How the Cannibals drove the People from Insofan Mountain to the Cross River (Ikom)

Very many years ago, before the oldest man alive at the present time can remember, the towns of Ikom, Okuni, Abijon, Insofan, Obokum, and all the other Injor towns were situated round and near the Insofan Mountain, and the head chief of the whole country was called Agbor. Abragba and Enfitop also lived there, and were also under King Agbor. The Insofan Mountain is about two days' march inland from the Cross River, and as none of the people there could swim, and knew nothing about canoes, they never went anywhere outside their own country, and were afraid to go down to the big river. The whole country was taken up with yam farms, and was divided amongst the various towns, each town having its own bush. At the end of each year, when it was time to dig the yams, there was a big play held, which was called the New Yam feast. At this festival there was always a big human sacrifice, fifty slaves being killed in one day. These slaves were tied up to trees in a row, and many drums were beaten; then a strong man, armed with a sharp matchet, went from one slave to another and cut their heads off. This was done to cool the new yams, so that they would not hurt the stomachs of the people. Until this sacrifice was made no one in the country would eat a new yam, as they knew, if they did so, they would suffer great pain in their insides.

ずっとずっと昔、今生きているいちばんの年寄りも覚えていないころ、イコム、オクニ、アビジョン、インソファン、オボクム、そのほかすべてのインジョーの町々は、インソファン山のまわりとその近くにあって、国じゅうの大首長はアグボルと呼ばれていた。アブラグバとエンフィトプもそこに住んでいて、やはりアグボル王の下にあった。インソファン山はクロス川から内陸へ二日ほどの道のりのところにあり、そこの人々は誰も泳げず、丸木舟のことも何も知らなかったので、自分たちの国の外へは決して行かず、大きな川へ降りていくのを恐れていた。国じゅうがヤムイモ畑で占められ、あちこちの町に分けられていて、どの町も自分たちの藪を持っていた。年の終わり、ヤムイモを掘る時分になると、大きな祝いが催され、それは新ヤムイモの祭りと呼ばれた。この祭りではいつも大きな人身御供があり、一日に五十人の奴隷が殺された。奴隷たちは列になって木に縛りつけられ、たくさんの太鼓が打ち鳴らされた。それから鋭い山刀で武装した力の強い男が、奴隷から奴隷へと歩いて首を切り落としていくのである。これは新しいヤムイモを冷ますために行われた。そうしないとヤムイモが人々の腹を痛めるからである。この生贄が捧げられるまで、国じゅうの誰も新しいヤムイモを食べなかった。食べればはらわたにひどい痛みを覚えると知っていたからである。

When the feast was held, all the towns brought one hundred yams each as a present to King Agbor. When the slaves were all killed fires were lit, and the dead bodies were placed over the fires to burn the hair off. A number of plantain leaves were then gathered and placed on the ground, and the bodies, having been cut into pieces, were placed on the plantain leaves.

祭りが催されると、すべての町がアグボル王への贈り物として、それぞれ百個のヤムイモを持ってきた。奴隷がみな殺されると火が焚かれ、なきがらは毛を焼くために火にかけられた。それからバナナの葉がたくさん集められて地面に敷かれ、なきがらは切り分けられてバナナの葉の上に置かれた。

When the yams were skinned, they were put into large pots, with water, oil, pepper, and salt. The cut-up bodies were then put in on top, and the pots covered up with other clay pots and left to boil for an hour.

ヤムイモの皮がむかれると、大きな壺に水と油と唐辛子と塩と一緒に入れられた。それから切り分けたなきがらがその上に入れられ、壺はほかの土の壺でふたをされて、一時間煮られた。

The king, having called all the people together, then declared the New Yam feast had commenced, and singing and dancing were kept up for three days and nights, during which time much palm wine was consumed, and all the bodies and yams, which had been provided for them, were eaten by the people.

それから王は人々をみな呼び集めて、新ヤムイモの祭りが始まったと宣した。歌と踊りが三日三晩続けられ、そのあいだに椰子酒がたくさん飲まれ、用意されたなきがらとヤムイモはみな人々に食べられた。

The heads were given to the king for his share, and, when he had finished eating them, the skulls were placed before the Ju Ju with some new yams, so that there should be a good crop the following season.

