
There are three boats
The one. sailing North is for the Chinese who deal
in salt,
The one heading South is for the foreigners in the
cloth trade,
Look for the one in the middle, it's the one for
your homeward journey.
You jump into the boat, a shoal of fish cluster
around.
You will say : My left hand has no bait, my left
hand had no hook
I can't catch you to eat you, I can't haul you
North.
You will say : My right hand has no bait, my right
hand has no hook
I can't haul you South.
(The singer makes "hemp-sticks" by inserting slivers of bamboo into balls of hemp bark, also a little fan
The helping spirit stayed in the crevice of the cliff. The shaman went to call it but the spirit was slow
to come.
When the spirit tried to follow him, it couldn't
catch him up.
It staggered and died and the satin web was torn, The body swayed and fell, the satin web lay at its
feet.
(The singer stops and asks for a knife. With it he traces a line on the ground between himself and the dead man. Meanwhile, in the background, hemp sandals have been woven and money cut out of gold and siver paper. The singer offers money to the dead man, burning the paper to do so. With it the dead man will be able to pay his debts. But in order to leave the world and "go back home" the corpse needs the clothes it wore when it first came into the world : the placenta which its parents buried, in the case of a boy, at the foot of the house's main pillar, in the case of a girl, at the foot of the bed or under the kitchen dresser):
27
Sho, hey ! You are leaving for good.
Your mother and father hid your satin garment Is it under the bed, or under the kitchen dresser ? Did they hide it under the bed or at the foot of the
main pillar ?
You will go searching over the ground
From the pillar to the bed, from the bed to the
pillarWhen it wanted to follow, it couldn't catch him
up
It staggered and died and the satin web was torn, It staggered, it fell. the satin web was dropped to
the ground.
Your feet slip and guide you to men,
But after thirteen days you won't be able to speak
to them.
If you let your feet guide you to the spirits
After thirteen days you'll still be able to speak to
them.
So you let yourself glide away and join the spirits.
26
Sho, hey ! You are leaving for good.
You come to the two spirits that guard the roads
and tracks.
They stretch their arms wide to block your
passage,
Saying : You are a good son, a bearer of spirits. If you come, good and well, but you'll never be
able to go back
You must say ; It's because the medecine stayed
with the plant in the cleft of the rock.
My mother went to call in the plant, but the plant
didn't answer.
27
26
The shaman went to call it but the spirit was slow And you will find your satin shirt and put it on. You climb to the top of the cloudy mountain
Three roads cross there :
The road North is the one the natives or the
Chinese take when they go, sell salt.
The road South is the one the foreigners take
when they go to trade cloth,
Can you see the middle road ? That's the one
that will lead you to your Ancestors.
(The singer now picks up a crossbow and lays it on the dead man's body) :
28
Sho, hey ! You have left for good.
You come to the two natives guarding the gates
of the City.
The two natives raise their swords, brandish their
knives to kill you, saying _
You the only son who can parly with spirits, what
are you doing here ?
Here's what you must say in answer
It's because the medecine stayed in the plant in
the cleft of the rock.
My mother went to call in the plant, but it
wouldn't answer.
The helping spirit stayed in the crevice of the cliff. The shaman went to call it but the spirit was slow
to come.
When the spirit tried to follow him, it could not
4,
28
29
catch him up.
It staggered and fell, the satin web was torn,
The body swayed and died, the satin web lay on
the ground -
Your feet glide and carry you off among the
spirits.
(The next stage of the journey is a boat crossing) 29
Sho, hey ! You are going to arrive at last. You have come to the top of the cloudy
mountain.
At the foot of the other slope, on the black river,
the wild river
There are three boats
The one. sailing North is for the Chinese who deal
in salt,
The one heading South is for the foreigners in the
cloth trade,
Look for the one in the middle, it's the one for
your homeward journey.
You jump into the boat, a shoal of fish cluster
around.
You will say : My left hand has no bait, my left
hand had no hook
I can't catch you to eat you, I can't haul you
North.
You will say : My right hand has no bait, my right
hand has no hook
I can't haul you South.
(The singer makes "hemp-sticks" by inserting slivers of bamboo into balls of hemp bark, also a little fan made by folding a strip of paper and inserting it into a slit in a piece of bamboo)
30
Sho, hey ! You have left for good.
