"As it stands, the Fokums cannot marry in the royal family because they are considered as ONE. As with all rules, one person will usually break it, and one Fokum did just that !!!." Ni Ben Fokum,,,,,, Ni, with your quote above I now understand why back in Bali i lost my first ever "sweet heart" who hapen to have been one of the Fokums. (Name withheld !!). The day we both decided she let her parents know about me, i told her not to call my name (Ndango) but just say one boy from Ba Tita Fomunungs compound. That historic evenning she positioned me behind to "take undercover " at one corner near the famous uncompleted "72 Rooms" behind the Fokums fence. Anxiously waiting for the good news only for her to come back with half tears, swollen eyes, red pinches on her jaws/cheeks and with her two palms wraped over her head i could immagine the number of cracks she received home and emmidiately i scented there was danger. Her first word to me was a warning !!!!"This boy !! i beg just go for wonna compound , you make am they beat me for nothing. If we see your "back-foot" for here again my brothers them go show you peper !!you go pay this beating wey they beat me so, ". I was so sad and scared. Just immaginning the number of boys in that compound i ran upwards from Paila and round via Nchinjoh quaters before going back to mbatmandet breathing like a horse. I avoided that road for months and kept cursing that compound but little did i know that the good parents were just protecting tradition and avoiding shame within the royal family. Sucession, Ba , and Tittle Every Baliman or woman no matter how young will eventually be called a Ba or Na with age and responsibility. After a certain age be you title holder or not, have kids or not, sucessor or not you cannot be called a Ni or Ma. When you die its the decision of your family to put your sucessor or not depending on how important you were to YOUR family and this has got absolutely nothing to do with the entire Bali as a whole.!! CASE #1 The deceased was NOT a title holder In the case where you succeed either your father or someone who was not a title holder you can be called at times or all the times by your closed family people and this stays within your family.Your family may even like to take the sucessor to the palace to show the fon its still ok. Just make sure you take along enough of fire wood, maybe a small envelope iff you like to, few family members and you will be received with politeness ,enough sympathy for the deceased and words of advice for the new sucessor but DON´T ask for more. !!No traditional rites will be performed. If you find yourself within Bali people ,Stay quiet !! and if you have to introduce yourself , do it as you for you will be called and treated as any normal Bali person exceptions some political envolvements/ranks and or status .(Minister, Governor, mayor, etc ) or Takums, BCA-Presidents,BCA-VPs ,, etc etc). CASE #2 The deceased was a title holder in Bali If one has to succeeds a person who was a title holder in Bali then its of interest to the entire Bali and the palace. (Tita, Tangwi, Fonteh, Nkom, Nwana, Sama, Tutuwan , Nchinted, Gwe ,etc). Such sucessions all go through the Palace with traditional rites performed at different degrees as the order decends. With the above responsibilities you are expected to have atleast some closeness to Bali people, to Bali Nyonga and to the Bali Palace as well with the exception of Titas who are not obliged to be too attatched to the palace except when they choose to. they belong there.!!!. How to treat a Bali Title holder out of Bali/ Diaspora/Ndakums/Bali social gatherings The Bali Palace has got no influence or particular rule on how Bali title holders should or has to be received in traditional gatherings. The executive members present at every Bali social group BCA, Ndakum etc even as an impromptu decides on the spot depending on the ambiance on how to receive or welcome any visitor to their house irrespective of wheather the visitor is a Ba ,title holder, Bali elite, foreigner or not. Its their sole decision !!. Depending on how a particular Ba or Na is important to Bali or has generously supported the associations projects to let them reach their goals they may decide happilly under NO pressure to welcome a particular elite or tittle holder with a VIP treatment to the house as a gesture. If he is a "Ba tittle" holder they may choose to put hands together for him in accordance to the Bali tradition. If he is just an elite ,they may also choose to welcome him too in a special way as a good gesture. the elite may not be a tittle holder but might have supported the group somehow to win their simple appreciation or recognition that will cost just nothing. No title holder will impose to any executive on how to handle, treat or welcome him when the executive don´t want to. they do it out of hapiness ,as a gesture and at times trying to give some weight to their culture and also enjoy that feeling. I do remember last August during the BCA-Europe launching in Berlin , BCA-Europe executives and organisers all decided to give ALL the BCA-USA delegation to Berlin a VIP reception and recognition both the titled and non title holders. They came all the way from the USA to suport and did it big that was worth apreciation of any form. If any Ba or a bali elite receives a VIP treatment and honor in any Bali group or Ndakum it does NOT mean that any title holder same or higher who comes there will receive the same treatment. It depends on how they group looks at you. It is also a powerfull fundraising strategy. Some Ba´s and or elites are by nature very generous or say open handed and so good fundraisers will always want to reward or receive them in any Ndakum in a special way. Back in Bali the impromptu apearance of some elites and Ba´s into any Ndakum irrespective of wheather they have titles or not automatically generates a "lehti" where they sing hapilly front towards the main door and back to give him and he will have to receive the "lehti" in traditional way. Supporting them in anyway will be up to you. Who is a Tita and who is not/ Know your limits Tita stands for prince but not all Titas must be princess. Back in Bali Nyonga the many Titas have never been a problem because everyone who bears Tita knows his limits. It will not be appropriate to start deciding or debating who has to bear Tita and who doesn´t have to especially in a discussion forum. The Bali History, Bali tradition and culture is a little complex that they seem to be some sensitive stories down the road. Some debate on a forum to learn and some also debate as a habit with no interest of who or which institution has got the facts. In Bali one is free to use Tita especially as a decendant of the royal family but you know your limits and that has never created any confussion in Bali. I come from the Fomunung Clan where the story is again more complex to understand for many but within the clan there has never been any confusion because we´ve got an overal Ba Tita Fomunung who is the head and owns the general Nchubuh. Most of the time i do say i´m Tita Ndango and i know i´m not Baita Fomunung but no Baliman will tell me im not a Tita. If you tell me i´m not a Tita i´m afraid we may end up at a point where i will tell you your "dd" or "grpa" was or came to Bali as a "Nkwan " and we will start from there. I hapen to have travelled to Bali during the last year official coronation of the present Ba Tita Fomunung and with curiosity i mixed for five good days with the Bonfons (Fonyongas) where i did admire and learned just alot especially during the famous "wadvalla" ceremony that only selected Titas are permited to do by tradition. Down the road again with the birth rights of Tita Fomunung one and per tradition , the story futher lenthens as one can see in the Fomunung clan and will not be narated here because the facts are back home. Reception of the fon of Bali or a special envoy/Representative on official or unofficial visits The reception or visit of the fon of Bali , his representative or say his special envoy to any Bali group is always obligatory as per tradition to follow a particular pathern. His representative or say special envoy at any time "t" must not be a Tita , it can be anyone he finds appropriate and trusts at that point in time for the Association in question and location. He can send a Nkom to Yaounde, a Tita to Douala, a fonteh to Germany, another Tita to the USA and next time the order will be different. It must not always be the same person. He may also delegate a Tadmanji within that location to represent and deliver his message. In that case the executive will have to give the said representative some extend of reception or say honor but can never be like the fon himself. PS:This is the little i know but i don´t know everyhing with the Bali tradition. the final reference point is home. I keep learning but i prefere to learn home.! Ndango.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 23:17:00 +0000
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