Dutor Torgbuiga Wenya I and the founding of the Anlo Kingdom Pt. 3

AMEMAKUMAKU FE HLORBIABIA

An incident occurred when in a seemingly innocent fracas a young man from King Ago-Koli’s house(Dzedua) threw a stone which hit the forehead of another young man who was from Fia Sri’s house(Aga). There was a deep cut and blood flowed out profusely. The matter was instantly reported to King Ago-Koli.He offered to take the wounded man into his house in order to treat the wound for him. Fia Sri refused. A few days later, Fia Sri reported to King Ago-Koli that the wounded man had died. King Ago-Koli sent emissaries to verify and to sympathize with Fia Sri. It was true that a young man had died in Fia Sri’s house but he was not the wounded man. Fia Sri’s people therefore disguised the face of the dead man and covered it with raffia saying that it was their custom. The emissaries went back and confirmed the death to King Ago-Koli.

After the funeral of the dead man, Fia Sri brought the case before the Council of Notsie for the surrender of the young man from King Ago-Koli’s house to be executed in revenge. Since that was law, King Ago-Koli could not do otherwise but to comply. The young man was executed but the incident left a bitter memory on King Ago Koli. Months later the Dogbo changed the beating of their talking drum into (“Dogbonyigbo! Dogbonyigbo! Ame makumaku fe hlobialawo, ame makumaku fe hlobialawo”). “Dogbonyigbo, Dogbonyigbo! People who revenge the death of the living, people who revenge the death of the living”. When King Ago-Koli heard this, he began to suspect that he might have been tricked by Fia Sri.