You come to the mountain in the burning sky, The mountain wide open to the winds where the
wild wind howls.
All the others have coloured fans to ward off the
clouds and the wind.
You have no coloured fan.
I put a coloured fan in your hand.
The others will go before, you will follow behind. They will find their Ancestors, you will find yours
too, Neng Chu !
(Food is again placed on the dead man's chest -
half a boiled chicken and a grain of rice) :
31
Sho, hey ! You have left for good.
You're liable to arrive on the mountain top in
time for the midday meal.
All the others have a bite to eat, you will have
one too.
Just stretch your right hand to the left and you'll
find your meal.
All the others have their meal to hand, you too.
made by folding a strip of paper and inserting it into a slit in a piece of bamboo)
30
Sho, hey ! You have left for good.
You come to the mountain in the burning sky, The mountain wide open to the winds where the
wild wind howls.
All the others have coloured fans to ward off the
clouds and the wind.
You have no coloured fan.
I put a coloured fan in your hand.
The others will go before, you will follow behind. They will find their Ancestors, you will find yours
too, Neng Chu !
(Food is again placed on the dead man's chest -
half a boiled chicken and a grain of rice) :
31
Sho, hey ! You have left for good.
You're liable to arrive on the mountain top in
time for the midday meal.
All the others have a bite to eat, you will have
one too.
Just stretch your right hand to the left and you'll
find your meal.
All the others have their meal to hand, you too.
You come to the clear water, it is muddy, To the pure water, it is cloudy.
The others cup it in their hands to wash and
drink.
If you cannot drink, you take some to wash. You cup it in your hand and pour it back.
The others will rejoin their Ancestors, you also
will rejoin yours.
(The singer places two hemp-sticks he made beforein the dead man's right hand) :
32
Sho, hey ! You have left for good.
Now you come to the jaws of the Dragon and the
Tiger of stone.
The Dragon and the Tiger of stone open their
jaws wide,
Stretch their claws to grab you, come forward to
devour you,
Opening wide their jaws they advance to swallow
you.
The others have hemp sticks to fling in their jaws
and stop them up.
You have no hemp. sticks.
Your hemp sticks are here in your hand.
The others will throw theirs first, you do likewise. And the Dragon and the Tiger of stone will let
you pass through to your Ancestors, Neng
Chu !
32
(The singer now ties two red ribbons round the middlefinger of the dead man's right hand) :
33
Sho, hey! You have left at last.
You come to the mountain of onion-peeling. The others can peel, the others peel sixty
bunches.
But you can only peel three teeny wee onions. So you'll lie, saying your finger is bleeding,
dripping blood all over the place,
And you can't peel onions.
You'll be allowed to go in search of your
Ancestors.
Show this finger to Ndzeu Shi Nyong and Ndzeu
Shi Nyong
Will let you go to your Ancestors, Neng Chu!
34
(Meanwhile someone else has put hemp sandals on the dead man's feet) :
Sho, hey ! You are leaving for good.
You come to caterpillar mountain, a mountain
wriggling with caterpillars
It's like a field of grazing sheep.
The caterpillars wriggle and better wriggle, it's like
a field of grazing goats.
The others have hemp sandals to wear, you have
none.
33
Here is a pair of hemp sandals, I put them on
your feet.
The others will walk on the caterpillars, you will
do the same.
The others will find their way to their Ancestors, You will find the way to yours, Neng Chu !
(Here again the singer interrupts his song to say that this is the way of the Ancestors, and that it's no use moaning) :
35
Sho, hey ! You have really gone.
You come to the Horned Couple that guard the
gates of the sky.
They say : How is it that you the only son to take
care of the spirits come to be here ?
Well, you can come all right, but you won't be
able to go back.
The two Horned Ones rattle their copper pincers,
their iron pince as though to crush you. What you must say is this :
Have pity, Horned Couple ! It's because the
medicine stayed with the plant in the cleft of
the rock.
My mother went to call in the plant, but the plant
wouldn't answer.
The helping spirit stayed in the crevice of the cliff. The shaman went to call it but the spirit was slow
to come.
When the spirit tried to follow him it could not
catch him up.
It staggered and died, the satin web was torn, The body swayed and fell, the satin web lay at its
feet.