首は王の分け前として王に与えられた。そして王が食べ終わると、頭蓋骨は新しいヤムイモと一緒にジュジュ(守り神)の前に置かれた。次の季節に豊作になるようにである。

But although these natives ate the dead bodies of the slaves at the New Yam feast, they did not eat human flesh during the rest of the year.

けれども、この土地の人々は新ヤムイモの祭りで奴隷のなきがらを食べたけれども、年のそのほかのあいだは人の肉を食べなかった。

This went on for many years, until at last the Okuni people noticed that the graves of the people who had been buried were frequently dug open and the bodies removed. This caused great wonder, and, as they did not like the idea of their dead relations being taken away, they made a complaint to King Agbor. He at once caused a watch to be set on all newly dug graves, and that very night they caught seven men, who were very greedy, and used to come whenever a body was buried, dig it up, and carry it into the bush, where they made a fire, and cooked and ate it.

これが何年も続いたが、とうとうオクニの人々が、埋葬された人々の墓がたびたび掘り返されて、なきがらが持ち去られていることに気づいた。これは大きな驚きを呼び、人々は死んだ身内が持ち去られるのを好まなかったので、アグボル王に訴えた。王はすぐに、新しく掘られた墓をみな見張らせた。するとまさにその夜、七人の男がつかまった。この男たちはたいそう欲深くて、なきがらが埋められるたびにやって来て掘り返し、藪へ運んでいって、火をおこして料理して食べていたのである。

When they were caught, the people made them show where they lived, and where they cooked the bodies.

つかまえられると、人々は男たちに、どこに住んでいて、どこでなきがらを料理するのかを示させた。

After walking for some hours in the forest, they came to a place where large heaps of human bones and skulls were found.

森を何時間か歩くと、人の骨と頭蓋骨が山と積まれた場所に着いた。

The seven men were then securely fastened up and brought before King Agbor, who held a large palaver of all the towns, and the whole situation was discussed.

そこで七人の男はしっかり縛られてアグボル王の前に連れてこられた。王はすべての町を集めて大きな評議を開き、事のすべてが話し合われた。

Agbor said that this bad custom would necessitate all the towns separating, as they could not allow their dead relations to be dug up and eaten by these greedy people, and he could see no other way to prevent it. Agbor then gave one of the men to each of the seven towns, and told some of them to go on the far side of the big river and make their towns there. The others were to go farther down the river on the same side as Insofan Mountain, and when they found suitable places, they were each to kill their man as a sacrifice and then build their town.

アグボルは、この悪い習わしのために、すべての町が別れるほかないと言った。死んだ身内がこの欲深い者たちに掘り返されて食べられるのを許すわけにはいかないし、それを防ぐほかの手立てが見つからないからである。それからアグボルは七つの町にそれぞれ男を一人ずつ与え、何人かには大きな川の向こう側へ行って町を建てるよう言った。残りの者はインソファン山と同じ側の、川をもっと下ったところへ行くことになった。そしてよい場所を見つけたら、それぞれ自分の男を生贄として殺してから町を建てるようにと言われた。

All the towns then departed, and when they had found good sites, they built their towns there.

こうして町々はみな去っていき、よい場所を見つけると、そこに町を建てた。

When they had all gone, after a time Agbor began to feel very lonely, so he left the site of his old town and also went to the Cross River to live, so that he could see his friends.

みなが去ってしまうと、しばらくしてアグボルはたいそう寂しくなってきた。そこで古い町の跡地を離れて、自分もクロス川へ移り住んだ。友だちに会えるようにである。

After that the New Yam feast was held in each town, and the people still continued to kill and eat a few slaves at the feast, but the bodies of their relations and friends were kept for a long time above ground until they had become rotten, so that the greedy people should not dig them up and eat them.

そのあと、新ヤムイモの祭りはそれぞれの町で催され、人々は祭りで少しの奴隷を殺して食べることを相変わらず続けた。けれども身内や友だちのなきがらは、腐ってしまうまで長いあいだ地上に置いておくようになった。欲深い者たちに掘り返されて食べられないようにするためである。

This is why, even at the present time, the people do not like to bury their dead relations until they have become putrid.

これが、今日でさえ、人々が死んだ身内を腐るまで埋めたがらないわけである。