(The singer had left a knife planted in the ground. He now picks it up) :
36
Sho, hey! I have shown you the way up to now,
the way to the ends of the sky,
To the edge of the great sky riddle, to the ends of
the earth, the great earth-riddle.
Your body is small, you can get through easily, But the big fellow, the stranger The one with the long ear, the wide eyes, the
huge hands, and the ox-feet
His body's too big, he can't get through. He'll stay this side of the sky
Just showing you the way to the welcoming arms
of your Ancestors, Neng Chu !
(With the knife he draws more lines on the ground between himself and the dead man) :
37
Sho, hey! You have left for good, you are almost
there.
You have just passed by the Horned Couple that
guard the gates of the sky.
35
Maybe you will hear the crickets singing in the
rice paddies,
The Ko Ki Yang bird chanting all day long, The Dragon-Thunder couple roaring -
Have no fear, it will only be your relatives, your
brothers
Celebrating your wake. Neng Chu !
(The singer insists that, now he has been shown the way, the dead man must chase back, with sticks and stones if need be, the singer's soul)
38
Sho, hey ! You have left at last You come to the
swidden house of your Ancestors
If a cock crows and another cock crows in answer
its your Ancestors.
If another cock crows and your cock crows in
answer, it's your Ancestors.
If the other cock crows and your cock cackles, it's
not your Ancestors, Neng Chu !
39
Sho, hey! You have left at last. You come to the
village of your Ancestors.
If a man and a woman in the top house
Open the door wide calling you, and offering you
a salutation with both hands Saying : Dear son
Holding a baby-sling and saying
Our dear son, come into our arms -
36
40
Your Ancestors will spread their skirt to receive
you.
You will jump into the skirt of your Ancestors. Your Ancestors will stretch their skirt to receive
you,
You will leap without hesitation into the skirt of
your Ancestors.
Your Ancestors will console you with voices soft
as flutes,
Down here your relatives your brothers will begin
to lament you.
Your Ancestors will soothes you gently with
voices like flutes.
Down here you relatives your brothers will begin
to moan.
(Again the singer insists that the dead man must chase the singer's soul back along the path) :
37
Be sure they are not your Ancestors.
If a couple in the bottom house
Beckon to you, holding a baby-sling, saying Our dear son, come, let us carry you - They aren't your Ancestors either. Your
Ancestors
Are the couple in the middle house Stern-faced, sulky-looking, scolding you and
mocking you
They are your Ancestors.
i
41
Sho, hey ! Your Ancestors will say : Who showed you the way here ?
You will answer : it was a fellow
With a face as big as a fan and eyes like saucers, Feet like ox's hooves and taking up as much room as an ox when he lies down.
Your Ancestors will say next : How
Can we follow his tracks ? If we call him. will he hear ?
Will we be able to catch him up on horseback ? You must say : He can hear no call. He lead me here this year,
And left again last year.
He can hear no call.
Your Ancestors will say : Well can't we follow his tracks ?
You must answer : No one can follow his tracks. The weather was dry when he came, when he left, it was raining
And his tracks were all washed away.
You must say : When he came, the reeds parted like swords
The leaves of the grass parted like spearheads Now he's gone, the reeds are stock still, the grass blocks the way, unmoving.
Partridges and pheasants scratched the ground, leaves cover the path.
No one can find his tracks, no one
Can catch him up on horseback.
Partridges and pheasants pecking at the leaves must have covered his tracks.
You will say : He sent me this year, he left again last year.
He can hear no call.
You will say that when you came you had shoes and you crossed a bridge,
He had no shoes, he came over the mountains, And went back across the rocks.
You will say : I had no shoes, I came over a bridge,
He had no shoes, he came by the mountain road And left again over the slippery rocks.
You will say you can see if the water is clear, but not if the water is muddy.
(Again the singer insists that he must get back his soul, then)
42
Sho, hey ! You have gone at last.
Be careful if you come back as a dog
You may be a lazy guardian of other people's houses.
If you come back as a pig, you may be slaughtered.
If you come back as a horse, you will be ridden
And as a buffalo, be hitched to a plough. Count up to the seventh month when the rains come.
If the weather is fine, the cricket builds its nest under the leaves,
If it's rainy, he builds on top.
So, let the gentle rain fall unceasing
And you will be born again, a new son of your Ancestors,
And find happiness, Neng Chu !
40